The Earliest Recorded Christmas Tree

Luther amidst his family at Wittenberg, on Christmas Eve.

        The decorated Christmas tree has been traced by several historians back to about the year 1500, in the province of Alsace along the upper Rhine River. Alsace was then a part of Germany. The earliest written record is dated 1521. Another reference is from Strasburg in 1605: "At Christmas, fir trees are set up in the rooms and hung with roses cut from paper of many colors, apples, wafers, spangle-gold, sugar, etc." 

       An early German legend tells how Winfrid (St. Boniface), an eighth century English missionary, got some tribes to set up fir trees at Christmas as a replacement for their traditional sacred oak. 

       Christmas trees have been decorated in some fashion since the custom began-starting apparently, as we have seen, with apples and wafers, paper or cloth roses, and sugar candy. Later, cookies in the shapes of flowers, bells, stars, angels, hearts, men and animals, replaced the wafers. Also added were candles, ribbons, a star for the tip, nuts and fruits gilded or covered with bright colored paper, toys, dolls, glittering strings of beads, and other ornaments. 

       One story credits the lighted Christmas tree to Martin Luther, the German Protestant reformer (1483-1546). It is said that he cut a small evergreen tree, brought it into his home, and attached lighted candles-to simulate the bright starlit sky of Christmas Eve. 

       Candles as a decoration on Christmas trees did not become accepted as part of the decorations in Germany until about 1700, when the Christmas tree custom spread from the Rhine River district to the rest of Germany and to Austria, particularly in the cities and towns. Candles on the cut trees, while beautiful, were also rather unsafe, so they were usually lighted only for a short time and carefully watched.

• German Christmas in 1916
• Lighting the Christmas Tree in England

How I Made 'La Befana' for The Tree and Epiphany!

La Befana is an Epiphany character and her name means Epiphany (The "Ah Ha" moment of
 revelation). My version of this folkloric Christmas gift giver carries a rose mallow seed pod
as a broom and a cotton batting 'cocoon-like' basket of coal. She was made in much the
 same way as a little Grecon Doll. Go here to read how I made Grandpa Eustace
who has the same wire armiture body type. 

       Christian legend had it that the Befana was approached by the Biblical Magi, also known as the Three Wise Men or the Three Kings, a few days before the birth of the Baby Jesus. They asked for directions to where the Son of God was, as they had seen his star in the sky, but she did not know. She provided them with shelter for a night as she was considered the best housekeeper in the village with the most pleasant home. The Magi invited her to join them on the journey to find the Baby Jesus, but she declined, stating she was too busy with her housework. Later, the Befana had a change of heart and tried to search out the Magi and Jesus. That night she was not able to find them, so to this day the Befana is still searching for the Baby Jesus. She leaves all the good children toys and candy (caramelle) or fruit while the bad children get coal or dark candy (carbone). 

• Read about the Befana Fair in Rome
• Read about even more legendary gift givers here

La Befana carries a basket of carbone for those children who have been naughty. She wears a black
lace head covering like so many old Italian grandmothers many years ago. Her hair is long and grey,
her dress a black and autumnal colored print. She wears a grey shawl and wears an "all-seeing-eye"
broach, remember she is a 'seeker' or Epiphany character which means she is still searching for God.

The Befana comes by night

With her shoes all broken

With a dress in Roman Style

Up, up with the Bafana!

She brings ashes and coal
To bad nasty children
To the nice good child
She brings candies and many gifts!

       Another commonly heard Christian legend of the Befana starts at the time of the birth of the Baby Jesus. In this telling, Befana spent her days cleaning and sweeping. One day the Magi came to her door in search of the Baby Jesus. However, she turned them away because she was too busy cleaning. Feeling guilty, she eventually decides to find Jesus on her own by following a bright light, also known as the big star in the sky which she believes points the way. She brings along a bag filled with baked goods and gifts for Jesus and a broom to help the new mother clean. Unfortunately despite her best efforts she never finds him. According to this telling, the Befana is still searching after all these centuries for the newborn Messiah. On the eve of the Epiphany, the Befana comes to every house where there is a child and leaves a gift. Although she has been unsuccessful in her search, she still leaves gifts for children everywhere because the Christ Child can be found in all children.

Little Books and Great Stories readaloud

 'Old Befana' by Tomie Depaola

• Who is La Befana? - her name means Epiphany!
• Italian Legends - Who is La Befana the Christmas Witch?
• Why Italy is reviving an Italian Christmas witch? 

Old-Fashioned Animated Snowmen!

 Animated snowmen for Christmas and winter fun.

Snowman waves candy cane, birds waves wing.

Very snowy weather we're having.

Snowman juggler and audience.

Snowman walk

snowman tips his hat.

"Happy Holidays Snowman

"Have a Holly Jolly Christmas"

Animated Train Gifs

        Animate your webpages with tiny toy trains for Christmas. I've included a selection here that is sure to please both the young and the young at heart!

Animated Christmas toy train carries teddy bear, tree, and gifts.

An itty bitty train to charge across your web pages.

Here is an animated train for those of you who have black web pages.

This blue toy train carries a full load of circus animals.

Santa as conductor, "All Aboard Children!"

Children play while Santa's elves lay tracks for this Christmas train.

Santa waves "Hello" while toys, elves, and dogs enjoy their Christmas fun.

"Merry Christmas To All" come and ride the Christmas train on candy cane tracks.

"For 69 years, the Santa Train has been handing out 

toys to children living in the Appalachia coal fields."

His Christmas Sled

 His Christmas Sled

by Whitcomb Riley

I Watch him, with his Christmas sled;

He hitches on behind

A passing sleigh, with glad hooray,

and whistles down the wind;

He hears the horses champ their bits,

And bells that jingle-jingle-

You Wooly Cap! you Scarlet Mitts!

You miniature "Kris Kringle!"

I almost catch you secret joy-

Your chucklings of delight,

The whole you whiz where glory is

Eternally in sight!

With you I catch my breath, as swift

Your jaunty sled goes gliding

O'er glassy track and shallow drift,

As I behind were riding!

He winks at twinklings of the frost,

And on his airy race,

Its tingles beat to redder heat 

The rapture of his face:-

The colder, keener is the air,

The less he cares a feather.

But, there! he's gone! and I gaze on 

The wintriest of weather!

Ah, Boy! still speeding o'er the track

Where none returns again,

To sigh for you, or cry for you,

Or die for you were vain.-

And so speed on! the while I pray

All nipping frosts forsake you-

Ride still ahead of grief, but may 

All glad things overtake you!

Cut and Paste a Christmas Bell Card

 "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. Luke 2:1

Sample of how the card will look.

Description: This Christmas card is so easy to put together. All you really need is a printer, some scraps of red ribbon, white glue and a pair of scissors. I had some printed papers of fir branches already but for those of you who do not, I’ve also included an image below for this purpose.

Supplies

• scissors
• glue 
• red or green ribbon
• printed graphic of the antique glass bell by Kathy Grimm
• decorative paper (photo of pine branches)
• heavy white paper

Directions:

1. Cut a decorative paper of pine branches out to fit what ever envelopes you intend to mail for the holidays. If you don't have this type of paper and you can afford the printing, I have included a printable pine branch graphic below for this card.
2. Cut out my graphic of an antique, Christmas bell and hang it (glue it) to a branch on your card.
3. Then cut and tie a red ribbon to glue just above the bell for added dimension.
4. Cut, trim and mount the finished picture on top of a folded, heavier white paper to finish the final card. 

What kinds of written things might I include along with the card?
Quotes:

• "Christmas is the gentlest, loveliest festival of the revolving year - and yet, for all that, when it speaks, its voice has strong authority." by W. J. Cameron
• "Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!" by Hamilton Wright Mabie

Hand drawn illus. by kathy grimm

Pine branches photo for the card.

Make a Nutcracker Christmas Card

 "Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man ? and then he will spoil his house." Matthew 12:29

This Christmas card only requires a bit of printing,
 folding and pasting. I chose a traditional red and
 green plaid paper for the card, printed out the
 graphic below and pasted a few little corners
 onto the edges of the graphic to hold it onto the
 front of my card.

Description: Nutcrackers in the form of wooden carvings of a soldier, knight, king, or other profession have existed since at least the 15th century. These nutcrackers portray a person with a large mouth which the operator opens by lifting a lever in the back of the figurine. Originally one could insert a nut in the big-toothed mouth, press down and thereby crack the nut. Modern nutcrackers in this style serve mostly for decoration, mainly at Christmas time, a season of which they have long been a traditional symbol. The ballet The Nutcracker derives its name from this festive holiday decoration. The original nutcrackers were first seen in Germany and were thought to have guardian-like properties because of their strong appearance.

Supplies:

• decorative red and green plaid paper
• corner punch
• graphic of two nutcrackers by Kathy Grimm
• glue
• scissors 
• heavier white cardstock

Directions:

1.  Print the nutcracker graphic out to the size that you prefer.
2. Mount the graphic with glue on top of the decorative plaid paper.
3. Punch four embossed corners from either white, red, or green solid colored paper and then glue these at the four corners of your printed graphic.
4. Glue the picture on top of a folded sheet of heavier cardstock.
5. Below is one of many Christmas themed graphics I have produced in color pastel pencils, German nutcrackers are some of my favorite subjects to draw for holiday greetings. These two nutcrackers are very traditional, a soldier and a beer drinker dressed up in lederhosen.

Nutcrackers dressed as a soldier
and one in lederhosen.

What kinds of written things might I include along with the card? Quotes:

"Of all the toys available, none is better designed than the owner himself. A large multipurpose plaything, its parts can be made to move in almost any direction. It comes completely assembled, and it make a sound when you jump on it." by Stephen Baker

"The creative process is like music which takes root with extraordinary force and rapidity" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Illustration:  Playfulness is a more important consideration than play. The former is an attitude of mind; the latter is a passing outward manifestation if this attitude. When things are treated simply as vehicles of suggestion, what is suggested overrides the thing. Hence the playful attitude is one of freedom. The person is not bound to the physical traits of things, nor does he care whether a thing really means (as we say) what he takes it to represent. When the child plays horse with a broom and cars with chairs, the fact that the broom does not really represent a horse, or a chair a locomotive, is of no account. In order, then, that playfulness may not terminate in arbitrary fancifulness and in building up an imaginary world alongside the world of actual things, it is necessary that the play attitude should gradually pass into a work attitude. -- John Dewey, "How We Think."

More Nutcracker Links:

• The above nutcrackers in red or green monochrome graphics
• Three nutcrackers: smoker, baker and a drummer graphics here
• See hand painted wooden nutcracker ornaments here
• Nutcracker Dolls at our Doll Coloring and Crafts Blog
• Learn about the history of the Nutcracker Ballet

Poetry:

He begged me for the little toys at night,

That I had taken, lest he play too long,

The little broken toys-his sole delight.

I held him close in wiser arms and strong,

And sang with trembling voice the even-

song.

Reluctantly the drowsy lids drooped low,

The while he pleaded for the boon denied.

Then, when he slept, sweet dream, content

to know,

I mended then and laid them by his side

That he might find them in the early light,

And wake the gladder for this joyous sight.

So, Lord, like children, at the even fall

We weep for broken playthings, loath to

part,

While Thou, unmoved, because Thou know-

est all,

Dost fold us from the treasures of out

heart;

And we shall find them at the morning-tide

Awaiting us, unbroke and beautiful.

--Ainslee's Magazine.

Wow, that's a lot of nutcrackers! They are the 

Defenders of the home and hearth from 

mice, burglars and such . . .  at Christmas time.