What is Christmas? In fact, it was originally a religious festival. It is for Christians to commemorate the birth of the Holy Jesus festival, so, Christmas is also called Jesus Christmas, the main Nativity festival.
In 1607, church leaders from around the world met in the southern Palestinian city of Bethlehem to define December 25 as Christmas. Since then, the world's Christians on this day as Christmas.
At Christmas, people carry out various activities, send wishes to each other, and Santa Claus gives gifts to increase the atmosphere of the holiday.
Christmas is also a time for family reunions in the West. Most homes will decorate an evergreen tree with colorful lights, christmas candlestick and decorations to create a festive atmosphere to express people's warm Christmas greetings. But at Christmas, why have a Christmas tree?
It is said that the Christmas tree first appeared in ancient Rome during the festival of Saturnalia. The Roman people worship the god of agriculture and pray for a good harvest. On this day, the trade in the market ceased, the slaves were temporarily freed, gifts were exchanged, and feasting and revelry continued day and night.
Since they admired the trees in the forest so much, they took them home and decorated them. There are legends, Christmas trees originally appeared in ancient Rome in the middle of Saturnalia, a German missionary Nicus with longitudinal tree to worship the baby. Subsequently, Germans will take the month day as the festival of Adam and Eve, put a symbol of the Garden of Eden paradise tree, on the above hanging on behalf of the holy cake cookies, indicating atonement, lit candles to symbolize Christ.
It is also said that religious reformer Martin Luther, in order to obtain a starry Christmas night, in the home decorated with a Christmas tree decorated with candles, so people began to follow suit.
The origin of the Christmas tree also has a legend: before there was a simple and kind farmer, on Christmas, he was very enthusiastic to entertain a wandering child, respectively, the child would break down a branch inserted in the ground.
Soon the branch grew into a huge tree, and the boy said to the farmer that every year on this day, the tree will be covered with all kinds of gifts to repay your kindness. That's why the Christmas tree is always full of little presents today. So what does a Christmas tree mean at Christmas? I think it has the following meanings:
One is to express Tuantuan Yuan yuan. The family sings and dances around the Christmas tree and shares presents. This in itself represents the reunion of the family. Christmas is a festival for people to get together, full of people's yearning and hope for a better life.
The second is a symbol of friendship. The Christmas tree is a symbol of everlasting friendship. You see people make Christmas trees. The most used trees are not red pine, stone pine, spruce, fir, fir and other evergreen plants. Evergreen represents everlasting friendship. Christmas tree cards are also given to each other as a gesture of friendship.
The third is to show gratitude. Christmas itself is a Christian Thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus. And forest trees are also one of the elements of people's survival. When people decorate Christmas trees, it is a kind of gratitude to nature.
Of course, Christmas, the Christmas tree displayed in the home, is also a kind of gratitude to parents, Christmas trees or printed Christmas tree cards to friends. It is also to express gratitude.
It can be said that Christmas used to be a traditional festival in the West. Later, with the exchange and dissemination of culture, it became popular in Asia in the middle of the 19th century. Japan and Korea in East Asia had an early Christmas.
Now many Asian countries also have a popular Christmas. Some of the days off, it can be said that today's Christmas is not only a Western holiday. In China, we can also see many young people enthusiastic about Christmas, which people also hold a tolerant attitude to look at.