Tree and Other Christmas Traditions

The Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree, a leafy pine-decorated, the researchers,has its origin in paganism Central Europe, because they worshiped their gods in forests or in certain places where stood a significant tree,San Bonifacio, one of the greatest missionaries of the evangelization of Europe, was dedicated to destroying these milestones pagans and their histories is counted down trees cultic.

However, the tree that recalls the birth of Jesus between the Christianized Germanic peoples, symbolized the tree of Eden, but no longer the forbidden fruit that was the beginning of sin in man but which commemorates the fruit of salvation, hence the character of its ornaments and decorations.

The Crib

The tradition of representing the Lord's birth dates from the thirteenth century Christians. This initiative is due to St. Francis of Assisi who spiritually to take the mystery of the Nativity consider reproducing the place where the Savior was born. There is so put together a stable carrying animals and it was located in different places of the characters, the Virgin, St. Joseph, the shepherds and even animals, and mused on what would be their attitude to the Child-God who man had done to save men.

From this he started the idea of using shapes to build the nativity scene, especially in Italy and then through to the rest of Europe and the whole Christian world. Since it is a habit that remained only between Catholics and Protestants that followed after XVI reformation.

Also, the Cribs, took their characteristics depending on the region, such as Neapolitan crib, where the characters are dressed as peasants in southern Italy, or the fact their figures be true works of art as the size Manger made real in polychrome carved wood by artisans in Oberammergau, Germany, he was bestowed the Pope and that is assembled every year in St. Peter's Basilica.

Santa Claus