The Christmas tree is a typical Weihnachtsbrauch, with which a tree is placed and decorated into the dwelling.

Coniferous trees

Mainly firs are used as Christmas tree, but spruces and other coniferous trees are today likewise far common. In Germany (approximately 16 million pieces annually) the north man fir is used predominantly as Christmas tree. Their cultivation takes place predominantly on agricultural surfaces in the sour country as well as in Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark, whereby Denmark with an export of more than 10 million pieces of market leaders is.

In other countries also often artificial Christian trees made of metal and/or plastic are used, which are usually fold upable and re-usable.

Tree decoration

The Christmas tree with multicolored glass elements (so-called Christian tree balls) of different forms (e.g. Weihnachtsgurken or Nikolausfiguren), candles, Lametta, straw stars, small figures as well as sweets is decorated and on the point a star (star of Betlehem) or an angel is usually set. Under the tree frequently a crib is set up and besides the Weihnachtsgeschenke is put down.

Structure and removal

The Christmas tree is set up in the Adventszeit and/or in the holy evening. While it was and removed in the Evangelist area traditonellerweise for Epiphanias celebration at the latest on 6 January, it often stopped in catholic families up to the celebration of the representation of the Mr. (light measuring, 2 February), which the end the Christmas season meant; since the Liturgiereform, this time lets which end with the celebration of the baptism of the gentleman, thus on first Sunday after Epiphanias, also a slow change of the custom in the catholic surrounding field becomes visible.

Christmas tree stand

A Christian tree stand or a Christmas tree stand serves senkrechten for locking the Christmas tree in a position. It consists of a usually round form, similarly a large flower pot, which can be filled with water and a holding device made of metal, which is in the form.

Locking is reached by different procedures. Some Christian tree stands hold the tree by means of screws, others use a wire rope for tightening.

Christian tree stands of the new generation have to supply still additionally a water tank around the tree with water.

History

The development of the Christian tree does not have a clear beginning, but consists of customs of different cultures. Into evergreen plants vitality is and therefore believed one to get health in the house if one decorated its at home with green one. Already the Romans to the turn of the year their houses with branches of laurel. A tree to the winter sun turn to decorate, honoured also in the Mithras cult the sun God. Also in northern areas in the winter already early branches of fir were hung in the house to make more difficult around bad spirit the penetration and aists and the green gave hope for the return of spring.

Already in the Middle Ages in many places the custom existed to decorate to certain public festivenesses whole trees like for example the May tree or Richtbaum. To Christmas in the church Paradies play was specified, to those a Paradiesbaum, which could be quite also a deciduous tree, with apples. The apple served thereby as indication the forbidden fruit and reminded of the case of sin and of the release of humans from the hereditary sin by Jesus Christ. Still to in 19. Century decorated one in Northern Germany its Christian tree with Adam and Eva, including the queue, from wood or baked.

The first mention of a Christian tree originates from the year 1419. The Freiburger baker shank had a tree with all kinds of Naschwerk, fruits and which the children were allowed after shaking off at New Year Only over hundred one hundred years later, 1539, give it again a documentary voucher that in the Strassburger a Christmas tree one set up. The guilds and associations were finally it, which an evergreen placed into the guild halls. The first recordings over the Christian tree as a generally usual use originate from the year 1605. Again it is a Native of Alsace, who held the crucial lines. It writes: "„Auff Christmas one puts THEN trees up to Strasbourg in the rooms. To it one henket Rossen outer multicolor paper cut, apples, Oblaten, hissing gold and sugars ". 1611 decorated duchess Dorothea Sibylle of Schlesien the first Christmas tree with candles. Also the next message over the Christmas tree originates from Strasbourg and the theologian J.K. Dannhauser is attributed. In this between 1642 - 1646 wrote writing ereifert itself the calling against the custom to set up in the houses of Christmas trees. It writes: "„Under other Lappalien, so that one often commits the old Christmas season more than with God word, also the Weihnachts or fir tree, which one puts up at home, is the same with dolls and sugars, and him after shakes off and (clear) leaves. Where the habit comes, I do not know; is a children's game"… "“.

Since the first half 18. Century become then more frequent the messages over the Christmas tree. To bring Johann Heinrich young Stilling, 1740 in Nassaui born, seems memory of its childhood, if it in its 1793 published "„homesickness "“of the brightly illuminating Lebensbaum with gilded to which the child is led in the morning of the Christian daily, speaks. The further occurrence of the Christmas tree is attached at the names of Goethe, who for the first time introduced it also to "„suffering the young value ago "“1774 into the German literature: (The unexpected opening of the and the feature one come value ago "„up-deseamed tree "“with wax lights, sugar work and apples into paradiesisches shifted. on Sunday before Christmas to Lotte and speak of the times, there) Schiller described no Weihnachtsszene in its works, but he loved the celebration under the Type 1789 wrote he at Lotte that he to Christmas to Weimar come and meant: "„You me hopefully will put a green tree up in the room "“. In the year 1805 the Christmas tree a large reader circle became by the fact admits that Hebbel in its mentioned it "„all one niches poems "“in the song "„the nut/mother in the Christian evening "“. E.T.A. of Hoffmann fairy tale "„Nussknacker and mouse king "“from the year 1816 is first citizens of Berlin the literature monument, in which the light-shining appears, with golden apples and drops decorated fir tree in the center to the distribution of Christmas presents.

Since fir trees were rare in Central Europe, these could afford first only the wealthy layers and the urban population had to get along with branches and resulting green. Only as starting from the second half 19. Century increases fir and spruce forests were put on, could the urban need be covered. The church, to which large forest areas belonged, intervened against the of the forest to the Christmas season and approved of this "“heidnischen"” custom not. With the time however it had to give slowly their resistance up against this custom. When the Reformatoren explained the Christian tree as the Weihnachtssymbol of the Protestanten and thereby from the catholic custom of the crib setting up distinguished themselves, the Christian tree began its triumphant advance. Toward end 19. Century began the Christmas tree also in the catholic regions of Germany and Austria its triumphant advance. The first Christmas tree in Vienna was set up 1816 by Henriette of wet outer because castle, to the wife ore duke of Karl.

It was a friedvoller conquest course, that the Christian tree in 19. Century into the world carried. It took up hardly 50 years, which represents an achievement, which only stands there on that areas of the people custom. The following boundary stones of this development show themselves today still:

When the queen Viktoria itself 1840 with Albert von Saxonia Coburg and Gotha, the Christmas tree came to London. Also the Netherlands, Russia, particularly Petersburg and Moscow, where it was usual however only in the highest circles, and Italy owe their Christmas tree to the Germans. 1870 introduced the duchess Helene of Orleans the Christmas tree to the Tuilerien, later made themselves the empress Eugenie around its spreading earned. Two decades later were sold into of Paris already 35,000 Christian trees, although some Frenchmen deplored the ever stronger propagation of the Christian tree in France, since they saw therein an approximation to the Deutschtum. In North America the Christian tree arrived by German emigrants and sailors. Old US newspapers report, Gustav of grains introduced the typically German custom of the lit and decorated Christmas tree to the USA - and this already soon after arrival in the Federal State Illinois to its first Christmas in the USA in the year 1833. In the USA 19 already became toward end. Century of Christian trees made of iron. These wonderworks of the technology were partly already lit with gas. ("„By the hollow branches the gas floods and where otherwise candles light up, the Gasflamme twitches up "“. from narrow crack)

Historical notes to the Christian tree decoration:

Around 1830 the first Christian tree balls were blown. Gradually the custom of the also with the usual people and these got branches and "“THEN brushwood"” was liked in the house.

The Lamettabrauch was developed 1878 as innovation in Nuremberg. As Christbaumbehang Lametta symbolizes after the tradition the optics of glitzernden icicles.

2005 were the Christmas tree the electronic Weihnachtssymbol of the Wikipedia.

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