Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
Christmas is just around the corner! You can find giant trees in malls and festive decorations everywhere.
There are several stories about the origin of this tradition.
One says that people in ancient times believed the Sun God was sick during the winter solstice. This is when the northern hemisphere experiences the shortest daytime.
Evergreen trees are the most common type of Christmas tree. They stay green all year long.
According to the story, people used these trees to remind them that the Sun God would get better.
During the Middle Ages, people in western Germany began including evergreen trees in their Christian celebrations.
They decorated the trees with apples and called them “paradise trees”. They put the trees up in their homes on December 24.
The “paradise trees” represented the Garden of Eden. In Christianity, this is where Adam and Eve lived. They were the first man and woman.
It is said that the German monk Martin Luther was the first to hang lighted candles on a tree in the 16th century. This turned “paradise trees” into Christmas trees.
The tradition of putting presents under the Christmas tree started in 1848. The Illustrated London News magazine printed a picture of Queen Victoria and her family around a Christmas tree with presents underneath.
The picture became very popular and influenced how people decorate their Christmas trees worldwide.
Today, Christmas trees are put up all around the world (see graphic).
Questions
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What were the decorated trees called during the Middle Ages?
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Who was the first person to put candles on a Christmas tree?
