| You may not realize this but the history
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| | more protective than celebratory.By the
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| of christmas trees did not begin in
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| | 12th century indoor trees were brought
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| America, England or even Germany. In fact
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| | inside. Nobody is sure why but originally
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| America was one of the last continents to
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| | Christmas trees were hung upside-down
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| catch on to the tradition of decorating
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| | from ceilings at Christmastime. This was
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| the Christmas tree. The history of
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| | a popular custom in Central Europe. The
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| christmas trees begins long before the
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| | upside down tree was seen as both as a
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| birth of Christ and even before the
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| | symbol of Christianity and a pagan
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| Egyptian civilizations.Many historians
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| | symbol. At that point Christianity was
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| and anthropologists agree that the
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| | not wide spread and the tree may have
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| history of christmas trees begins in
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| | been a nod to both pagan and Christian
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| post-primeval times, just as agricultural
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| | traditions.It is widely believed that the
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| societies were developing across the
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| | history of the Christmas tree as we know
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| globe. Christmas did not exist. It was
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| | it began in Germany in the sixteenth
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| simply, in one culture or another, a
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| | century. However few people realize that
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| pagan celebration of the winter solstice.
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| | the tree was not brought inside and that
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| The winter solstice marks the shortest
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| | in fact, the first decorated christmas
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| day of the year which usually occurs on
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| | tree was a pyramid made of wood. These
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| the 22nd or 23rd of December. The boughs
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| | German indoor pyramids were decorated
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| of evergreen trees were brought indoors
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| | with boughs and candles. Often jars of
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| to protect inhabitants from the evil
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| | pickles were set on the steps. The
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| spirits that could cause starvation and
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| | pyramid shape was not a direct
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| illness.Ancient peoples also scattered
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| | inspiration from ancient Egypt but
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| evergreen boughs over their floors, doors
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| | rather, the triangular shape was thought
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| and around the windows. In fact, the
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| | to represent the three points of the Holy
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| tradition of hanging an evergreen garland
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| | Trinity - the Father, Son and Holy
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| comes from the tradition of hanging
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| | Spirit.The person credited with adding
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| evergreens over the mantelpiece to keep
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| | lighted candles to a real tree is Martin
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| witches, ghosts and spirits from
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| | Luther - a German Protestant reformer who
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| traveling down the chimney and into the
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| | lived in the mid 1600s. The legend is
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| house.Evergreen boughs were also used to
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| | that he was inspired to do so by the
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| keep away illness. Scents such as pine,
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| | sight of stars in the night sky peeking
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| juniper and balsam are still used by
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| | through the limbs of an evergreen while
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| aromatherapists today to fend off illness
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| | he was on a walk.The next big development
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| and winter depression.Even the ancient
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| | in the history of christmas trees was
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| Egyptians were thought to play a role in
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| | tinsel. Tinsel was invented in Germany
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| the history of christmas trees. Of course
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| | around 1610. At that time, tinsel was
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| there were no evergreen forests in
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| | made of real silver and it tarnished
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| ancient Egypt but during the solstice
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| | easily thanks to the smoke from the
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| they filled their homes with palm rushes
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| | christmas tree candles. Silver was used
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| to protect themselves from evil and
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| | for tinsel right up to the mid-20th
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| celebrate the return of their Sun God
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| | century when it was replaced by
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| Ra.European and Mediterranean cultures
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| | aluminum.The history of christmas trees
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| also have episodes in the long saga that
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| | was non-existent in America until about
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| is part of the history of christmas
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| | the 1840s. They were sometimes displayed
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| trees. On the solstice, known as
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| | as curios in traveling sideshows. The
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| Saturnalia, the Romans decorated their
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| | christmas tree decorating ritual was
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| homes with evergreen boughs. This honored
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| | considered sacrilegious for most of the
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| the God Saturn whose domain was
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| | 17th and 18th century. It was seen as a
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| agriculture. Further north, the Celtic
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| | mockery of the sober celebration of the
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| Druids used evergreens on the darkest day
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| | birth of Christ. In fact in 1659, people
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| of the year to symbolize eternal life.
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| | were fined for hanging decorations. This
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| These trees were not decorated as we know
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| | law continued until the 19th century when
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| them today. They were not much more
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| | the tradition was brought more into
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| decorative than the famous Charlie brown
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| | common practice by German and Irish
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| christmas tree. This is because the
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| | immigrants to the United States.
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| function of these evergreen boughs was
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