O Christmas Tree originates from Germany as O Tannenbaum with German lyrics and has been handed down to us over the years to its present English form.  A quick search online does not yield an author’s name.  So I imagine that the song has been around for a long time.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Oh Christmas Tree was also played as background music in Charlie Brown’s Christmas movie.  The song gave a strong sense of purpose in Charlie’s determination to make Christmas work without commercialism and using the one real tree he picked out.  The only real tree available in the tree market.  It was all but rejected by everybody but him.

Yes, Charlie Brown’s preference for a real tree over an artificial Christmas tree is ironic considering this site’s theme.  But hey, this is still a cool song and a cool Charlie Brown movie.  Plus, when money is tight, an artificial unlit Christmas tree that you can use and decorate for years and years is still the way to go.

Oh Christmas Tree Lyrics and Midi

Finally, the lyrics.  You can listen to the Oh Christmas Tree midi as well for sing-a-long:

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
Thou tree most fair and lovely!
Oh Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
Thou tree most fair and lovely!
The sight of thee at Christmastide
Spreads hope and gladness far and wide
Oh Christmas tree, O Christmas tree
Thou tree most fair and lovely!

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
Thou hast a wondrous message:
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
Thou hast a wondrous message:
Thou dost proclaim the Saviour’s birth
Good will to men and peace on earth
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
Thou hast a wondrous message

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
You stand in verdant beauty
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
You stand in verdant beauty
Your boughs are green in summer’s glow
And do not fade in winter’s snow
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
You stand in verdant beauty

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
How laden are your branches
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
Your presence here enhances
Your silver star does glisten bright
Reflecting all the candlelight
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
How laden are your branches

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree
You fill all hearts with gaiety
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree
You fill all hearts with gaiety
On Christmas Day you stand so tall
Affording joy to one and all
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree
You fill all hearts with gaiety

From my previous post, Origin of the Christmas tree, we learned that St. Boniface is credited for the invention of the Christmas tree.  More importantly for this post, the first Christmas tree that he had invented (the word invent is used in broad terms) was a fir tree.

That fir tree had two key features that later symbolised the tradition of Chrismas trees that we know today.

From Athomeschool.com -

• The fir tree had a triangle shape. St. Boniface referred to the three points of the triangle as a sign of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).
• The fir tree had evergreen leaves.  St. Boniface defined the color and it’s evergreen characteristic (leaves stay green throughout different seasons) as a symbol for eternal life.

Not surprisingly, among the faux trees, one of the more popular type is the fir artificial Christmas tree.  From within the fir tree type, there are subselections as well, such as Douglas, Fraser, Noble, Carolina, Sierra, Camdon, Virginia, Everbrite, Carolina, Bavarian, Montana, Alaskan, Spruce, Niko, and Pine Cone.  These trees are so realistic that they’re visually tough to distinguish from real trees.

Are you ever curious on how we come to celebrate Christmas with a Christmas tree?  There seem to be plenty of references leading to Christmas and many aspects of its tradition such as gift giving, Santa Claus, and the wreaths as originating from pagan traditions preceding Christianity in the Old World.

I suppose that it makes sense that Christmas has roots from the beliefs of people that were previously non-Christian and after they’ve been converted, some of their practices and traditions were too strong to simply just let go.  Hence, these traditions have evolved as part of what we know as Christmas today.

Christmas Tree Invented by Saint Boniface

Within the tenets of Christianity, it seems that the Christmas tree originated from Saint Boniface, the patron saint of Germany.  The story goes that St. Bonaface felled the sacred Oak of Thor after which Thor was suppose to strike him down for his insolence.  He was not stricken down.  Instead, a young fir tree sprung from the fallen oak and St. Bonaface claimed it as the new holy tree for Christ.

From there, the Christmas tree became the symbol of Christ for the German tribes.  Over the years, it became a universal symbol for Christmas.  It is also the reason why fir Christmas trees remain the standard today.

A red artificial Christmas tree in your living room can bring glamour to your holiday celebration. But do you ever wonder why the color red is associated with Christmas?

We know that it’s Santa Claus‘s color. Poinsettias are red and they’re used widely as decoration during Christmas.

Known Uses of the Color Red

Red has always been billed as danger or cautionary (e.g. red stoplight). We use it as a warning that something up ahead is bad for you.

Red is also used in fashion. It tells the world that someone is daring or flirtatious. Red tells us that she’s anything but bland.

Use of the Color Red during Christmas

But why during a joyful spiritual celebration is the color red in ubiquity? A quick search online points to a Christian origin. In Christmas, red is used to remind us of Jesus Christ. Red is the color of his wounds that he suffered for us to redeem us from our sins.

Although used mainly in combination with green, Christmas red stands out for many of us.  Of course, retailers use that to their benefit by displaying ample red signs on “special deals” and “sales”.  It’s no wonder that Christmas is one of the best decorated holidays.

Below is an article that I’d like to share with you. It’s about the fun of Christmas with family.
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Decorating for Christmas: Why You Should Make it a Family Event

Do you plan on decorating your home for Christmas this holiday season? If so, do you plan on doing it by yourself? While decorating for Christmas by yourself makes it easier to get the decorating done in an effective and timely matter, you may want to think about turning your Christmas decorating into a family event. You will find that there are, literally, an unlimited number of benefits to doing so.

Perhaps, the biggest benefit of turning your Christmas decorating into a family event is the time that you and your family will be able to spend together, whether you have children or not. Family bonding is even better with children, but you and your romantic partner could also benefit from the time that you spend together, when decorating your home for Christmas. In addition to getting your home decorated for Christmas, your relationship, whether it be with your children or your spouse, may greatly benefit from the experience.

As previously mentioned, if you are a parent, you and your children could benefit from decorating your home for Christmas together. What is nice about decorating your home with your children is that they will likely enjoy the experience, especially if they are younger. Younger children tend to be more proud of their work or their accomplishments; therefore, they will likely be proud of the fact that you asked them for assistance, as well as how their decorations turned out. If you are really looking to make Christmas decorating a family fun event, you and your family could also make some of your own Christmas decorations. Since most children love crafts, it may add extra excitement to the whole decorating experience.

While the majority of the benefits, to having your whole family help you decorate your home for Christmas is centered on family, there is another benefit that isn?t really. By having your whole family assist you with decorating your home for Christmas, you could save yourself a fairly large amount of time. The time saved will all depend on how much decorating you plan on doing. Having your family assist you means that Christmas decorating could take a lot less time. This is a great way to get your Christmas decorating done, especially if you find yourself pressed for time. The more people you have helping you decorate for Christmas, the shorter the whole process will take.

As previously mentioned, you can add extra excitement to this family fun event by having your children or other family members help you make homemade Christmas decorations. Even if you do not wish to make your own Christmas decorations, it may be a good idea to let the rest of your family help you pick out the Christmas decorations. This would really turn Christmas decorating into a family fun event. Even if you are low on cash, you could still allow your children to pick out a few low-cost Christmas decorations. You will find that many dollars stores carry a fairly large selection of Christmas decorations; decorations that many kids find attractive.

The above mentioned reasons and benefits, to why you should turn your Christmas decorating into a fun filled family event, are just a few of the many benefits that exist. Since Christmas is all about family, you should let your family help you prepare for and celebrate the upcoming holiday.

–
John Ugoshowa. You are welcome to use this article on your website or in your ezines as long as you have a link back to http://www.quickregister.net/partners/

For more information on Christmas shopping see the Shopping section section of Quickregister.net Free Search Engine Submission Service at: http://www.quickregister.net/partners/

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

What comes to mind when you think of Christmas?

Mine is simple. Santa Claus in a sleigh!

And I grew up in the Philippines where there are no snow for us to even learn about sleighs.

Santa Claus Ornaments are everywhere during Christmas

It is no surprise that kids all over the Western world recognize Santa. Whenever Christmas comes along, he’s all over the place.

As a child in the Philippines, we had plenty of Santa Claus ornaments. I was still a child when we came to the US and, of course, he’s all over the place here. His pictures and posters were all over the stores. Some of the best TV Christmas specials were about Santa.

Remember, Christmas is for the young (and the young at heart).

Below is an article that gives an insight on how Santa has become a dominant figure in American pop culture.
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Santa Claus Magazine Covers by Jessica Vandelay

St. Nicholas was a real saint, a 4th century bishop from Asia Minor known for his generosity; in early December he visited homes and left gifts for children by the fireplace. Moore?s poem tweaked the Dutch St. Nicholas and brought the figure of Santa Claus into the American psyche.

By 1863, Santa Claus made his first magazine appearance in the political magazine Harper?s Weekly. Influential political cartoonist Thomas Nast’s drew Santa as the fat, jolly, bearded, and red-suited figure that still holds today. From the 1860s to the ’80s, he drew a special cartoon every year for the Christmas edition of Harper’s Weekly, which was the first American magazine to achieve national circulation. The magazine was a political magazine published from 1857-1916 by Harper & Brothers in New York City. The magazine ran a variety of articles on subjects such as foreign and domestic news, humor, essays and fiction.

Nast’s first depiction of Santa appeared in the magazine at the personal request of President Abraham Lincoln, to show Santa visiting U.S. troops in the war zone. Nast established Santa’s North Pole address, along with the army of elves making toys, in his 1885 cartoon.

At the same time Nast?s Santa Claus appeared was St. Nicholas magazine, which was named after Santa, was published by Scribner’s from 1873 to 1939. In 1939, a copywriter for Montgomery Ward added Rudolph to the reindeer pack. In 1889, the poet Katherine Lee Bates, created Mrs. Claus, Santa’s wife in “Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride.”

Throughout the 19th century Santa was both beloved and respected. In 1897 a little girl named Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the New York Sun expressing her friends? skepticism of Santa?s existence. The Sun replied in one of the most famous editorials in American history: “Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. … Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist.”

In 1931 the Coca-Cola Company launched its now annual Santa-themed advertising campaign, in an effort to boost mid-winter soft drink sales. Commercial cartoonist Haddon Sundblom created Coca-Cola?s version of Santa. Sundblom?s Santa established wore a red suit and drank from a green Coca-Cola bottle.

By the mid-20th century magazine publishers determined magazine covers as the most important aspect of a magazine. Many great illustrators created now legendary Christmas-themed magazine covers that depicted Santa Claus, Christmas trees, gift-giving, Christmas shopping, the anticipation of Christmas, gift-receiving and other Christmas-related themes. Some of the greatest illustrators of this era are Neysa McMein, Helen Dryden, John Falter, Herbert Paus, Dynevor Rhys, Norman Rockwell, Frank Schoonover, Maginel Barney, J.C. Leyendecker, James Montogomery Flagg and Jessie Willcox Smith.

Throughout the 20th century and today Santa Claus remains a popular magazine cover subject for all kinds of magazines, including home magazines, kids magazines and food magazines.

For more on holiday magazines, visit www.magazines.com Jessica Vandelay is a freelance writer in New York City.

Article Source: Santa Claus Magazine Covers

Wooden Nutcracker ornaments are popular Christmas decorations.  Often you see them hanging in trees or on table tops.  To understand more about them, below is a full article on the Nutcracker ornaments discussing its German origins.  I like how there’s a kind of a supernatural origin to the Nutcrackers at first and its evolution to holiday trinkets.
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German Nutcrackers

Nutcrackers have been around for centuries and are assumed that with their increasing popularity, they will be around for many centuries to come. Right from the original versions to the new ?Chubby? ones, nutcrackers have enlightened people?s homes and brought joy and happiness throughout the world.

Originally it was believed to be only a protector against evil spirits; but the nutcrackers today are a beloved Christmas decoration seen nearly in every home. There are many styles and sizes of nutcrackers available today. There are also many manufacturers, although German manufacturers Steinbach and Christian Ulbricht seem to have taken up the market in terms of popularity.

True German nutcrackers are very unique and of a very high quality. They are hand crafted into beautiful displays that are so widely seen today. The Steinbach Chubby series is a highly popular design today. With their unusual ex-pressions and chubby features, these endearing nutcrackers are adored by both children and adults. Designs like the Chubby Black Forest nutcracker, Chubby Fireman nutcracker and Chubby Teacher nutcracker are adored throughout the world. The Chubby series, though still reflects the tradition and heritage of the Steinbach name, is a unique twist on the nutcracker?s image. Other designs, like the British guards, toy soldiers, kings, chimney sweepers and bakers are also very popular as a collector?s item. Steinbach and Ulbricht Nutcrackers can be found practically in every corner and display collections of the beloved nutcracker in so many designs and sizes that it is sure that there are nutcrackers for every taste and personality.

Personalized nutcrackers such as the firemen or teachers make excellent gifts for someone special and the joy of receiving a nutcracker is difficult to let go. For a gift that is as unique as it is beautiful, you really cannot find a better choice than a true German nutcracker. — Marc Wiedmaier is COO of the German trading company Wibros GbR that has specialized in German handcrafts from the Erzgebirge such as nutcrackers, incense smokermen and Christmas pyramids. Wibros also carries over 500 original cuckoo clocks from the German Black Forest.

Learn more about nutcrackers from Germany.

Learn more about cuckoo clocks. Source: http://www.articletrader.com