The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-12-25
CHRISTMAS TREE LEGENDS.

happy symbol of the ancient Sun
Tree" of the Teutons, the flashing can
die flame to represent the golden rays,
the golden balls which are hung on it's
branches are likened TO the sun, moon
and stars, while the bowers and ami
mails which are suspended from the
boughs represent the vegetable and
brute creation, alive beneath the
suns glad rays.
A Viking legend recounted by a con-
! tributor to "Benziger's Magazine"
tells that when the Fair White
Christ was preached to the sea row.
ers by Ansgarius, God sent three spir-
its to light the first Christmas tree,
the spirits of Faith, Hope and Love.
And men sought through all the for
ests for tree which should be high
as hope. as wide as love and which
bore the sign of the Cross on every
Dough- Then they chose the balsam
fir, whose. topmost branches reached
nigh to high heaven itself, whose
to all the world, upon each bough a
cross. and whose fragrance was sweet
as the spirit of Christmas time.
In the Hartz Mountains the peas
ants seem to retain trace of the old
Teutonic superstitions, for on Christ
mas Eve the village maidens dance
about a fir tree, gaily decorated. and
sing to tiny creature supposed to
be confined within the branches, the
Spirit of Christmas, who must PROM
Use them gifts of love and happiness
during the coming year before he can
be free.
The origin of this custom is in a
pretty legend told by the peasants to
their children every Christmas Eve.
Once in the long ago a peasant fell
very ill, and his wife and children
were cold and hungry. The mother
was so weak she had no strength to
cut down the frs for wood, that
been permitted by the cruel lord of
the castle, and she loved SO well the
stately frs that she could not bear to
see them cut. Gods trees" she
called them, since they, of all the for
est, doomed at Christmas-tide to hon.
or His birth. SO she staggered up
the hillside. hoping to find some twigs
and boughS with which to build even
a tiny fire upon her hearth to cheer
the feeble ones at home. Coming to
the woods, she paused before giant
fir tree, SO large that all the ground
beneath it was covered with it's cones
ooh, what fine cones are these!'
she exclaimed. perhaps if gathered
them l might sell some in the city, for
they are the finest | have ever seen.
Then she set to work with will
and gathered a basketball, fastening
CityWards to sell them, thus gaining
food and fire for the dear ones at
home. Next day she came again, and
the next until at last it was the day
before the blessed feast and few
cones were left upon the hills; it was
cold; the wind swept chills from the
mountains, and good Frau Elsa shiv-
cred as she staggered upward, holding
her thin shawl about her, while the
feathery snowfakes fell thick and fast
Il must keep on she murmured.
81 must fill my basket full today as
she dug beneath the snow to find the
cones.
But as she stopped in the cruel
SHOWS she heard a voice, and, turning,
she saw little old man with wrin-
kled, kindly face and long white
beard.
MY good woman said the little
man, go beyond to the farthest tree.
There you will find finer cones than
these. One who desires gift for the
little Christ must not be disappoint-
ed"
Frau Elsa obeyed the little old
mans command and sought the fur
thest tree, where so great shower
of cones fell on the SHOWS at her feet
that she could scarcely pick them up.
She filed her basket to overflowiDg
and fastened to her cottage, the bas-
ket so heavy that she could hardly
carry it. So heavy it grew that sew
eral times she thought she would have
to throw out some of the cones, but
she kept bravely on. 81 must carry
them ALL she said to herself, FOR to-
day | must have enough to feed my
loved ones and bear the Christmas to
the Christ Child, too AT last she
reached her cottage and emptied
there her cones upon the table, that
she might find larger basket in
which to carry them to sell, when, 10,
she started back in wonder and
amaZement.