Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1910-12-23
The Origin And History OF The
Christmas Tree.

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ton of the most beautiful and impressive
festival of the year.
Legends there are in plenty, but few Of
them seem founded upon basis of fact.
Most of them have been handed down.
with the customary warping from the orig
inal story-from generation to generation.
The use of the fir tree in the celebration
of Christmas, is usually believed to have
originated in Germany. Careful research
proves this to have been fallacy. AS
are so many of the ancient customs and
institutions, its origin as Christmas ad-
junct is traced to an Irishman.
1t was Saint Columbanus, who engaged
in converting the pagans of Germany and
Switzerland to Christianity, found them
so firmly impressed with the sacredness
of trees especially the fir---that he con-
ceived the idea of endowing them with an
illustrative Christian meaning. To these
people the tree was an object of worship
from which no amount of reasoning would
SVhNNAh NhChit anu DNIduoC va NiiAo' Suiit
Columbanus and his fellow missionaries
found it an especially favorable symbol
for their use
AS far back as the seventh century the
fir tree, because of its evergreen verdure,
was known in Christmas writings and pic
lures as a symbol of eternal life, while a
legend dating from the same period, rep
resents an old man bearing lighted tree,
who entered every home at Christmas
time, and granted a single wish to each of
the inmates. The evolution of this benefi-
cent old parsonage, with his beautiful fir
into our own Santa Claus and his gift-laden
tree. is easily traced.
1t is believed, moreover, that the fir tree
was used for festival celebration long prior
to the Christian era, for the poet Virgil
speaks of the "oscilla" suspended from the
pine tree branches. These oscilla were
small carved or metal images of pagan
divinities that were so hung that they
oscillated or swung about as they depended
from the limbs. They were believed to
bring blessings or peace to the people and
places toward which their faces turned,
and were afterward distributed as gifts to
the guests. The custom of hanging trees
with these gifts. was later carried into
Germany, we learn from historical research,
by Roman troops.
Its spread throughout the Middle Ages
was slow, but in 1916 grand Duchess of
Austria set up the first Christmas tree in
her country for her children and the court.
The custom had now become known in
Germany, where much more was made Of
it than in any other country, Switzerland,
Austria Hungary and Scandinavia.
During the exile of the inhabitants of
Alsace and Lorraine into France, after the
seizure of their lands by the Germans, it
was determined to give the expatriates a
Christmas as nearly in keeping with that
of their beloved homes as was possible
Charitable organizations of Paris took up
the matter and erected huge Christmas
trees in the public halls with which
the beauty loving and susceptible French
became enthusiastically enamored and
adopted as their own.
Queen Vctoria's German husband is said
to have given the custom Its wide spread
popularity in England, although the OBJ.
servance of Christmas in its other tradi
tional phases had been beautifully cele.
brated there for centuries.
In Spain the Christmas tree has never
been popular. owing to the fact that the
Spanish people are greatly averse to TAX
ing up with foreign customs. In spite Of
this fact, however, Christmas tree has
always had a place in the Royal Palace at
Madrid
Spain has her own way of celebrating
the "NOche Buena." One of the most pic
turesque is the Cocks mass, so called be-
cause il is celebrated at midnight, at which
hour the rooster announces the advent OF
Christmas.
Another beautiful method of Christmas
celebration in Spain. is the performance OF
the Nativity" miracle play, just before
the midnight mass. This play is given foI
three or four weeks, so popular is it with
the people of all ranks and stations. The
history of Christs birth is played exactly
as it was written many hundreds of years
ago. Herod is depicted as an ancient king
of CASTLE, Joseph and Mary are peasants
from one Of the provinces, and the shep-
herds are rough herdsmen from the Qua
darrama hills. Wholly Spanish is the set
ting and the story. Quaint to a degree is
the presentation and devout is the audience
Although the fir tree as Christmas cult
was popular in the Rome of Virgil, it has
since lost its popularity in Italy. Christmas
is celebrated in other ways. 1t is. as il Is
everywhere, great family festival, and is
much given to pleasure and dinner.
In Sicily the fir tree is unknown as q
Christmas adjunct. but the very IudicrOu'
custom of beating the bachelor" is OBJ
served by the women. All Of the unmar
ried men in the village are driven into the
church after mass by the Outnumberinl
women and run about the sacred ediiict
and beaten until they declare (often falsely.
that they will wed ere another Christmas
comes around.
In all Catholic countries a peculiar Christ
mas custom is the barring Of the right lei
of the "Santo Bambino." or sacred child
used in the representation of the Nativity
in the various churches. The reason TO
this is set forth in the following legend
In the church of the Aracoeli at Rome
there is a wooden statue Of the Mothe
and Child that is said to have been painted
by no less parsonage than Saint Luke him
self This image is credited with remark
able cures, made during its numerous visit
to the bedsides Of the sick and dying
A very wealthy Roman woman. desirinl
to own the statue for her own uses. had al
| ohacurp artiat make an exact cOnv of il