Picture from “Hearth & Homes” Creative Publishing International 2001

Canada and the United States - According to the University of Illinois' web site German settlers migrated from the United States to Canada in the 1700's. One of the many cherished Christmas traditions they took with them was the Christmas tree.

Britain - Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's German husband, put up a Christmas tree in the Windsor Castle in 1848 and soon the tradition there became widespread.

Greenland - The tree does not grow in Greenland so is imported and then decorated with candles and bright ornaments.

Guatemala - Because of the large German population residing in Guatemala the Christmas tree has become tradition here along with the “Nacimiento” or Nativity Scene. Although gifts are placed under the tree on Christmas Eve for the children, parents and adults do not exchange theirs until New Year's Day.

Finland - From early accounts we can establish that in 1829 Helsinki nobleman; Baron Klinkowstrom had eight Christmas trees decorated in his home. The first recorded Finnish decorated outdoor Christmas tree stood in the Pietarsaari in 1905. In 1954 Helsinki donated a Christmas tree to the Belgian city of Brussels.

Brazil - In Brazil citizens are creative enough to take tiny pieces of snow and place them on a pine tree to represent falling snow.

Ireland - Throughout December trees are purchased and decorated with brightly colored lights, tinsel and baubles. The top is usually reserved for either a star or an angel.

Sweden - Although the trees are purchased well before Christmas they are generally not taken inside until just days prior to Christmas and then the Evergreen tree is decorated with stars, sunbursts and snowflakes made from straw. The straw is thought to bring luck for good crops, and there is one other difference with the Christmas tree celebration in Sweden, according to http://www.pickyourownchristmastree.org/global.php the tree must stay up until precisely 12 days after Christmas. At this site there is a wealth of information regarding choosing and caring for your Christmas tree. This site also offers a variety of Christmas tree farms, hayrides, sleigh rides, holiday recipes, and various other winter fun.

By Roger Lynn on Flickr

Norway - The tree was not introduced into Norway until the last half of the nineteenth century and a beautiful ritual surrounds the tree. On Christmas Eve the children are left outside the living room while the parents decorate the tree. Once the tree is decorated they join the family in “circling the Christmas tree”. They all join hands circling the tree and sing carols and they walk around. Afterwards the gifts are distributed.

Ukraine - Fir trees are decorated and parties enjoyed, with Christmas being a very popular time of the year. According to the book According to the book “A Christmas Treasury”2000, “every Christmas tree has a spider and a web for good luck.” The story is that long ago a poor woman had nothing to put on the tree for children. When they awoke on Christmas morning the tree glistened with spider's webs that had turned silver in the rising sun.

By Nikolay.Zavad on Flickr

Czechoslovakia - Trees are decorated with intricately carved designs on egg shells.

By bcompetent on Flickr

Italy - Miniature carvings of the Holy family are placed in a wooden triangle. This is beautifully decorated with colored paper, gilt pine cones, candles, and miniature colored flags or pennants. Small gifts are placed on the shelves above the manger, and a star or miniature doll may be found at the peek. This wooden pyramid may be several feet high and is built in the tradition of the Christmas tree. It is called a ceppo, and in some homes

each child has their own.

www.italiansrus.com

Germany - It is believed that long ago Martin Luther brought a fir tree into his home to celebrate Christmas when he was inspired by watching the star light shining through a fir tree. Because he found the beauty so remarkable, he cut the tree down and took it home to share with his wife. He then decorated the tree to resemble the beautiful sight he had seen in the Christmas sky.

There is another legend regarding the origination of the Christmas tree. This legend believes the Germans combined two customs which were practiced in different areas of the world. One referred to the “Paradise tree” which was decorated to resemble the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. This was a fir tree decorated with apples. The second tradition was a decorated triangular shaped frame. It was decorated with glass balls, tinsel and candle topped it.

The Tannenbaum (Christmas tree) is laden down with Christmas delights such as cookies, nuts and various gifts, along with ornaments, lights and tinsel, and generally secretly decorated by the mother.

By Markus Moning on Flickr

Saudi Arabia - According to the information obtained here, Christmas trees are generally hid and Christmas, if celebrated, is celebrated in private.

Philippines - The cost of pine trees here is somewhat cost prohibitive, but handmade trees in a large array of sizes and colors are used for celebrating Christmas. Tassels are placed on the points of the tree to represent the Star of the Bethlehem.

Trees are also decorated with rice paper or cellophane.

China - the Christmas tree is referred to as a “tree of light” and decorated with spangles, paper chains, flowers, and lanterns.

Japan - Here Christmas trees are highly decorated with small toys, dolls, paper ornaments, lanterns, gold paper fans, miniature candles, origami swans (or a folded “bird of peace”), and wind chimes. The origami swan is exchanged as a pledge that war must never happen again.

By Himanshu (Mum…on Flickr

By Dayana Souza on Flickr

While there are many documented traditions involving Christmas trees and the celebration of Christmas around the world it is almost certain that there are just as many undocumented traditions. Whether your family makes a trip to a Christmas tree farm and carefully selects one and brings it home to decorate or chooses to decorate an artificial one which you have carefully stored from the previous year is not as important as what is on your hearts and minds as you celebrate the birth of the Christ child this year.

Making and taking the time to decorate the tree as a family creates special family memories and traditions that can be shared with your family for years to come. If you ask each family member this year to share cherished thoughts of years gone by, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that it is not the expensive gifts but the times shared. This time of year can bring families closer together, if we do not let the commercial side of it become overwhelming.

Christmas Newsletter

How about sending out newsletters this year in place of the traditional cards? This gives you time to reflect on the last year and the growth of your family. For tips on how to make your own family newsletter to share with friends and family this season read: http://www.ehow.com/how_4575235_capture-family-memories-share-them.html.

There are free templates to help you get your own newsletter set up, and think how nice it will be years from now to look back at yours.

Merry Christmas and God bless.

In April 15th, 1789, King Christian the 5th was celebrating his Birthday by watching a German Opera in his castle in Amalienborg Slot when suddenly the stage caught on fire causing his castle to burn down. About 180 people had died because of that fire. Today, though, Amalienborg Slot is used mainly as a winter home for the royal family. A winter home for the Royal family, and a tourist attraction for anyone who wants to go and see it.

Denmark’s colors contain red and white, and is known to be the oldest continually used national flag. According to legend, it is believed that on June 15, 1219 that the flag fell from the sky on the same day of the defeat of a battle against the Estonians.

The blue and white Finnish flag dates back to 1918. It has a blue cross with a coat of arms in the middle of the cross. The two colors were named because of water and snow.

The Icelandic flag has been official since 1915, and was approved by the king in 1919. The flag’s colors were originally blue and white, but red was later added to show its connections to Norway.

Norway made a red flag with a white cross, which resemble Denmark’s flag during their unification in the fourteenth century. In 1814, Norway ceded with Sweden. Then a few years before Norway’s independence, the color blue was added to the flag.

The exact age of Sweden’s flag is not known, but it is believed to date back to the sixteenth century, but it wasn’t until 1960 that there was evidence that the flag belonged to Sweden. The Swedish flag is blue with a gold cross.