Where Does the Tradition of Decorating the Christmas Tree Come From?

New Year’s celebration, regardless of which culture it belongs to A tradition that spreads all over the world became. At the end of each year, we happily welcome the arrival of the new year; We plan to leave the negativities of the past year behind and set goals for the coming year.

Of course, we do not do these things lightly. We get together with our friends or family and sometimes tangerine-bingo We sometimes “party” with the duo, with drinks that increase the dose of fun a little more.

However, there is another indispensable part of home celebrations: the Christmas tree. Some people are excited about the arrival of the new year even at the beginning of December. christmas tree He takes it out and decorates it. Really, where does this Christmas tree decorating ritual come from?

A claim was made that decorating a Christmas tree was a Turkish tradition.

Sumerologist Muazzez İlmiye Çığ, who is now 109 years old, said that decorating pine trees is a Turkish tradition. On the other hand, historian Emre Gürbüz states that tree decoration around the Baltic Sea and in Germany He said he was seen.

In addition, there may have been a tradition of decorating trees among the Turks in the past, but this tradition has spread all over the world. It may have been practiced among the Turks as well. added Gürbüz.

So exactly which religious tradition do Christmas trees come from?

Christmas trees actually to pagan traditions stretches out. According to legend, in 732, the British missionary St. Boniface encountered pagans who sacrificed an oak tree dedicated to the god. Boniface put an ax into the tree and it was not cut down. Thus, they saw evergreen trees and wreaths as symbols of immortal life.

This tradition merged with the veneration or veneration of trees among European Pagans, and after the adoption of Christianity, Scandinavians scare the devil away It turned into a ritual he performed for the purpose.

Today, it is thought that the Christmas tree came from the west of Germany.

On December 24, that is On the feast of Adam and Eve (Religious holiday of Adam and Eve) Germans would plant a paradise tree in their homes and hang pieces of bread symbolizing the blessed bread on it. Then they started adding donuts and candles symbolizing Jesus.

There was also a Christmas pyramid in the room with the tree, and in the 16th century Christmas pyramid and tree combined He revealed the Christmas tree. So, in fact, trees were not decorated for Christmas in the first place.

It continued to become widespread in the 19th century.

The Christmas tree, which German immigrants brought to North America in the 17th century, became fashionable in the 19th century. to the trees ribbons, candles, candies and cakes They were putting it.

Later, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Netherlands, Japan and China until the 20th century. Christmas trees and decorations became popular and has survived to the present day.

In short, the tradition of decorating trees does not come from a single nation.

Tree decoration, which already existed in Pagan and Germanic culture, was a pre-Christian tradition. It was also accepted again within Christianity.

Although celebrating New Year’s Eve is seen as a “Christian tradition” in our country, it actually started much earlier. in different cultures and for different purposes We can see that it is used. Most of all, it was held as a kind of “spring festival” with the aim of “the end of winter and the arrival of spring and the revival of nature”.

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