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The history of our modern day christmas celebrations. essay
The history of our modern day christmas celebrations. essay
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History of Christmas Traditions Christmas is almost here again, but have you ever thought how odd some of the holiday traditions are and how they became so popular? Buying a pine tree, setting it up in your house and then decorating it with festive lights and ornaments; hanging up stockings filled with candy over the fireplace; or how an old guy in a red-suit comes to your house the night before Christmas and leaves presents. This, too many Americans is normal, but why? Learning about these holiday traditions will get you into the Christmas spirit and show you what Christmas is truly about. The first thing that comes up in my mind when I hear the word 'Christmas' is Christmas trees. There is no certain story of how the Christmas tree began, but there are some good theories. …show more content…
Pagans would use the branches to decorate their homes during winter to give them hope of the spring to come; while, Christians used this tree as a sign of everlasting life with God. One story is about a monk called Boniface, he used pine trees to preach to people. He said that the tree has three corners, but the tree is still one tree. He used this as an example to tell about how God was still God but in three persons: Father, Son, and The Holy Spirit. This became so popular that people started cutting down these trees and putting them up in churches.
Christmas has consumed itself. At its conception, it was a fine idea, and I imagine that at one point its execution worked very much as it was intended to. These days, however, its meaning has been perverted; its true purpose ignored and replaced with a purpose imagined by those who merely go through the motions, without actually knowing why they do so.
In Christianity, trees were viewed as a primary source of life and knowledge, exhibited in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9). Denver used trees as a safe haven for her; a safe place where she can hide from her mother after the trauma that transpired the night that crawling already? was killed. “Veiled and protected by the live green walls, she felt ripe and clear, and salvation was as easy as a wish,”(Morrison, 29). Contrasting with the safety of the trees for Denver, Sethe’s idea of trees has much darker connotations. As a child, she saw “Boys hangin’ from the most beautiful sycamores in the world. It shamed her-remembering the wonderful soughing trees rather than the boys,” (Morrison 6). For Sethe, the symbolism of trees has been twisted into viewing trees not as hope, but as death, and the pain from her past. As Amy had observed, the scars on Sethe only served as reminders of her painful time at Sweet Home, where she had very little hope for the future. A lesson that should be derived from this book is that the perspective from which you look at the past could help it become less painful. Sethe is too focused on the pain of her past, so therefore she is unable to see trees as they were meant to be seen, while Paul D views them as a pathway to second chances. He views trees as “inviting; things you could trust and be ear; talk to if you wanted to as he frequently did since way back when he took the midday meal in the fields of Sweet Home,” (Morrison,
Trees, some of them a few thousand years old, have majestically stood on the face of the earth and have silently witnessed the evolution of human civilization. These trees are the living alibis of our pasts, magnificent markers of history. With their unusual shapes, enchanting legends and historical significance, some of these trees have become more than just giant trunks. Listing below ten such trees whose wooden hearts have amazing stories to tell!
In the Iroquois Skywoman touch the leaves of the forbidden tree, and in follow of this, she fell down of the tree until the birds are catching her. And on the Judeo-christian story the forbidden tree carries some special fruits, that are forbidden to eat as well. So, in both stories the trees symbolize the greed, that the humans have. One other similar of both stories are the families: In the Judeo-christian story is the family described as a collective of all humans from Adam and Eve. In the Iroquois story, the family does only include all people, who helped to create the
The evolution of the Christmas tree is one brimming with a legend. With notices of everything from Norse Gods to Martin Luther, from the Tree of Life to the Garden of Eden, it is a legacy rich with history and shading. It is likewise a legacy that has turned out to be synonymous with finishing for Christmas.
His name was Jesus Christ. This was the first Christmas! The name Christmas is derived from the name “Mass of Christ.”2 The Christmas holiday was first started in A.D. 336.3 It was started in Rome during Constantine’s (the first Christian Roman Emperor) reign.4 It was established during the winter solstice, a time where many other pagan festivals took place.5 A few of these festivals are the Saturnalia (a holiday to honor Saturn, the god of agriculture) and Juvenalia (a feast in honor of Roman children).6 Bishops established Christmas at this time so that Christ’s followers would not be tempted to participate in the pagan festivals.7 Though it worked, a few pagan traditions were incorporated into the Christmas
It's hard to imagine now, but at the beginning of the 19th century Christmas was hardly celebrated. (BBC) Christmas is a holiday, where families get together and exchange gifts and do family activities it’s a day to forget and forgive. The way Christmas was celebrated back in in Victorian Britain was more boring than how we celebrate today.
Christmas is a happy time of the year were many people tell tale about the birth of Jesus, and to visit their families or friends in a warm house to see the white pale snow trilling down like the silver rain does throughout spring. On every christmas eve i sit down and ponder on the couch looking at the radiants lights danced off and on thinking about what am i getting on christmas, after enjoying some of the slice I carefully drink the sugary brown and white swirls spinning in unison. Also on christmas eve we often see the movie Polar Express, I look at the upbeat kids trying to understand the movie. At 4 in the morning my older brother always wake me up and tells me you wake up the burned out kids from their beds, after waking up the
The puritans from England not only escaped from the religious pressure by the king but brought their cultures and traditions when they left from their home. The example of those is Christmas. As the believer of Jesus Christ, they had been celebrating the birth of their god by their ways. After their immigration to New England, the religious ritual changed by times.
Decorating, ornaments, Christmas trees, oh, my! Christmas, one my family’s treasured holidays, is teeming with traditions, which are an extensive part of the holiday season in the Hughes household. From wrapping marathons, to watching “Christmas Vacation”, to blasting Christmas music, to sprucing up the house, to baking cookies, and to fashioning the tree to look its finest, my family is all about the Christmas spirit. So, on the first Saturday of each December, Dad and I hop into the car with our toasty winter coats, hats, and gloves on. We then drive, and drive, and drive to the Christmas tree farm where the next Hughes Family Tree is home to. Picking out the ideal tree was quite the challenge this past year when we had a perfectionist,
The Christmas tree has many symbols that correspond to life. Because of its ability to live through the year, the evergreen tree is a symbol of everlasting life and growth (Rice). The Christmas tree symbolized an everlasting light, and a testimony of power to the Romans (Symbolic). To Christians, the Christmas tree was a symbol of the birth and the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Symbolic). Japanese and Chinese people used the Christmas tree to symbolize longevity and immortality (Symbolic). The Celtic people used the Christmas tree to represent the life of deities of life (Symbolic). Because it was exhibited as a Pagan symbol, most people believed the trees should not be put up at Christmas (Symbolic). The Christmas tree was also a symbol of
There should be a certain date when Christmas trees should be set up. Some people could easily get burnt up from it being up so early. Some might get offended, and also when they should put it up.One thing you must consider is putting a real tree up a while before christmas the tree may die. Many issues can easily arise and should be discussed with your family beforehand. Many families that stick through with putting it up at the same date have very few problems. To the next point on the christmas spirit side of this.
The reasoning behind this decision stems from the knowledge that evergreen trees’ leaves stay green and don't fall off even when it’s the dead of winter. When deciding the components of a Christmas wreath, Christians found it important to consider evergreen leaves because it aligned with the meaning they wanted to associate with their wreaths. Another component to Christmas wreaths would be how they shaped these ‘everlasting’ leaves into a circular shape. While a wreath’s definition almost requires that its shape resembles a ring, it’s interesting how Christmas wreath forms this full, unbroken ring/circle. Which differ from other wreaths, such as the ones used as headdresses, because they didn’t need to form a complete circle. With the Christmas wreath’s circularity, the Christians understood this as portraying no clear beginning or ending, resulting in this never-ending feeling to this
As I slowly awaken from a deep sleep, cool air hits my squinting eyes and I have the feeling that this is not a normal day. I close my eyes again and ponder for less than a spilt second then realize that SANTA CAME LAST NIGHT!!! I throw back the covers, ignoring the cold that would have kept me in bed for hours later on a normal day, and run to the Christmas tree. Without any lights on I quietly examine everything placed under the tree. I notice that Santa had eaten my cookies and drank all my milk. This made me feel as if I had accomplished something more important than world peace; I had fed Santa. All my unwrapped gifts that had appeared only overnight had a special aura surrounding them. Something magical. With a perpetual smile I sit and enjoy the look of the tree and all m...
First, a tree begins life as a tiny seed embedded in the Earth, but with time and nourishment it grows. I too, started life as a small sapling and continued to grow. Along with growth, roots begin to develop. Roots are essential for a tree’s survival. They provide the tree with nutrients in order for it to survive, just as my mother provided me with nutrients and instilled in me skills I use today. The development of roots requires time and dedication. The tree must be exposed to sunlight and water. Sunlight gives the tree energy, and water saturates the roots forming them deeply. Deeply formed roots are able to stand throughout all the effects and actions of nature/environment. My roots are my faith and my mother. Simply having a relationship with Christ stimulates root growth. The full development of my roots occurs when I have devoted my time to saturate them by studying His word and dep...