A Origem da rvore de Natal

O costume de enfeitar rvores mais antigo que o prprio Natal. J antes de Cristo praticamente todas as culturas e religies pags usavam enfeites em rvores para celebrarem a fertilidade da natureza.Os romanos adornavam as rvores em honra de Saturno, que era o seu Deus da agricultura.No Egipto era hbito, no solstcio de Inverno, trazerem ramos verdes para dentro das suas casas, como forma de celebrarem a vitria da vida sobre a morte.Os druidas Celtas, em pocas festivas, decoravam os carvalhos com mas douradas.Os primeiros registos da adopo da rvore de Natal pelo cristianismo surgem do norte da Europa no comeo do sculo XVI, embora tudo indique que por essa altura j era uma tradio vinda da poca medieval, pois h registos de rvores de Natal na Litunia cerca do ano de 1510.No antigo calendrio cristo, o dia 24 de Dezembro era dedicado a Ado e Eva e a sua histria costumava ser encenada nas igrejas. Como representao do paraso era usada uma rvore carregada de frutos.Os cristos ganharam ento o hbito de montarem essa alegoria em suas casas com rvores que, com o passar dos tempos, foram ficando cada vez mais decoradas: as estrelas simbolizando a Estrela de Belm, as velas simbolizando a luz de Cristo e as rosas em homenagem Virgem Maria.Durante os sculos XVII e XVIII este hbito tornou-se to popular entre os povos germnicos, que estes atriburam a criao da rvore de Natal ao seu congnere Martinus Luter, (Martinho Lutero em portugus), fundador do protestantismo. Reza a lenda germnica que Lutero ao passear durante uma noite limpa pela floresta, observou o efeito das estrelas no topo das rvores e trouxe essa imagem para a sua famlia na forma de uma rvore com uma estrela no topo e decorada com velas.Mas foi s durante o sculo XIX que a rvore de Natal se comeou a difundir pelo resto do mundo, muito graas contribuio da monarquia britnica. O prncipe Alberto, o marido de origem alem da rainha Vitria, montou uma rvore de Natal no palcio real britnico. Foi ento tirada uma fotografia da famlia real junto rvore, fotografia essa que foi publicada na revista Illustrated London News, no Natal de 1846.

Prncipe Alberto e famlia junto rvore de Natal no palcio real britnico - (Natal de 1846)No entanto, como o uso de rvores adornadas tem origem pag, a adopo da rvore de Natal foi muito mais rpida nos pases nrdicos e no mundo anglo-saxnico.J nos pases catlicos, como Portugal, a rvore de Natal foi ganhando aceitao muito lentamente, pois a tradio de Natal eram os prespios, como nica decorao da sua celebrao.S a partir de meados do sculo XX que a rvore de Natal comeou a ser mais aceite em Portugal, j que antes dessa altura era pouco popular nas cidades e completamente ignorada nas zonas rurais.Mas o tempo no parou e o costume comeou a enraizar-se ao ponto de, actualmente, j fazer parte da tradio natalcia portuguesa.http://origemdascoisas.com/a-origem-da-arvore-de-natal/; acessado em 26/8/20141. Encyclopdia Britannica. 2003. "The modern Christmas tree ... originated in western Germany. The main prop of a popular medieval play about Adam and Eve was a fir tree hung with apples (paradise tree) representing the Garden of Eden. The Germans set up a paradise tree in their homes on December 24, the religious feast day of Adam and Eve. They hung wafers on it (symbolizing the host, the Christian sign of redemption); in a later tradition, the wafers were replaced by cookies of various shapes. Candles, too, were often added as the symbol of Christ. In the same room, during the Christmas season, was theChristmas pyramid, a triangular construction of wood, with shelves to hold Christmas figurines, decorated with evergreens, candles, and a star. By the 16th century, the Christmas pyramid and paradise tree had merged, becoming the Christmas tree."

History[edit]Possible predecessors[edit]

FromNorthern Antiquities, an English translation of theProse Eddafrom 1847. Painted by Oluf Olufsen Bagge.While it is clear that the modern Christmas tree originated during theRenaissanceofearly modern Germany, there are a number of speculative theories as to its ultimate origin. Its 16th-century origins are sometimes associated with Protestant Christian reformerMartin Lutherwho, according to the TV channelHistory, "first added lighted candles to a tree."[1][7][8]It is frequently traced to the symbolism ofevergreentrees in pre-Christian winter rites, in particular through the story ofDonar's Oak(though most oak trees are not evergreen) and the popularized story ofSaint Bonifaceand the conversion of the German pagans.[9]According to theEncyclopdia Britannica, "The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands to symbolize eternal life was a custom of the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. Tree worship was common among the pagan Europeans and survived their conversion to Christianity in the Scandinavian customs of decorating the house and barn with evergreens at the New Year to scare away the devil and of setting up a tree for the birds during Christmastime."[10]Alternatively, it is identified with the "tree of paradise" of medievalmystery playsthat were given on 24 December, the commemoration andname dayofAdam and Evein various countries. In such plays, a tree decorated with apples (to represent the forbidden fruit) and wafers (to represent theEucharistand redemption) was used as a setting for the play. Like theChristmas crib, the Paradise tree was later placed in homes. The apples were replaced by round objects such as shiny red balls.[5][6][11][12][13][14]Georgia[edit]

Chichilaki, a Georgian Christmas tree variety.TheGeorgianshave their own traditional Christmas tree calledChichilaki, made from dried uphazelnutorwalnutbranches that are shaved to form a small coniferous tree. These pale-colored ornaments differ in height from 20cm (7.9in) to 3 meters (9.8 feet). Chichilakis are most common in theGuriaandSamegreloregions of Georgia near theBlack Sea, but they can also be found in some stores around the capital ofTbilisi.Georgiansbelieve thatChichilakiresembles the famous beard ofSt. Basil the Great, who is thought to visit people duringChristmassimilar to theSanta Claustradition.Poland[edit]There was an oldpagancustom of suspending at the ceiling a branch of fir, spruce or pine calledPodaniczkaassociated withKoliada. The branches were decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored paper, stars made of straw, ribbons and colored wafers. People believed in the tree magical powers linked with harvesting and success in the next year.In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, these traditions were almost completely replaced by the German custom of decorating the Christmas tree.Scandinavia[edit]InNorse mythology, the oak was sacred to the thunder god,Thor.Thor's Oakwas asacred treeof the GermanicChattitribe. According to legend, theChristianisationof the heathen tribes bySaint Bonifacewas marked by the oak's being replaced by thefir(whose triangular shape symbolizes theTrinity) as a "sacred" tree.[15]Estonia and Latvia[edit]

Girl with Christmas tree, painting 1892 byFranz Skarbina(1849-1910)Customs of erecting decorated trees in wintertime can be traced to Christmas celebrations in Renaissance-eraguildsinNorthern GermanyandLivonia. The first evidence of decorated trees associated with Christmas Day are trees in guildhalls decorated with sweets to be enjoyed by the apprentices and children. InLivonia(present-dayLatviaandEstonia), in 1441, 1442, 1510 and 1514, theBrotherhood of Blackheadserected a tree for the holidays in their guild houses inRigaand Reval (nowTallinn). On the last night of the celebrations leading up to the holidays, the tree was taken to theTown Hall Squarewhere the members of the brotherhood danced around it.[16]ABremenguild chronicle of 1570 reports that a small tree decorated with "apples, nuts, dates, pretzels and paper flowers" was erected in the guild-house for the benefit of the guild members' children, who collected the dainties on Christmas Day.[3]In 1584, the pastor and chroniclerBalthasar Russowin hisChronica der Provinz Lyfflandt(1584) wrote of an established tradition of setting up a decoratedspruceat the market square where the young men "went with a flock of maidens and women, first sang and danced there and then set the tree aflame".After theProtestant Reformation, such trees are seen in the houses of upper-class Protestant families as a counterpart to the CatholicChristmas cribs. This transition from the guild hall to the bourgeois family homes in the Protestant parts of Germany ultimately gives rise to the modern tradition as it developed in the 18th and 19th centuries.18th to early 20th centuries[edit]Germany[edit]

A little Christmas tree on the table, painting by Ludwig Blume-Siebert in 1888By the early 18th century, the custom had become common in towns of the upperRhineland, but it had not yet spread to rural areas. Wax candles, expensive items at the time, are found in attestations from the late 18th century.Along the lower Rhine, an area of Roman Catholic majority, the Christmas tree was largely regarded as a Protestant custom. As a result, it remained confined to the upper Rhineland for a relatively long period of time. The custom did eventually gain wider acceptance beginning around 1815 by way ofPrussianofficials who emigrated there following theCongress of Vienna.In the 19th century, the Christmas tree was taken to be an expression ofGerman cultureand ofGemtlichkeit, especially amongemigrantsoverseas.[17]A decisive factor in winning general popularity was the German army's decision to place Christmas trees in its barracks and military hospitals during theFranco-Prussian War. Only at the start of the 20th century did Christmas trees appear inside churches, this time in a new brightly lit form.[18]Adoption by European nobility[edit]

Christmas tree painting 1877 by H. J. OverbeekIn the early 19th century, the custom became popular among the nobility and spread to royal courts as far as Russia.Princess Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburgintroduced the Christmas tree toViennain 1816, and the custom spread across Austria in the following years. InFrance, the first Christmas tree was introduced in 1840 by theduchesse d'Orlans. In Denmark a Danish newspaper claims that the first attested Christmas tree was lit in 1808 by countess Wilhemine of Holsteinborg. It was the aging countess who told the story of the first Danish Christmas tree to the Danish writerHans Christian Andersenin 1865. He had published a fairy-tale calledThe Fir-Treein 1844, recounting the fate of a fir-tree being used as a Christmas tree.[19]Britain[edit]

The Christmas Tree 1911 byAlbert Chevallier TaylerAlthough the tradition of decorating the home with evergreens was long established, the custom of decorating an entire small tree was unknown in Britain until some two centuries ago. At the time of thepersonal unionwithHanover,George III's German-born wife,Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, introduced a Christmas tree at a party she gave for children in 1800.[20]The custom did not at first spread much beyond the royal family.[21]Queen Victoria as a child was familiar with it and a tree was placed in her room every Christmas. In her journal for Christmas Eve 1832, the delighted 13-year-old princess wrote:"After dinner... we then went into the drawing-room near the dining-room... There were two large round tables on which were placed two trees hung with lights and sugar ornaments. All the presents being placed round the trees..."[22]After Victoria's marriage to her German cousinPrince Albert, by 1841 the custom became even more widespread[23]as wealthier middle-class families followed the fashion. In 1842 a newspaper advert for Christmas trees makes clear their smart cachet, German origins and association with children and gift-giving.[24]An illustrated book,The Christmas Tree, describing their use and origins in detail, was on sale in December 1844.[25]In 1847, Prince Albert wrote: "I must now seek in the children an echo of what Ernest [his brother] and I were in the old time, of what we felt and thought; and their delight in the Christmas-trees is not less than ours used to be".[26]A boost to the trend was given in 1848[27]whenThe Illustrated London News,[28]in a report picked up by other papers,[29]described the trees inWindsor Castlein detail and showed the main tree, surrounded by the royal family, on its cover. In fewer than ten years their use in better-off homes was widespread. By 1856 a northern provincial newspaper contained an advert alluding casually to them,[30]as well as reporting the accidental death of a woman whose dress caught fire as she lit the tapers on a Christmas tree.[31]They had not yet spread down the social scale though, as a report from Berlin in 1858 contrasts the situation there where "Every family has its own" with that of Britain, where Christmas trees were still the preserve of the wealthy or the "romantic".[32]Their use at public entertainments, charity bazaars and in hospitals made them increasingly familiar however, and in 1906 a charity was set up specifically to ensure even poor children in London slums 'who had never seen a Christmas tree' would enjoy one that year.[33]Anti-German sentiment afterWorld War Ibriefly reduced their popularity[34]but the effect was short-lived[35]and by the mid-1920s the use of Christmas trees had spread to all classes.[36]In 1933 a restriction on the importation of foreign trees led to the 'rapid growth of a new industry' as the growing of Christmas trees within Britain became commercially viable due to the size of demand.[37]By 2013 the number of trees grown in Britain for the Christmas market was approximately 8 million[38]and their display in homes, shops and public spaces a normal part of the Christmas season.North America[edit]

Christmas tree depicted as Christmas card byPrang& Co. (Boston) 1880

The Christmas tree by Homer Winslow, 1858The tradition was introduced toCanadain the winter of 1781 byBrunswick soldiersstationed in theProvince of Quebecto garrison the colony againstAmerican attack. GeneralFriedrich Adolf Riedeseland his wife, theBaroness von Riedesel, held a Christmas party atSorel, delighting their guests with a fir tree decorated with candles and fruits.[39]A woodcut of the British Royal family with their Christmas tree at Windsor Castle, initially published inThe Illustrated London NewsDecember 1848, was copied in the United States at Christmas 1850, inGodey's Lady's Book.Godey'scopied it exactly, except for the removal of the Queen's tiara and Prince Albert's moustache, to remake the engraving into an American scene.[40]The republishedGodey'simage became the first widely circulated picture of a decorated evergreen Christmas tree in America. Art historian Karal Ann Marling called Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, shorn of their royal trappings, "the first influential American Christmas tree".[41]Folk-culture historian Alfred Lewis Shoemaker states, "In all of America there was no more important medium in spreading the Christmas tree in the decade 185060 thanGodey's Lady's Book". The image was reprinted in 1860, and by the 1870s, putting up a Christmas tree had become common in America.[40]Several cities in the United States with German connections lay claim to that country's first Christmas tree:Windsor Locks, Connecticut, claims that a Hessian soldier put up a Christmas tree in 1777 while imprisoned at the Noden-Reed House, while the "First Christmas Tree in America" is also claimed byEaston, Pennsylvania, where German settlers purportedly erected a Christmas tree in 1816. In his diary, Matthew Zahm ofLancaster, Pennsylvania, recorded the use of a Christmas tree in 1821, leading Lancaster to also lay claim to the first Christmas tree in America.[42]Other accounts creditCharles Follen, a German immigrant to Boston, for being the first to introduce to America the custom of decorating a Christmas tree.[43]August Imgard, a German immigrant living inWooster, Ohio, is the first to popularise the practice of decorating a tree withcandy canes. In 1847, Imgard cut a blue spruce tree from a woods outside town, had the Wooster village tinsmith construct a star, and placed the tree in his house, decorating it with paper ornaments and candy canes. German immigrant Charles Minnegerode accepted a position as a professor of humanities at theCollege of William & MaryinWilliamsburg, Virginia, in 1842, where he taught Latin and Greek. Entering into the social life of the Virginia Tidewater, Minnigerode introduced the German custom of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas at the home of law professor St. George Tucker, thereby becoming another of many influences that prompted Americans to adopt the practice at about that time.[44]The lyrics sung in the United States to the German tuneO Tannenbaumbegin "O Christmas tree", giving rise to the mistaken idea that theGermanwordTannenbaum(fir tree) means "Christmas tree", the German word for which is insteadWeihnachtsbaum. 18th to early 20th centuries Christmas in Nederlands, c. 1899 TheQueen'sChristmas tree atWindsor Castlepublished inThe Illustrated London News, 1848, and republished inGodey's Lady's Book, Philadelphia in December 1850. Illustration forHarper's Bazaar, published 1 January 1870. An Italian American family on Christmas 19241935 to present[edit]

A Christmas tree from 1951, in a home in New York State.InRussia, the Christmas tree was banned shortly after theOctober Revolutionbut then reinstated as aNew-year spruce( ,Novogodnyaya yolka) in 1935. It became a fully secular icon of theNew Yearholiday, for example, the crowning star was regarded not as a symbol of Bethlehem Star, but as theRed Star. Decorations, such as figurines of airplanes, bicycles, space rockets,cosmonauts, and characters of Russian fairy tales, were produced. This tradition persists after the fall of the USSR, with theNew Year holidayoutweighing the Christmas (7 January) for a wide majority of Russian people.[45]The TV specialA Charlie Brown Christmas(1965) was influential on the pop culture surrounding the Christmas tree.Aluminum Christmas treeswere popular during the early 1960s in the US. They were satirized in the Charlie Brown show and came to be seen as symbolizing the commercialization of Christmas. The termCharlie Brown Christmas tree, describing any poor-looking or malformed little tree, also derives from the 1965 TV special, based on the appearance ofCharlie Brown's Christmas tree.[citation needed]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_tree#cite_ref-9; acessado em 26/8/14

The History of Christmas A Gift to AllWed, 06/25/2008 - 08:01 Gareth MarplesChristmas is a time of tradition. And there are so many traditions associated with Christmas, like turkey dinners, decorated trees, Christmas cards, Santa Claus, mistletoe, yule logs, carols and bells. Many of the things we do at Christmas are based on Christianity, but many have other interesting origins. So weve put together this overall history of Christmas, and included as many little histories as we can. So prepare to be enlightened.December 25th for the love of Christ, or the fear of the Christian priests?Nobody really knows Jesus Christs birthday. There have been many dates suggested, like January 1st, January 6th, March 25th, and May 20th. Many thought May 20th was the closest because of the mention in the Gospel of Luke of shepherds watching their flocks by night. And since they only did that during the spring, it was concluded that May 20th would have to be the correct date.What prompted the institution of December 25th as Jesus birth date was the Christian priests fear that they were losing converts to a rival religion Mithraism. This religion observed the Birthday of the Invincible Sun God, Mithras, and it had been declared the official state religion by Emperor Aurelian in 274 A.D. The Christian priests were losing their foothold in the religious foundation of society, and they had to do something quickly.So, acting on the basis that Romans loved a good festival, and that their Mithraism celebrations were held in December, the Church officially declared December 25th to be the birth date of Jesus Christ, their Lord and Savior. But they had to keep the celebrations meaningful as well, so they marked the day with a mass Christs Mass. You can see where were going with this!Christmas was established by the Christian Church. It was aptly described by a theologian somewhere around the year 320, when he said, We hold this day holy, not like the pagans because of the birth of the sun, but because of him who made it. And this was followed shortly thereafter, in 337, by the official baptism of Roman Emperor Constantine, and the ensuing unity of the emperorship and the Church. Christianity was declared the official state religion.Oh Tannenbaum, Oh TannenbaumIts no surprise that the famous Christmas carol, Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree was translated from the German original because it was in Germany that the idea of a Christmas tree was born. It happened back in the early 700s, when St. Boniface, an English monk and missionary, was preaching a sermon on the December 25th Nativity to some Germanic Druids.In order to quell the Druids idolatry of the oak tree, St. Boniface cut down a huge one. As it came crashing down, it crushed every bush in its path, except for one small fir sapling. Although this was purely a coincidence, St. Boniface cleverly decided to capitalize on it he declared it a miracle that this one single sapling hadnt been killed, and concluded, Let this be called the tree of the Christ Child.By the 16th century, it was common practice in Germany for Christmas trees to be decorated with roses made out of multi-colored paper, apples, wafers, gilt and sugar. The placing of lit candles on the tree was the brainchild of Martin Luther, a Protestant reformer. Its said that he was walking home one winter night, when he looked up and saw, between the branches of the fir trees, a star-filled sky. When he got home, he erected a tree in his house and filled it with lit candles, to try to duplicate the scene for his family.The Christmas tree, like so many of our American traditions, was brought across the ocean by early European settlers. The actual date of its inception in the United States can be traced back to an entry in the diary of Matthew Zahm in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, dated December 20, 1821. The Puritans strongly rejected what they considered a pagan custom as being disrespectful of the original meaning of Christmas.But, to the ire of the Puritans, there was a movement underway that brought a more festive attitude towards Christmas, and it was led by a womens magazine called Godeys Ladys Book. This publication had already helped to bring Thanksgiving to national recognition, and it was doing the same for Christmas holiday festivities. It wasnt much different from the magazines you see at the counters today, as Christmas approaches, filled with household decorating tips, Christmas recipes,Christmas stockingsand instructions on how to make Christmas decorations and other crafts. Godeys Ladys Book was very influential in swaying housewives towards the idea that Nativity wasnt just a holy day, but was cause for festive holiday celebrations, too.Good old Saint NickThe original idea of Santa Claus, (or Father Christmas in Britain, or Papa Nol in France, etc.) came from St. Nicholas. He was a very pious fellow, born in Lycia, Turkey, in the early 4th century. After his parents died, he totally dedicated his life to Christ and joined a Lycian seminary. Its been said that he performed miracles of the same magnitude as Jesus. One example that was particularly memorable was the raising of his arms to still a violent storm at sea. This prompted the people to name him the patron saint of sailors.While still quite young, Nicholas was appointed bishop of Myra, in Asia Minor. He became famous for his generosity, especially towards children. That image has obviously survived the ages. But it didnt impress the Roman emperor of that time, who threw him in prison. And there he stayed for many years until a new emperor, Constantine, came into power.Constantine was a Christian, and freed Nicholas, who became a member of Romes first Church council in 325. St. Nicholas died on December 6, 342, but his name lived on. He was named the patron saint of Sicily, Greece and Russia, as well as the patron saint of all children.During his productive days, St. Nicholas used to ride from town to town on a donkey, converting people to Christianity, and helping the poor, especially the children. On December 6th, his Christian feast day, hed leave gifts beside the hearth: fruit, nuts, candies, and wood and clay figurines. These were more practices that have been adopted by the modern-day Santa Claus.The Dutch were the only ones to hold onto the St. Nicholas tradition. They put an image of him on the prow of the first Dutch ship to sail to America. They also named the first church built in New York City after him. They brought a couple of other traditions with them, too.Back in the 16th century, the Dutch put clogs by the hearth on the night St. Nicholas was to come to leave gifts. They filled the wooden shoes with straw, to feed his donkey. St. Nicholas would leave a small gift in the clog in return.It was also the Dutch name for St. Nicholas that eventually became Santa Claus. The Dutch called St. Nicholas Sint Nikolass, which got changed to the Americanized version, Sinterklass. When the English took control of New Amsterdam in the 17th century, Sinterklass was Anglicized to Santa Claus.One aspect of St. Nicholas thats really changed is his appearance. He was a tall, slender man and, although he did have a long white beard, that was about the only physical resemblance he had to the jolly, big-bellied Santa Claus of today.There were two things that aided in his conversion a poem and a cartoon. We really are influenced by the media, and thats a good example of it. One of the most famous poems ever written is The Night Before Christmas, by Dr. Clement Clarke Moore. He wrote it for his children, and kept it within the family because he didnt want his peers, all classical scholars, to know hed stooped so low as to write a simple childrens poem.However, a friend took a copy of the poem and submitted it to a newspaper. It was quickly picked up by a magazine, and soon became published all across America. The description of Santa Claus in the poem gradually influenced peoples image of him.The other influence that changed Santas physical appearance was a series of cartoons by Thomas Nast, a cartoonist for Harpers Weekly. From 1863-1886, Nast published a series of cartoons involving Santa Claus and his activities. They showed him during the year, making games & toys, checking on childrens behavior, and receiving childrens wish lists. They also depicted him as increasingly roly-poly.All those factors add up to the image we now have of Santa Claus.Merry Christmas and a Happy New YearChristmas is the number one card-selling holiday of the year, with more than 2 billion cards exchanged every year in the U.S. But the modern-day American Christmas card wasnt introduced until 1875, by Louis Prang, the father of the American Christmas card.Handwritten cards had been exchanged for years. At first, they were handed to the recipients, then they were mailed. In fact, they put quite a burden on the post office, who had to hire more people every Christmas, a practice that still exists today.But the first Christmas card made for sale was designed by a London, England, artist named John Calcott Horsley. The card read, merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you. There were 1,000 of these cards printed, and 12 still remain today, in private collections.Printed cards became the rage in England, and soon spread to Germany. And it was the Germans who started producing penny Christmas postcards and importing them to America, that eventually put Louis Prang out of business. (Prangs Christmas cards were very fancy and very expensive.) After World War I, the American greeting card industry began, and became the source for all kinds of cards for every holiday occasion, not just Christmas.Christmas plants and flowersThere are several plants and flowers associated with Christmas. Probably one of the most well-known customs (and also one of the oldest) is the hanging of mistletoe. Thats been practiced since the 2nd century B.C., when the Druids hung it around their homes as a symbol of hope, peace and harmony.The ancient Romans used it, too, for decoration during their Mithraism festivities. After the Christian Churchs inception of Nativity on December 25th, in an effort to do away with any idolatrous custom, they forbade the use of mistletoe for any reason and replaced it with holly. The sharp pointy leaves represented the thorns in Jesus crown, and the red berries represented his blood. Thats another tradition that still lives today, with holly wreaths and branches decorating the inside and outside of homes.And then theres the poinsettia. This lovely red Christmas plant was found in Mexico, where it was known as the flower of the blessed night, representing the Star of Bethlehem. In 1828, Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico, brought the plant home with him, where it was named in his honor.Christmas is a time for sharing and caringMost people in the world celebrate Christmas. Although there are some religions who believe Christs birth wasnt on December 25th, and so celebrate at other times of the year, the holiday remains the most popular of the year especially for the kids.Even though Christmas has become a celebration of gift-giving, it's important that we look back on all the Christmas traditions and remember their relevance to the holiday. We need to remember that Christmas is a time for getting together with family and friends, and sharing together, the peace and harmony that are a natural part of our lives.The history of Christmas is spread among many customs, from many countries. But the underlying international tradition always lives on Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward Men.http://www.thehistoryof.net/the-history-of-christmas.html ; acessado em 26/08/2014