Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-22
CHRISTMAS IN THE AIR
BEAUTIFUL TREES In MARKETS
TYPICAL OF GLAD SEASON.

of all the pleasures at the Christmas
season none compare to the delights OF the
Christmas tree in the childish mind. and
to the large majority of children it would
not be Christmas IL it we've not for the
glamour thrown over the holiday by the
mystery of the gaily decorated tree.
KRIS Krfngle has a lot of work to do
1.-THE night before Christmas in visiting
each of the homes of all the children in
Washington and arranging the trees for
| them. This Is what a little six-year-old
was heard to say. to a younger brother
! one Christmas morning a year ago, and
1t is this mystery that makes the an
| nual custom dear to the hearts of the
little people throughout the land. They
retire the night before Christmas full
of expectation of the pleasure the morrow
will bring, and bright and early next
morning little bare feet patter into the
Christmas tree room to be delighted with
the gaily decorated pine or cedar.
Even the older folk take pleasure in the
tree. and with children in the house
it warns UP old hearts to trim and make
ready the green boughs as a means OF
giving pleasure to the little ones.
While the Christmas tree is now sym
bolical of the greatest festival of the
Christian era, 1t has been but a century
or two since 1t was adopted by the Eng
disappearing peoples. t comes down to
times. and an old legend makes st. Win
fred the founder OF the Christmas tree.
st. Winfred had undertaken the task of
converting the sturdy people of ancient
Scandinavia from their heather, ways.
They worshfped trees. and to convince
body of converts that the object of their
worship was but a tree the good old
saint started to cut down a mighty oak.
WELDING his mighty sword st. Winfred
cut deep into the body Of the oak. and
as he did so. tradition says. a mighty
wind rose and twisting the tree around
broke 1t into four pieces.
Preservation Of the Fir.
Behind the oak stood young fir tree
pointing its evergreen head to heaven. and
as the massive trunk of the giant Of the
forest fell it separated and the little fir
was left unframed. Pointing to 1t st.
Winfred told his converts. that the fir
should be symbolical of endless life, as It's
leaves are always green. 1t points
straight to heaven, so let it be the tree
of the Christ child. and thus the Christ
mas tree as a symbol of eternity was
grated upon Christianity.
The Christmas tree as we use it had
Its birth in Germany, whence it spread
TO England. but was brought to this
country by German emigants long before
1t was adopted by the English-speaking
people. 1t is now a fixture in every
home where there are children, and the
custom will continue on down through
time. for children will never give 1t up.
Christmas in this city, and they come not
only. from the woods and fields of Mary
land and Virginia, but, from Maine and
other New England states. and even as
come the beautiful spruce trees, while
from the states about the District the
pines and cedars are; procured.
A visit to the vicinity of any of the
markets would lead pne to believe that
all the pines and cedars in the country
had been cut to supply the Christmas de-
mand. There are hundreds of them file
ing all the space about the markets and
overlooking into the side streets.
OF All Sizes.
= The trees are of all sizes and shapes
and range in price from % cents each
up to 50 or 81 each. The more lordIy
spruce is to be found at the florists about
the city and they sell at prices ranging
from so cents for little one foot high
up to $25 for a tree fifteen or twenty
feet tall and of girth enough to fill
good-sized room.
The spruce is the most desirable, as it
can be trimmed to better advantages.
The cedars and pines both have their
admirers and the demand for each was
heavy yesterday: Everg-eens of all kinds
were on sale in large quantities about the
markets. but there will be plenty of them
left for the remaining two days of the
selling season. Crowsfoot or running
pine, princess pine, mountain laurel
spruce pine, holly and other kinds of
evergreen made up Into long ropes. an
chors, rings. stars or fancifuI designs
sold at prices ranging from 10 cents each
up to Is cents and 81, and as they make
effective decorations for Christmas they
were largely purchased.
1t Is stated that nvergreens generally are
more plentiful this y ar than they we're
last year. but the mystical mistletoe Is
scarce and is bringing fancy prices. About
the markets the scent of tn, pines per-
meated everything and Christmas was in
the air.