Happy Healthy YOU
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Kelly Spencer - Happy Healthy YOU
(A wellness column by Kelly Spencer: writer, life coach, yoga & meditation teacher, holistic healer and a mindful life enthusiast!)
As long as I can remember I have loved the Christmas tree.
Mesmerized by this display of nature indoors, adorned with lights and balls of beautiful hues and glitter. The history of the Christmas tree dates back further than Christmas itself. Just as many of us decorate our homes with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows.
In many parts of the land, it was believed that evergreens would keep away the bad juju. In fact the winter evergreens held symbol of goodness for many, including the Northern Europe mysterious Druids, the priests of the ancient Celts and fierce Vikings in Scandinavia.
So how did this tradition become a considerable part of Christmas?
Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know. In the 16th century, it is said that a Minister was walking home one winter evening, composing a sermon he was to give, and was struck by the beauty of the stars twinkling amidst the evergreens. He wanted to recapture the beauty for his family, so he put a tree in the main room of his home and wired its branches with lit candles.
The New England Puritans in the United States preached against “the heathen traditions” of Christmas carols, decorated trees, and any joyful expression that desecrated “that sacred event.” In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts enacted a law making any observance of December 25 (other than a church service) a penal offense; people were fined for hanging decorations.
This continued until the 19th century, when the influx of German and Irish immigrants undermined the Puritan legacy. In 1830, German immigrants brought the tradition of the Christmas tree when they became Pennsylvania settlers. As the late 1800s came to a close, Christmas ornaments were arriving from Germany and Christmas tree popularity was on the rise around the U.S. The Europeans often enjoyed the small tree about four feet tall while Americans super-sized the tree so it would fill the room, floor to ceiling!
According to historians, the early 20th century saw Americans decorating their trees mainly with homemade ornaments, while the German-American sect continued to use apples, nuts, and marzipan cookies. Popcorn joined in after being dyed bright colors and interlaced with berries and nuts.
Around the turn of century with the invention of electricity, Christmas lights became possible, allowing for Christmas trees to glow for days on end. With this, Christmas trees began to appear in town squares across the country and having a Christmas tree in the home became traditions that followed in Canada.
As a little girl I remember lying on the couch staring endlessly at my family’s tree, as it lit up the room as well as my spirit. When my children were small, it was a tradition to go out and find the “perfect tree” to cut down for our home. After stepping on pine needles well into August, I decided a few years back to opt for a more painless, sustainable version of the holiday’s tradition... the artificial tree.
The tree is often a traditional symbol of what goes under it: presents! I have contemplated over the years about the commercialism of the season and how much is too much? But in the contrast of this view point, this year I had many observations about why I love the gift giving tradition.
I observed a mindfulness that is experienced when you tap into the energy of someone that you love and care about. There is a thoughtfulness with the consideration and contemplation of what you want to give that special person. And one of the most wonderful understandings we are blessed to witness is the real appreciation and gratitude, that is experienced which goes beyond the external gift itself and speaks more to the notion that the other person took the time to understand who you are and what you like. There is a validation and sense of connection that speaks above the physical present. It is a connection to the others spirit.
On a cellular level, our DNA responds to the appreciation of a gift given, or the gratitude of a gift received and equally responsive to the smell of the family feasts that may be only created this one time of year with care and love, as it's read from the mother of your mother’s recipe book. It is exciting to imagine the same meal and traditions enjoyed by the generations of a past whom we did not know.
When you peel back the layer of chaos of the season there is a deep seeded ancestral familiarity that has been present for many moons.
As we indulge in the recipes that have been passed down through the family, while playing out decades of traditions (and perhaps creating some new ones), the meanings behind the excess of the holiday could grow a Grinch’s heart tenfold.
I am truly grateful for the blessings of tradition which shine bright like winter stars on the evergreens.