Many people around the world have many family traditions and many different ways of celebrating the holiday of Christmas. One thing that we all have in common is engaging in the family tradition of hanging brightly colored bulbs, shining lights, glistening beads, and heirloom ornaments from an evergreen, more commonly know as the Christmas tree. The origin of the Christmas tree can be tracked very far back in history. As for back as 1510 is when the first decorated Christmas tree is believed to have been celebrated in Rigid, Latvia.
The story is told that Martin Luther, the founder of the Protestant movement, was walking the a forest in Rigid one evening when he came upon a beautiful fir tree that was glimmering in the night’s light. He was so moved by it’s beauty that he found a smaller tree and chopped it down. He then brought the smaller tree back to his home to share with his children. There inside his home he hung small candles from the tree to recreate the image of the moon and stars glimmering through the tree as he saw it in the forest. The first Christmas tree was then born. The Christmas tree has always been a very valued piece among all of my family’s Christmas traditions.
