First Christmas tree. New Year tree: history and interesting facts. The appearance of the Christmas tree in Rus'
In this article we will talk about the origins of the European custom decorate the Christmas tree and how the features of this tradition changed at different stages of history. We will mainly talk about traditions of Germany and France and, in particular, about the Alsace and Lorraine regions, since it is the capital of Central Alsace that the city is considered the “official birthplace” of the New Year tree, and neighboring Lorraine gave the world such a popular Christmas tree decoration as a glass ball.
Christmas or New Year tree- this is an image that combines numerous fairy tales, legends, childhood memories and for most people symbolizes a joyful moment when everyone, young and old, gathers together to celebrate Christmas or New Year in a cozy atmosphere. We have an inherent need to hope for renewal and light even in the most severe winter, and the origins of this need go back centuries.
As an evergreen tree, the Christmas tree has always had a magical appeal for both pagans and Christians, being an object of desire, the embodiment of warm holidays and meetings with family and friends. The traditions of decorating the Christmas tree have changed over the course of European history and today are of interest as a kind of cultural monument, as a reflection of our past.
The Ancient Origins of Christmas Traditions
The tradition of veneration and ritual use of trees was found among European peoples already in ancient times. The tree was considered a symbol of life among the ancient peoples of Europe and was often decorated with fruits, flowers, and cereals. Thus, the Celts deified trees and believed that spirits lived in them. And, for example, on the day of the winter solstice, the Romans decorated their houses with branches of evergreen trees in honor of the god Janus.
Like many other pagan traditions, this custom was later adopted by Christians, who simply replaced the branches with whole, freshly cut trees. In addition, the popularity of the “Christmas tree” among Christians was facilitated by medieval Christmas mysteries, one of which was dedicated to the story of Adam and Eve, and a spruce decorated with red apples was usually used to depict the tree of paradise.
The Legend of Saint Boniface and the Christmas Tree
According to some reports, the custom of setting up a decorated Christmas tree for Christmas originated in Germany. The "inventor" of the Christmas tree is considered Saint Boniface(675-754) - an English bishop who was engaged in missionary work in Germany, preaching the Christian faith. According to legend, once in a certain Bavarian village Boniface met a pagan tribe that worshiped the sacred oak of the god Thor (according to another version - Odin). To prove to the pagans the powerlessness of their gods, the saint cut down this oak tree, and, to the surprise of the Germans, no powerful spirits emerged from the cut down tree to punish Boniface for his act. Impressed by what they saw, many pagans converted to Christianity.
This legend has the following continuation: before the eyes of the amazed pagans, a young Christmas tree grew in the place of the felled oak tree (in fact, this part of the legend is not confirmed in the life of the saint and is considered a later attempt to Christianize the pagan tradition). Boniface explained to the pagans that the evergreen tree was a symbol of Christ and the strengthening of the Catholic faith, while the fallen oak signified the end of paganism. The next year, all the pagans in the area were already Christians and happily decorated the grown Christmas tree, celebrating the holiday of Christmas, previously unknown to them.
According to another version, with the help of coniferous trees, the crowns of which have a triangular shape, St. Boniface tried to convey the idea of the Trinity to the pagans.
Christmas tree of the 16th century: Christian symbolism
For Christmas celebrations in the 16th century, Europeans began to increasingly use whole young trees instead of branches - common, as already mentioned, in the pagan tradition. Moreover, the most suitable for this purpose were immediately recognized as coniferous trees, since they remain green even at the beginning of winter and serve as the embodiment of hope for a new life, for the renewal of nature.
The earliest documentary evidence, preserved in the humanistic library, tells that for decorating Christmas trees - which were called by the old German word Meyen- were used at that time apples. These are flavorful and crispy. red apples are still known in Germany and Alsace under the name Christkindel Apfel(“Christmas apples”) In Alsace, it is customary to collect them in October and store them until December-February.
Decorating Christmas trees at that time was most often of an official nature, since these trees were mainly installed in squares in front of churches, as well as in front of the town hall and workshop buildings. The green beauty's outfit consisted of two symbolic elements: firstly, actually apples, which recalled the original sin of Adam and Eve, and secondly, host, or wafer (oublie), which served as an indication of the atonement of sins through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In the Lyceum Chapel of the Alsatian city of Ageno (Haguenau) ( Haguenau) a fresco of the 15th century has been preserved, in which this symbolism is visually embodied in the form of a tree, the crown of which is clearly divided vertically into two zones: on one side apples hang on the tree, and on the other - wafers.
After Christmas trees began to appear in ordinary homes, the tree was first adopted hang to the ceiling beam, as was previously done with “pagan” branches. After some time, they began to place the spruce in a small tub filled with sand and gravel.
Which Christmas decorations were most common during this period, besides, of course, the aforementioned apples and wafers? Since the beginning of the 16th century, a Christmas tree decoration called Zischgold, which was made from thin metal plates or gilded strips, which added even more shine to the festive decoration of the Christmas tree.
Another similar type of Christmas tree decorations is lametta- gimp, or “rain”, which in France is usually called “angel hair” ( cheveux d'ange). According to some reports, Lyon craftsmen were already making these brilliant Christmas decorations as early as the 15th century.
Is Celeste the birthplace of the Christmas tree?
Although Christmas tree tradition probably existed in Germany and Alsace from about the 12th century, the first written mention of a "Christmas tree" ( Meyen) in this region date back to 1521. This refers to the entry dated December 21, 1521, preserved in humanistic library ( Bibliothèque Humaniste) - an Alsatian city located between and. However, in those days Celeste did not yet belong to France and was called in the German manner: Schlettstadt.
This historical entry in the account book reads: “ Item IIII schillinge dem foerster die meyen an sanctuary Thomas tag zu hieten"("4 shillings - to the forester for protecting the Christmas trees since St. Thomas's Day" (December 21)). Having studied this fragment of city archives, historians have concluded that the custom of decorating houses - primarily, of course, the houses of wealthy citizens - with Christmas trees for Christmas arose in Alsace. As you can see, the authorities of Celeste were forced to spend money to ensure the protection of the forest from plunder by local residents who were trying to get their hands on the coveted Christmas tree.
Several other, later, archival records have also been preserved: for example, a record from 1546 tells that two workers were tasked with building a road into the forest so that it would be easier to get to the spruce trees and cut down the required number of trees. Another record indicates that in 1555 the city authorities, trying to avoid abuses, introduced a ban on cutting down fir trees. Finally, a description has been preserved, compiled in 1600 by the cupbearer of the city hall, Balthasar Beck ( Balthazar Beck) (1580-1641) and dedicated to how the Christmas tree should be decorated and what other customs of that time were associated with the celebration of Christmas in the main hall ( Herrenstube) town hall of Celeste (then Schlettstadt).
In particular, Beck mentions that apples and wafers were used to decorate the tree. He also describes the custom of inviting the children of city council members, the councilors themselves and other municipal employees, who were allowed to “shake” the tree and eat all the delicacies that decorated it. Other Alsatian cities soon joined Celeste. So, in 1539, a Christmas tree was installed in the Strasbourg Cathedral.
In fact, the right to be called " home of the Christmas tree» is disputed by several other European cities. For example, a brief documentary evidence has been preserved that on the Christmas holiday on December 24, 1510, Riga(Latvia) traders danced around a tree decorated with artificial roses before burning it (a clear echo of pagan traditions). There were also malicious Estonians who claim that the first Christmas tree was erected in Tallinn in 1441.
Disputes over where the Christmas tree first appeared have not subsided to this day. sticks to his version, and Church of St. George in December there is an annual exhibition dedicated to christmas tree stories. In addition, in the humanistic library of Celeste, every December, the same archival document from 1521 is exhibited, which allegedly proves that in this Alsatian city the birth of the custom of decorating houses for Christmas with trees.
In any case, apparently, it was here that this custom was documented for the first time in history.
Late 16th - 17th centuries: Protestant traditions of decorating the Christmas tree
In the 16th century, the tradition of having a decorated Christmas tree was firmly rooted in Germany, Austria, Alsace and Lorraine. Moreover, supporters Reformation supported this custom in every possible way, emphasizing the symbolism of spruce as the heavenly Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
At the end of the 16th century, under the influence of Protestant circles and the urban bourgeoisie, the custom of giving gifts on the occasion of the end of the year moved from St. Nicholas (December 6) on December 24. From that time on, the Christmas tree was always at the center of the celebrations: it was under it that gifts were now placed. In addition, with the light hand of Protestants, the main character of Christmas becomes not Saint Nicholas (who seemed to them too pagan character), but Baby Jesus (Christkindel), who over time became customary to be depicted as a young girl in a veil, dressed in a white robe and a golden crown with fir branches and candles (one of the hypostases of Saint Lucia). She gives gifts to obedient children, while the terrible buka (grandfather with rods) ( Père Fouettard, and in the Alsatian tradition Hans Trapp), in turn, treats the mischievous people not with tangerines and sweets, but with a whip.
In the second half of the 16th century, the leaders of the Reformation refused to use the nativity scenes (Nativity scenes) adopted by Catholics to celebrate Christmas, since Protestants do not have a doctrine of venerating images. Instead of this Protestants began to develop traditions of decorating Christmas trees- after all, this attribute of Christmas, unlike nativity scenes, does not directly depict either Christ or other biblical characters. Martin Luther proposed that the Christmas tree be considered a symbol of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden.
The symbolism of decorating a Christmas tree during this period it remains fundamentally Christian and does not cause any objections in the Lutheran camp. Moreover, devout Protestants, focused on careful attention to the texts of the Old Testament, strongly advocated the use of appropriate decoration for the Christmas tree. Therefore, in addition to traditional red apples and hosts, at the end of the 16th century, multi-colored apples were increasingly being used to decorate the Christmas tree. paper wrappers in the shape of roses and other colors.
These flowers are an allusion to the words Prophet Isaiah about the “root of Jesse”- the tree of Jesse, or the family tree of Jesus Christ ( Wed. “And a branch shall come forth from the root of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his root.” The symbolism of this type of jewelry indicated the origin and birth of the Savior. In addition to this, the flowers on the tree were reminiscent of the words of an old Christmas carol Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (“The Rose Has Grew”), written just in that era.
The following archival entry in Old German dates back to 1605: “ Auff Weihnachten richtet man Dannenbäume zu Straßburg in den Stuben auf. Daran henket man Roßen auß vielfarbigem Papier geschnitten, Aepfel, Oblaten, Zischgold und Zucker“ (“At Christmas, a fir tree is installed in the living room. The tree is decorated with paper roses, apples, wafers, gold leaves and sugar”).
XVIII-XIX centuries: Christmas - children's holiday
During this period, the religious symbolism of the holiday begins to recede into the background. Instead of apples, a variety of round-shaped delicacies (for example, stuffed nuts wrapped in gold or silver paper) are beginning to be used to decorate Christmas trees.
The place of the guests is now taken by gingerbread, sweets, waffles and traditional delirious (bredele, Also bredela or bradle) - Christmas cookies made from gingerbread dough.
In Alsace, southern Germany and some parts of Switzerland, a special type of bredel, the so-called springerle or sprangerly ( sprengerle or springerle), which are printed aniseed cookies, most often round or heart-shaped. They are baked specifically for Christmas, and this tradition has survived to this day.
In addition to the cookies themselves, special molds for baking these sweets are sold in Alsatian cities. Ceramic relief shapes, or “stamps,” for creating a specific design on dough can be purchased in stores as souvenirs. Previously, such molds were made mainly of wood and decorated with carved scenes of everyday life or compositions based on biblical scenes. More information about traditional Alsatian sweets, souvenirs and folk crafts can be read in the article “Folk crafts, customs and traditions of Alsace" .
The specific form of sweets used to decorate the Christmas tree gradually lost importance in the 19th century and became more and more diverse. Since that time, decorating the Christmas tree and all related traditions have been considered mainly the prerogative of children. Immediately after the end of the Epiphany holiday, at the beginning of January, boys and girls are now invited to “shake” the Christmas tree and “harvest the harvest,” which little sweet tooths do with pleasure.
In the 19th century, gingerbread and bredels began to be additionally decorated with glaze, and sometimes with small colored sprinkles. Decorative pictures with various subjects are glued on top of the sugar or chocolate glaze (these were chromolithographs, most often depicting angels or stars). A small wooden fence, reminiscent of a hedge, is arranged around the trunk of the tree. front garden in front of a traditional peasant house. The space fenced off in this way symbolizes paradise lost due to the Fall of man.
Hence the word Paradiesgartlein(“Paradise Garden”), which is what this Christmas garden was called in Germany. As you can see, Christian symbolism is gradually gaining importance again.
The Christmas tree comes to France and the UK
The support that the leaders of the Reformation provided to the “Christmas tree tradition” explains the rapid spread of the Christmas tree throughout Protestant regions Northern Europe, including Germany and Scandinavian countries. Do not forget that Alsace at that time was part of German world, as well as the neighboring duchies of Lorraine and Austria. All this time, throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the tradition of putting up a Christmas tree in houses at Christmas was developed in all the mentioned regions.
At the end of the 19th century, after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the tradition of decorating the New Year (Christmas) tree finally came to France. The honor of spreading this tradition belongs to the residents Alsace and Lorraine, who, not wanting to become Prussians, after the annexation of their regions to Germany, decided to leave for France, the “land of human rights”, which again became a republic.
Even before this, in 1837, the German wife of the heir to the French throne, Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orleans, Lutheran Helena of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, ordered the installation of a Christmas tree in the Tuileries Garden, but then the tradition did not take root. (A century earlier, in 1738, another unsuccessful attempt to introduce the tradition of the Christmas tree at the French court was made by the wife of Louis XV, Marie Leszczynska). Only the influx of immigrants from Alsace and Lorraine predetermined the massive spread of the Christmas tree in France. (By the way, thanks to the same Alsatian settlers, the tradition quickly spread to the United States).
Today a giant christmas tree (sapin de Noel, arbre de Noel) can be seen in the central square of every major French city: in Paris and Rouen, on Stanislav Square in Nancy and on Place Kleber in the city of Strasbourg, which bears the proud name of the “capital of Christmas”. Since about the 1930s, the custom of putting up a decorated Christmas tree at Christmas has been accepted in almost all French homes.
The tradition of Christmas trees, which is typical, was also brought to Great Britain by the ubiquitous Lutherans, namely the husband of Queen Victoria Prince Albert- aka Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. On his initiative in 1841 Great Britain(more precisely, at Windsor Castle) the first Christmas tree was erected. In 1848, a photograph of the royal family gathered around a Christmas tree appeared in an English newspaper, which was soon circulated in the form of numerous postcards. Court fashion quickly spread among the bourgeoisie, and then among the common people. In the Victorian era, it was believed that a Christmas tree should have six tiers of branches and be placed on a table covered with a white linen. Then it was decorated with garlands, bonbonnieres and paper flowers.
It is curious that even before its appearance in the UK, the tradition of Christmas trees took root in Canada. It was only in the 20th century that this custom finally penetrated into the main Catholic countries of Europe - Italy and Spain.
Christmas tree decorations of the New Age: the invention of the glass ball and other innovations
In the mid-19th century, natural products used to decorate the Christmas tree began to be replaced with artificial ones. In 1858, a terrible drought broke out in the northern Vosges and Moselle, and the harvest of apples and other fruits was extremely poor, so local residents were unable to decorate Christmas trees with live fruits. And then glass blower from the Lorraine village of Götsanbrück ( Goetzenbruck), which is nearby Meisenthal (Meisenthal), came up with the idea of making glass balls in the form of apples and other fruits. After that glass christmas tree decorations gained popularity far beyond Alsace.
Town Meisenthal(Meisenthal) in Lorraine is still famous today for the skill of its glaziers. The head of the Nancy Art School, Emile Galle, worked at this glass factory for over 20 years (from 1867 to 1894): first the designer studied with local masters, and then, having become a mature artist himself, he worked closely with the factory to create his magnificent works. Today in Meisenthal you can visit International Center for Art Glass (Center International d'Art Verrier) and get to know the work of glassblowers better. But this center is not just a museum, but a creative workshop where they regularly experiment with new modern ideas, without forgetting, of course, about traditions. One of the main types of products remains glass balls- almost the most popular Christmas tree decoration today. In addition to balls, local craftsmen make glass decorations in the form of bells, Christmas trees, cones, nuts, birds and many other images.
Besides glass balls, in the 19th century, the rich arsenal of Christmas tree decorations was replenished with numerous angels, dressed in gold or silver foil. Also, gilded spruce trees began to be often used to decorate Christmas trees. cones and stars made from gilt straw and white Bristol board (made from premium paper). Later, a tradition arose to place on the top of the tree star- a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, which showed the Magi the way to the birthplace of Christ. As an alternative, the top of the tree is sometimes decorated with a spire ( cimier oriental) or a figurine of a golden angel with a Latin inscription Gloria in Excelsis Deo("Gloria").
But the main innovation of this era was the custom of illuminating the Christmas tree with festive lights. Initially, of course, they were used for this purpose. candles- despite the risk of fire (by the way, the first person who came up with the idea of decorating the Christmas tree with candles was, it is believed, Martin Luther, enchanted by the beauty of the starry sky). But since wax was quite expensive, instead of candles they often used oil-filled nutshells with a small floating wick on the surface - or flexible candles that could be wrapped around fir branches. The illumination was not only decorative, but also symbolic, reminiscent of the birth of Christ, who is light of the world. At the beginning of the 20th century, electric garlands appeared, which at first few could afford, they were so expensive.
In the 20th century they also became widespread artificial christmas trees, which were first invented in the 19th century in Germany. Numerous fans of artificial trees today claim that they are cheaper, safer and more convenient than real trees. As for the environmental aspect, debate continues on this issue: there is no consensus as to what causes more harm to nature: cutting down natural trees (the advantage of which is that they are biodegradable) or the production of artificial Christmas trees from polyvinyl chloride with not always safe additives.
Christmas tree in Catholic countries
Only in the 20th century did the custom of decorating a Christmas tree come to the main Catholic countries of Europe - Italy and Spain. For example, in Vatican the tradition of the Christmas tree appeared only in 1982 on the initiative of John Paul II, elected pope four years earlier. At first, not all representatives of the Catholic Church approved of this custom, but gradually the tree became an integral part of Christmas celebrations in the Vatican, and today not a single Christmas is complete without a magnificent tree in St. Peter's Square in Rome.
During the reading of the prayer, the Angel of the Lord on Sunday, December 19, 2004 Pope John Paul II explained to the believers as follows the meaning and symbolism of the Christmas tree: “[...] a traditional Christmas tree is often installed next to the nativity scene - this is also a very ancient tradition associated with glorifying the value of life. In winter, this evergreen spruce becomes a symbol of immortality. It is at its trunk that gifts are usually placed. This symbol also has great Christian significance, as it recalls the Tree of Life and the image of Christ - the highest gift of God to humanity. Thus, the Christmas tree carries the message that life does not stop for a moment and that it is a gift, not material, but valuable in itself, the gift of friendship and love, brotherly mutual assistance and forgiveness, the ability to share and sympathize».
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Today there are no specific regulations regarding how a Christmas tree should be decorated. It can be a lush decoration or an ascetic, simple outfit. This can be a modern designer Christmas tree, allowing a person to express his imagination to the maximum. In any case, this evergreen tree remains a symbol of the Christmas holidays and unforgettable childhood experiences.
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Used sources .
New Year is perhaps one of the brightest and most anticipated holidays of the year, both for children and adults. We continue to share memories of him throughout the year. The New Year's bustle in anticipation of the chiming clock and making wishes with the closest people, endless running around the shops, either for forgotten peas, or for some other little thing that became very important on this particular day. Children make snowmen, not realizing that their parents are rushing around the shops at this time in search of a long-awaited gift written in a letter to Santa Claus. Towards evening, the female half of the family is bustling around in the kitchen, trying to get everything done in time for the chimes, while the male half is decorating the Christmas tree with colorful toys, tinsel and garlands.
The Christmas tree is an invariable attribute of Christmas and New Year. People traditionally treat its choice with special care; it should be moderately fluffy, have a uniform color and exude a pleasant smell of pine needles. But how did this tree acquire such iconic significance? What's the story?
Since ancient times, people have worshiped trees; it was believed that the souls of the departed found their shelter in them. Particular attention was paid to evergreen trees, as it was believed that the sun favored them. They were decorated right in the forest in order to appease the sun god.
The very history of the appearance of the Christmas tree dates back to the end of the Middle Ages and came to us from the traditions of the German people of those times. According to historians, the German peoples had an ancient custom of going to the forest for the New Year, where they decorated a pre-selected spruce tree with colored rags, candles and sweets. Over time, trees began to be cut down and brought home to fill the home with the pleasant smell of pine needles, to enjoy their beauty in the warmth and in the circle of closest relatives. The spruce was placed on the table and decorated with burning candles, fruits and sweets. After the baptism of the German people, all these traditions of celebrating New Year's holidays with a Christmas tree began to acquire a Christian character.
The immediate date from which the history of the Christmas tree originates was 1512. According to legend, then the leader of German Protestants Martin Luther, walking through the forest, was struck by the beauty of a Christmas tree dusted with snow, and he wanted to show his children this miracle of nature. People used to bring Christmas trees from the forest, but they placed them in the yard so that the thorny branches would scare away devils from the house. Luther did not want to make a scarecrow out of the tree. He brought it into the house and decorated it with sweets, apples and cotton fluffs to the delight of the children. The pastor hung a tree from the ceiling so that the children could enjoy the sight of hanging decorations and gifts. During the holiday, children joyfully picked sweets from the hanging tree, and threw away the tree that same evening. In subsequent years, they began to put the Christmas tree on the floor, and special toys appeared to decorate it.
But, despite the existence of this tradition for several centuries, Christmas trees began to be installed everywhere in homes relatively recently - in the 19th century. It was then that evergreen, coniferous beauties began to be regularly installed in the royal palaces of France, Germany, England, Norway, Denmark and Russia. But ordinary people began to put up a Christmas tree only in the second half of the 19th century.
Legends and facts about the Christmas tree are very diverse. There is a legend about where the tradition of decorating Christmas trees with shiny tinsel came from. Once upon a time there lived a poor woman who had many children. The night before Christmas, she decorated the Christmas tree, but she didn’t have enough toys. At night, spiders visited the tree and, crawling from branch to branch, wrapped it in a dense web. As a reward for the kindness of the mother of many children, the Christ Child blessed the tree, and the web turned into shining silver.
There is also a legend that the first Christmas tree balls appeared due to a poor apple harvest. The supply of fruits was quickly depleted for the winter and the resourceful glassblowers of a small town in Bavaria blew out multi-colored balls to replace round apples. And in the 1870s in America, a simple telegraph operator figured out to replace fire-hazardous candles with electric garlands.
Our Santa Claus was luckier than his colleagues. None of them have such a pretty and young assistant as Snegurochka. We are accustomed to consider her the granddaughter of Santa Claus. But it turns out that Snegurka is Father Frost’s grandmother. In the oldest fairy tales, it turns out that her name is Kostroma, she is burned at the stake, like Maslenitsa. And both of them are nothing more than the ancient peasant goddess of the Slavs. Santa Claus himself is much younger than his “granddaughter”.
Most countries have their own unique traditions for celebrating New Year and Christmas. For example, in Estonia there has been a rule for many years: after the holidays, Christmas trees are not thrown away, but brought and handed over to certain points. Then various sculptures are built from them and at the appointed hour, instead of being left among the garbage containers, for several more hours they serve as the center of the fire show - “Burning of Holiday Trees.” The authorities prepare these events in advance and encourage them in every possible way. In addition to the show itself, viewers, especially children, are often treated to various surprises, gifts and sweets. During the event, much attention is paid to environmental and cleanliness issues.
In Turkey, decorating a Christmas tree is primarily a secular custom, since 95% of Turks are Muslims and do not celebrate Christmas. The custom appeared around the end of the 1920s, with Turkey's transition to the Gregorian calendar.
In Argentina, according to an ancient tradition, employees of various institutions throw unnecessary statements, old calendars, forms and other documentation out of the windows on the last working day of the outgoing year. By noon, the streets are covered with a continuous layer of paper. No one remembers how and when this custom arose. Various incidents arise from time to time; once, carried away employees of one of the newspapers threw the entire archive out the window.
In Great Britain, houses are decorated with branches of mistletoe and holly. According to tradition, once a year, on Christmas Eve, men can kiss any girl standing under a decoration made from these plants. One of the oldest traditions of the British is the Christmas log. It is believed that this ritual was introduced by the ancient Vikings. At Christmas they cut down a large tree and dried it all year. And the next Christmas they brought it into the house and burned it in the hearth.
In Greece, there is a custom according to which, at exactly midnight, the head of the family goes out into the street and breaks a pomegranate fruit against the wall of the house. If the grains scatter throughout the yard, the family will live happily in the New Year. When going to visit, the Greeks bring with them a mossy stone as a gift and leave it in the hosts’ room. They say: "Let the owners' money be as heavy as this stone"
In China, New Year is celebrated during the new moon in late January - early February. During the festive procession, people light many lanterns. This is done in order to light your way into the New Year. And they scare away evil spirits with the help of firecrackers and fireworks.
In Russia, the tradition of decorating the New Year tree was introduced by Peter I. Having visited his German friends in his youth, he was pleasantly surprised by a strange tree on which apples and candies hung instead of pine cones. Having become king, Peter I issued a decree to celebrate the New Year, as in enlightened Europe. It instructed to decorate large thoroughfares, houses and gates with pine and juniper branches. After the death of Peter, the tradition was forgotten, and the tree became a popular New Year’s attribute much later. In 1819, Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich, at the insistence of his wife, first put up a New Year's tree in the Anichkov Palace, and in 1852 in St. Petersburg, a public Christmas tree was decorated in the premises of the Catherine Station. The image of the Christmas tree is firmly rooted in the Christian religion. A toy was always placed at the top of the tree, symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem, which rose at the birth of Jesus and showed the way to the Magi. So the tree became a symbol of Christmas.
The Russian history of the Christmas tree was not always so rosy, for example, since 1926, due to anti-religious work among the population, decorating a Christmas tree was considered to be an anti-Soviet crime, but already in 1935 the first New Year's party with a decorated Christmas tree was organized. And on New Year's Eve 1938, a huge 15-meter Christmas tree with ten thousand decorations and toys was installed in the Hall of Columns of the House of Unions; since then it has traditionally been called the main Christmas tree of the country. Since 1976, the main Christmas tree began to be considered the Christmas tree in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses, which it remains to this day.
This forest beauty overcame such a difficult and thorny path. Before we decorate our Christmas holiday.
Celebrating the New Year is always associated with a Christmas tree. Many, without hesitation, will answer: “With a Christmas tree, bright, cheerful, in garlands and toys!”
The Christmas tree has become a symbol of the holiday, and this fabulous tradition of decorating a Christmas tree for the New Year has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries.
Why is the Christmas tree decorated for the New Year? Where did this custom come from?
History of the Christmas tree. In ancient times, there was a tradition of simply decorating various trees. People believed that all trees were endowed with good power, that almighty spirits lived in them. Therefore, they coaxed these spirits with decorations in every possible way. And they were decorated mainly with apples, eggs and nuts.
Spruce has always taken first place among trees. It was considered the heavenly tree of immortality, symbolizing life itself. After all, spruce is an evergreen plant (which was difficult for our distant ancestors to comprehend), and if not like all trees, then it is magical! They believed that the spruce enjoyed special privileges from the Sun, because it allowed it to always be green.
In Ancient Greece, spruce was considered a sacred tree of hope, the eternal life of all living things. It is believed that the Trojan Horse was built from spruce.
The first decorated Christmas trees appeared in 1605 in Alsace, France. “At Christmas, Christmas trees are installed in houses, and roses made of colored paper, apples, cookies, sugar cubes and tinsel are hung on their branches” - this is information from the chronicle. This idea was quickly adopted by the Germans, and then by the whole of Europe. True, at first Christmas trees could only be seen in the houses of the richest nobles. For those who complain that holidays in our times are not cheap, and the prices for Christmas trees are “off the charts,” I note that in the 19th century you had to pay from 20-200 rubles for a Christmas tree with decorations. For 20 rubles in those days you could buy an excellent cow, and for 200 rubles a beautiful house near St. Petersburg.
In Russia, the New Year holiday began to be celebrated in 1700. The initiator of this was Peter I. He introduced a new calendar from the Nativity of Christ, as in all of Europe, and not from the creation of the world. Unfortunately, this tradition did not take root, and after the death of Peter, they forgot about celebrating the New Year. This amazing tradition was revived only during the reign of Catherine II. Decorating coniferous trees began only in the second half of the 19th century. And the first Christmas tree, decorated with candles, toys and garlands, was installed in St. Petersburg in 1852.
What did the ancient festive tree look like?
“At Christmas, Christmas trees are installed in houses, and roses made of colored paper, apples, cookies, sugar cubes and tinsel are hung on their branches.” This is how Hoffman described the magical Christmas tree in his fairy tale The Nutcracker.
This is the story of the Christmas tree. This is exactly how Christmas trees were decorated in those days. Painted eggshells, apples and nuts wrapped in colored paper, gilded threads, beads, salt dough figures, candles. Children love to make all these decorations even today. Despite the variety of Christmas tree decorations in stores. The first glass balls appeared in the mid-19th century. Therefore, generally recognized “vintage” Christmas tree toys are those produced before 1966. These are mainly balloons with Soviet symbols, airplanes, astronauts, corn cobs
Where is the best place to put a Christmas tree?
There is always a place for a forest beauty in our home. If the tree is large, it is advisable to place it on the floor; if the tree fits on the table, then it can be placed on the table, it will celebrate the holiday with you. But no one thinks of attaching a Christmas tree to the ceiling. It’s probably scary to destroy stereotypes... But 400 years ago, when the custom of bringing a Christmas tree home was just emerging, in Germany it was customary to attach it to the ceiling, and always with the top down. Unusual and uncomfortable.
Modern New Year Trees
Nowadays, Christmas trees are installed in all major city squares.
In Italy, a fluffy beauty is placed in Rome in St. Peter's Square. In London, Trafalgar Square is the very center of the city. In New York at Rockefeller Center. Here is an interesting location of the floating Christmas tree in Rio de Janeiro; it is installed on Lake Lagoa. The tallest Christmas tree in the world, 112 meters high, was installed in Mexico City on one of the central avenues in 2009. In the capital of the UAE in 2010, the Christmas tree was decorated with balls made of pure gold worth $12 million.
The fashion for Christmas trees and decorations has gained such momentum that famous designers are releasing entire collections of New Year's decorations.
The green beauty has firmly taken root in the hearts and homes of people. Every family tries to decorate their Christmas tree as refined and original as possible. It seems to me that the story of the New Year tree does not end here, it will still surprise us with something unusual!
I would like to end with a beautiful and kind legend about the Festive Tree.
“The holy solemn night descended to earth, bringing with it great joy to people.
In Bethlehem, in a wretched cave, the Savior of the world was born. Listening to the songs of the angels, the shepherds praise and thank God; Following the guiding star, the Magi rush from the distant east to worship the Divine Child. And not only people, but also the trees overshadowing the cave, and the meadow flowers dappling around - everyone in their own way takes part in the great celebration. They sway joyfully, as if worshiping the Divine Infant, and in the jubilant rustle of leaves, in the whisper of grass, an expression of reverence for the miracle that has happened can be heard. Everyone wants to see the born Savior: trees and bushes stretch out their branches, flowers raise their heads, trying to look inside the cave, which has now turned into a sacred temple.
Happier than the others are the three trees standing at the very entrance to the cave: they can clearly see the manger and the Baby resting in it, surrounded by a host of angels. This is a slender palm tree, a beautiful fragrant olive and a modest green fir tree. The rustling of their branches becomes more and more joyful, more and more animated, and suddenly the words are clearly heard in it:
Let’s go and worship the Divine Child and offer Him our gifts,” said the palm tree, turning to the olive tree.
Take me with you too! – the modest Christmas tree said timidly.
Where are you going with us? “The palm tree answered proudly, looking at the tree with a contemptuous look.
And what gifts can you offer to the Divine Child,” added the olive tree, “what do you have?” Just prickly needles and nasty sticky resin!
The poor tree remained silent and humbly stepped back, not daring to enter the cave that shone with heavenly light.
But the angel heard the conversation of the trees, saw the pride of the palm and olive and the modesty of the fir tree; he felt sorry for her, and out of his angelic kindness he wanted to help her.
The magnificent palm tree bent over the Baby and laid down the best leaf of its luxurious crown in front of him.
“Let it bring coolness to You on a hot day,” she said, and the olive tree bent its branches. Fragrant oil dripped from them, and the whole cave was filled with fragrance.
The New Year tree looked at this with sadness, but without envy.
“They are right,” she thought, “how can I compare with them! I'm so poor. Insignificant one, am I worthy to approach the Divine Child?
But the angel said to her:
In your modesty you humiliate yourself, dear Christmas tree, but I will exalt you and decorate you better than your sisters!
And the angel looked up to heaven.
And the dark sky was dotted with sparkling stars. The angel made a sign, and one star after another began to roll down to the ground, right onto the green branches of the tree, and soon it all shone with brilliant lights. And when the Divine Child woke up, it was not the fragrance in the cave, not the luxurious fan of the palm tree that attracted his attention, but the shining tree. He looked at her and smiled at her and extended his arms to her.
The tree rejoiced, but did not become proud, and with its radiance tried to illuminate the ashamed ones standing in the shade of the olive and palm trees. She paid for evil with good.
And the angel saw this and said:
You are a good tree, a dear Christmas tree, and for this you will be rewarded. Every year at this time you, as now, will show off in the radiance of many lights, and children and adults will, looking at you, rejoice and have fun. And you, modest green tree, will become a sign of a merry Christmas holiday.”
Natalya Sarmaeva for Women's magazine "Prelest"
The first written mention of spruce as a New Year's tree is found in the chronicle of the French province of Alsace for 1600. However, Germany is considered to be its homeland. There is a legend that the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve was started by the German reformer Martin Luther.
It was he, returning home before celebrating Christmas in 1513, who was fascinated and delighted by the beauty of the stars that strewn the sky so thickly that it seemed as if the crowns of the trees were sparkling with stars. At home, he put a Christmas tree on the table and decorated it with candles, and placed a star on the top in memory of the star of Bethlehem, which showed the way to the cave where Jesus was born.
Why was spruce chosen as the New Year's tree? Let us remember that our ancestors treated trees as living beings. In Rus', such a particularly revered, cult tree was the birch. Since ancient times, the green, fragrant forest beauty spruce was considered the tree of peace by the ancient Germans. They believed that the good “spirit of the forests” lived in its branches - the defender of justice and all living things. It is no coincidence that before military battles, warriors gathered for council at the spruce tree, hoping to receive its protection. And also because this tree personified immortality, fidelity, fearlessness, dignity, the mystery of unfading, eternal youth. Over time, the custom arose to appease the good spirits that hibernate in the evergreen branches of the spruce tree by decorating its fluffy branches with gifts. This custom was born in Germany, and later the Dutch and English borrowed the rite of veneration of spruce.
It is also known that in the 16th century in Central Europe on Christmas night it was customary to place a small beech tree in the middle of the table, decorated with small apples, plums, pears and hazelnuts boiled in honey.
In the second half of the 17th century, it was already common in German and Swiss houses to complement the decoration of the Christmas meal not only with deciduous trees, but also with coniferous trees. The main thing is that it is toy size. At first, small Christmas trees were hung from the ceiling along with candies and apples, and only later the custom of decorating one large Christmas tree in the guest room was established.
The 18th century chose spruce as the queen of the New Year's holiday, first in Germany, and later in many European countries. In Russia, the spruce took the first step towards securing the status of a ritual New Year tree according to the European model after the decree of Peter I “On the Celebration of the New Year” was issued. It prescribed: “...On large and well-traveled streets for noble people and at houses of special spiritual and secular rank in front of the gates, make some decorations from trees and branches of pine and juniper... and for poor people, each at least a tree or branch for the gate or place it over your temple...”
The decree, however, did not talk specifically about the Christmas tree, but about coniferous trees in general. In addition, it specifically instructed to “decorate” the street landscape, rather than the interior decoration of houses. The Tsar's decree, of course, prompted the establishment of the European custom of putting up a Christmas tree in Rus', but after the death of Peter the decree was half-forgotten, and the tree became a common New Year's attribute only a century later.
The European tradition of putting up Christmas trees on Christmas Eve was first supported by St. Petersburg Germans, who made up at least a third of the population of the northern capital. This custom was eventually adopted by the St. Petersburg nobility. Gradually, the popularity of the Christmas tree spread to other sectors of society. The mass fashion for the Christmas tree broke out in the 40s of the 19th century. This fact was noted in 1841 by the newspaper “Northern Bee”: “It is becoming our custom to celebrate Christmas Eve... by decorating the cherished Christmas tree with sweets and toys.”
The growing popularity of the New Year tree was facilitated by the commerce organized around it by enterprising St. Petersburg confectioners, who not only arranged the sale of trees for big money, but also came up with an accompanying confectionery entourage - sweets and candles mounted on them.
At Gostiny Dvor, and later in the markets, Christmas tree markets were organized, “forest goods” were supplied to them by Russian peasants who saw their profit.
I. Shmelev colorfully described such a Christmas sale in his famous book “The Summer of the Lord”: “Before Christmas, three days before, there was a forest of fir trees in the markets and squares. And what Christmas trees! There is as much of this goodness as you want in Russia... There used to be a forest on Teatralnaya Square. They are standing in the snow. And the snow starts to fall - I’ve lost my way! Men, in sheepskin coats, like in the forest. People walk and choose. Dogs in Christmas trees are like wolves, really. The fires are burning, warm up... You'll stroll through the fir trees until nightfall. And the frost is getting stronger. The sky is in smoke - purple, on fire. There is frost on the Christmas trees..."
For the first time, the dressed green beauty publicly lit up with festive lights in 1852 in St. Petersburg in the premises of the Ekateringofsky (now Moscow) station. And by the end of the 19th century, the New Year tree was firmly established, first in provincial cities, and later in landowners’ estates.
Soon, the public among nature conservationists raised their voices in defense of the spruce trees in the face of its growing deforestation. Since the beginning of the 20th century, there has been a fashion for artificial spruce trees, which were then a whim and a sign of the special chic of wealthy people. This fact was reflected in his multi-volume work “Life of the Russian People” by A.V. Tereshchenko, mentioning the St. Petersburg rich man who ordered an artificial Christmas tree 3.5 arshins (about 2.5 meters) high. Its upper part was entwined with ribbons and expensive fabric, decorated with expensive toys and women's jewelry, and the lower part was decorated with a variety of fruits and sweets.
Gradually, the tree becomes the center of the entire New Year holiday. It is decorated in advance, gifts are hung on it, and round dances are performed around it.
After the October Revolution of 1917, the New Year tree, as a bourgeois and religious relic of the past, fell into disgrace and disappeared from the public life of our compatriots for eighteen long years. Her happy return can be dated back to 1935, when the newspaper Pravda published the article “Let's organize a good Christmas tree for the children for the New Year.” With the expulsion and oblivion of the forest green beauty over, the tradition of erecting a Christmas tree as a ritual New Year tree began to gain strength again in Soviet history.
Nowadays, they strive to deliver and install a decorated Christmas tree even in those regions where it must be brought specially, for example, on ships plowing the ocean beyond the equator.
New Year's kaleidoscope
Research by French sociologists has revealed that at the age of six all children believe in Santa Claus, by eight years only a quarter believe in Santa Claus, and among ten-year-olds there are practically no such children. This leads to a very important conclusion: make your children happy this New Year, because faith in miracles is so short-lived.
In England, the custom of using spruce as a New Year's tree to decorate the streets was established in the mid-19th century, after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert arranged the first New Year's tree at Windsor Castle in 1840. These days, the country's main Christmas tree is installed in the very heart of London - in Trafalgar Square. Each year it is flown from the Norwegian capital Oslo as a sign of gratitude to the British for their assistance during World War II.
In France, the Christmas tree first appeared at the court of King Louis Philippe, who installed it at the request of his son’s wife, who was German by origin.
In 1877, Johannes Eckord from Germany invented the Christmas tree music box. The mechanism was wound up with a key, after which the tree began to slowly rotate to the rhythm of a waltz.
In the United States, a legend is still told that the first American president, George Washington, celebrated the New Year during the Revolutionary War with a Christmas tree brought from Germany by volunteer soldiers. The fourteenth President of the United States, Franklin Pierce, brought the tradition of a Christmas tree to the White House. And in 1923, President Calvin Coolidge began the ceremonial lighting of the Christmas tree, which now takes place annually on the lawn in front of the White House.
Proud and independent Spaniards still call the New Year's tree the "German tree."
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the tallest New Year's tree was installed in December 1950 in the Northgate shopping center in Seattle (Washington). Its height was 67.36 meters. The role of the Christmas tree was played by fir.
And the world's largest living Christmas tree was decorated by residents of the Italian city of Gubbio. Almost 15 kilometers of electric garlands decorated a 65-meter spruce growing on the slope of Mount Ingino.
Spruce is a genus of coniferous evergreen trees of the pine family. In favorable conditions, it can reach 45 meters in height and 100 centimeters in trunk diameter. There are about 45 species of spruce. Among them are Finnish and Siberian, black and red, Japanese and Indian, Korean and Tien Shan, Canadian and Serbian.
Spruce trees differ in the nature of their growth, the type of branches, and the color of the coniferous cover. There are weeping, garland, serpentine, golden and silver, pyramidal and cypress spruce trees. Glen spruce, growing in the south of Sakhalin, the southern Kuril Islands and Japan, is protected by the state.
Spruce grows mainly in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. It is one of the main forest-forming species. The wood is soft, used in construction, for the production of the best grades of paper, and musical instruments. Resin, turpentine, rosin, and tar are extracted from spruce; they make artificial silk, leather, alcohols, plastics, etc. One cubic meter of spruce wood is approximately 600 suits and 4000 pairs of viscose socks.
The tradition of decorating the Christmas tree came to Russia from Europe, more precisely, from the land of Alsace. There, at the beginning of the 17th century, this evergreen tree was installed almost everywhere for Christmas. The spruce symbolized the Edenic tree of life, to which Adam and Eve lost access after being expelled from Paradise. But with the Birth of Christ, people again had a chance to partake of eternity.
In the 17th century, the custom developed of attaching the Christmas tree upside down to the ceiling - as a symbol of the ladder from heaven lowered to earth at Christmas. The Christmas tree was hung with apples, gingerbread and other sweets - in memory of the sweetness of heavenly life.
In Germany there is a legend associated with the founder of Protestantism, Martin Luther. Allegedly, he was walking through the forest on Christmas night and saw a star in the sky that suddenly descended onto the top of a spruce tree. In Protestant homes, the tradition of decorating the tree for Christmas has been preserved, even though Protestants do not recognize “excesses” that are not mentioned in the Bible.
When Peter I traveled around Europe at the end of the 17th century, he really liked the way the tree was decorated for Christmas. So much so that the tsar issued a decree: by January 1, 1700, to mark the advent of the new century, everyone should decorate their Christmas trees. However, the custom did not immediately take root in Russia, and until the middle of the 19th century, Christmas trees in Russia were mainly in German homes.
However, from the middle of the 19th century, after the first public Christmas tree in St. Petersburg in 1852, the custom of decorating the Christmas tree became extremely widespread. So much so that Tchaikovsky writes the world's most famous Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker, which literally takes place under the Christmas tree.
In the twentieth century, there were “persecutions” against the Christmas tree. The first time was in 1916, during the First World War, as an alien from Germany. The second time - in 1918, formally as a bourgeois relic. Although in fact it was clear: the Christmas tree is too obvious a Christian symbol. And for some time he practically disappeared from the lives of Soviet people.
In 1935, during the famine and depression, Soviet propaganda workers decided to return the “winter holiday” and the Christmas tree to the people to raise the “national spirit.” Of course, this is no longer a Christmas tree, but just a New Year tree. Today, in many families, the Christmas tree has again become a Christmas symbol. And on it, instead of a five-pointed red star, the Star of Bethlehem burns again, as before.
Drawings by Diana Lapshina
