{"id":21131,"date":"2019-12-01T01:10:44","date_gmt":"2019-12-01T05:10:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/?p=21131"},"modified":"2019-11-23T14:51:34","modified_gmt":"2019-11-23T18:51:34","slug":"notes-from-the-apothecary-56","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2019\/12\/01\/notes-from-the-apothecary-56\/","title":{"rendered":"Notes from the Apothecary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Notes from the Apothecary: The Christmas Tree<\/b><\/span><\/h1>\n

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Straight away, I know many of you will be wondering why I\u2019m bringing Christmas to the table, when most of us are looking forward to Yule or the Winter Solstice. Well, it\u2019s because I absolutely adore the tradition of the Christmas tree. And, despite what many people think, it\u2019s not an inherently Pagan symbol, although there are definite Pagan roots, pardon the pun.<\/span><\/p>\n

Christmas trees are so popular today that they are grown in all 50 American states, including even Hawaii, and most other places in the world. From candlelit trees in Germany in the 1800s to fiber optic light shows today, the Christmas tree is an intrinsic and instantly recognizable part of winter festivities.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Many Ways to Green the Home in Winter<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The Ancient Egyptians brought green palm fronds into the home in winter to celebrate the recover of Ra, and to symbolise life winning out over death. This idea is tied to the winter solstice, which is the shortest day and the longest night. Although the winter solstice is the darkest part of the year, it\u2019s also the turning point; after the solstice, the light begins to return, little by little, day by day. This is mirrored in cultures and religions all over the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Romans celebrated Saturnalia in the lead up to the solstice, and brought evergreen into the home. Druids revered mistletoe, an evergreen parasite often found on sacred trees like the oak. In Scandinavian countries like Norway, evergreens like branches of fir trees were brought into the home.The first appearance of the Christmas Tree seems to have been in 16th<\/sup> century Germany. There\u2019s a tale that the Protestant reformer, Martin Luther, was in awe of stars glimmering through the trees. He brought a tree into his home and lit it with candles, thus associating the tree with Christianity. However, it\u2019s important to remember that people have been using evergreens to remind themselves of the returning light for many centuries before Christianity arrived. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Despite the modern debate over whether Christmas trees are pagan or Christian, many Christians initially rejected the Christmas tree because <\/i>it was too pagan! So, as you can see, it\u2019s not a quandary that looks like being solved any time soon. These days you can decorate your home in winter with:<\/span><\/p>\n