Habit put the Christmas tree as decoration starts from Germany. Installation of Christmas tree that is generally of fir tree, or adapt the form of fir trees, it began in the 16th century.
When the German population spread to various regions including the U.S., they often put fir evergreen trees belonging to the Christmas decorations in the house. From existing records, the Germans in Pennsylvania, the United States displaying the Christmas tree for the first time in the 1830s.
The Christmas tree is not a necessity in the church or at home because this is only a symbol for the spiritual life we are always growing and becoming a beautiful witness to others "evergreen". Christmas tree (evergreen), this also symbolizes the "eternal life", because generally in winter almost all the trees shed their leaves, except the fir tree is always green leaves.
Installation of fir trees, both native and which are made of plastic, in the middle of town or in public places was a common sight before Christmas. One of the largest tree in the RockefellerCenter at 5th Avenue New York, United States.
Legend
There are several legends / stories circulating among the Christians themselves about the origin of Christmas trees.
The experience of "supernatural" Saint Bonifacius
According to a legend, there was a Churchman England named Saint Bonifacius, who led several churches in Germany and France. One day on his way he met a group of people who would sacrifice a child to the god Thor in an oak tree. To stop their evil deeds, miraculously St. Boniface knock down an oak tree with his hand punch. After this remarkable event in place of a fallen oak tree grows a fir tree.
Martin Luther and the tree cemaranya
Another story recounts the incident when Martin Luther, Reformation Church leaders, was walking in the woods one night. Impressed with the beauty of millions of stars sparkling in the sky that its rays through the branches of fir trees in the forest, Martin Luther cut down a small fir tree and took it home to his family at home. To create a sparkling star like that seen in the woods, Martin Luther put the candles on each branch of the fir tree.
Controversy
Regardless of the truth of the stories above, until today the installation of Christmas trees still raises the pros and cons among Christians. For people who are not pleased with the Christmas tree, tells us that in ancient times the Romans used evergreen trees for the celebration of Saturnalia, they decorate it with small ornaments and tiny masks, because on December 25th is the birthday of the sun god, Mithras, the Sun God originally from Iran who later worshiped in Rome. Similarly, Sunday is the day to worship the god of the sun according to the meaning of the word Zondag, Sunday or Sonntag. Please also note that other sun gods, like Osiris, the Egyptian sun god, was born on December 27. Similarly, the sun god Horus and Apollo were born on December 28th.
Therefore there are certain streams which forbids the church Christmas tree tradition, because they consider this a cult of the sun god. Installation of the tree is considered a form of idolatry. Rejection reaction was even originally had characterized the German government's decision to fine anyone who installed the fir tree as a Christmas tree.
That began to change, when the image of Queen Victoria of England, Prince Albert of Germany, and his children with the background of fir trees, illustrated in the London News. Because the figure of Victoria is very popular, loading images in the mass media also make unusual choice fir trees as Christmas trees.
Tradition
After the U.S. society follow the UK using spruce at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century, industrial duniakita.info are increasingly developed and spread to various countries. Includes a variety of industries such as Christmas tree ornaments balls that hung, knick-knacks Santa Claus, tinsel (a kind of tufted cord wrapped around the tree), and others.
Because the use of cypress trees is a European tradition, an expression of joy which is represented by a variety of decor is different in each country. Indonesia and the Philippines into a country deeply affected European tradition it until finally the Christians bought an artificial tree but an important form of fir.
In South Africa the existence of a Christmas tree is not something common. While the Indian society, preferring the mango trees and banana trees.
