Christmas is filled with traditions, from gifts wrapped under the tree to mistletoe hung in doorways; there is a story behind most of our Christmas traditions. For centuries the Christmas tree has become eponymous as symbol of Christmas throughout the world. In the majority of households that display a Christmas tree each year the majority will be displayed upright, as it would be found in nature. But have you ever considered displaying your Christmas tree upside down? According to the history books there was a time when this was how a Christmas tree would be displayed. In our time, some might consider this strange idea as sacrilegious. In actuality, that could not be further from the truth as at one time it was considered a symbol of …show more content…
Boniface. In the 7th century St. Boniface travelled to Thuringia, Germany to preach the Gospel. Prior to Christmas, St. Boniface came upon a group of pagans intent on performing a sacrifice at the foot of a large oak tree. The worship of trees was common among pagans at that time. This sacrificial rite angered the missionary and he attempted to dissuade them from committing the act. During this altercation, St. Boniface is said to have cut down an oak tree that was intended to be used in a sacrifice to the god, Odin. According to legend, the pagans, in awe of the swift destruction of the oak, then asked him what they should do instead to celebrate Christmas. Noting a small fir tree amongst the debris of the fallen oak, St. Boniface asked each of them to take a fir tree home with them. He turned a fir tree upside down and used its triangular shape to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The newly-converted pagans began to refer to the fir tree as “God’s Tree”. By the 12th century the tradition of hanging a fire tree upside down in homes throughout the Christmas season was practiced throughout Central Europe, from Krakow to the Carpathian Highlands, and was seen as a symbol of Christianity. These trees were decorated with flowers, usually red in color, and fruit to symbolize
Evidently, myths have become the culprit of traditions. That being said, the contemporary and ancient myths of Santa Claus and Krampus can only be understood by determining the elements that devise their entireties. Both narratives involve elements of opposition, trickery, mythemes, repetition, symbols, and ritualistic processes all of which support the structure of each holiday myth and tradition. Overall, the individual elements facilitate a valid, detailed compare and contrast analysis when examining the myths of Santa Claus and Krampus in a North American culture.
Christmas has consumed itself. At its conception, it was a fine idea, and I imagine that at one point its execution worked very much as it was intended to. These days, however, its meaning has been perverted; its true purpose ignored and replaced with a purpose imagined by those who merely go through the motions, without actually knowing why they do so.
The play “A Christmas Carol – A ghost story of Christmas” by Charles Dickson, directed by James Black in Houston, TX was performed in a similar way in “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickson, directed by Michael Wilson in Washington, D.C. The both plays had similarities and differences throughout the play in which demonstrated different creativity from the different directors. The rating that was given by the reviewer of the play in Washington gave a 5 out of 5 star rating. For the play that I went to watch the rating I would give it would be a 5 star rating.
looking back at everything your mom has done for you, do you ever regret acting mean/ugly towards her? Well the boy in this story does not seem to regret anything even though he takes everything she is still happy.In The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein uses personification of the tree to illustrate the relationship of a mother.
Christmas is filled with traditions and events, but how did they start and why do we still do them? Traditions are often passed down throughout generations for centuries, but the origins are often unknown or forgotten.
Color is a powerful tool in film making. What once was only black and white is now a full spectrum of vibrancy. But monochromatism is still an integral artistic choice in film. Blacks and whites in movies and television tend to represent the dark nature of scenes: death, evil, sadness, the macabre. Deep blacks, rich grays, and harsh whites tend to illustrate the Gothic influence of the piece as well as its tone. Adam Barkman, a writer famous for his analysis of films, explains the impact of color in film in his book A Critical Companion to Tim Burton “When we see a particular color, we immediately attach a particular set of meanings to it that is triggered by either our instincts or our memories” (Barkman
In "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, Ebenezer Scrooge undergoes a transformation as a result of his encounters with three ghosts and becomes a kind, happy, and generous man. His greedy, cruel, and grumpy demeanor is replaced seemingly overnight, but he doesn’t just wake up and decide to be nice. It takes three Spirits to change his outlook on life - The Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future. The Ghost of Christmas Past makes Scrooge begin to regret his selfishness, and the Ghost of Christmas Present begins to teach him about others. This second Ghost helps to make him realize that money doesn't buy happiness. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, however, teaches the most profound lesson of all: unless he changes, no one will care if Scrooge dies. Because of the Ghosts, by Christmas morning Ebenezer Scrooge is a completely different person from the man who went to bed on Christmas Eve.
According to William Muir Auld’s book Christmas Traditions, the Christmas tree found its way into the hearts and homes of Christian people with their thoughts and sentiment. Auld writes, “On the night in which Christ was born, all the trees in the forest, despite snow and ice, bloomed and bore fruit” (Auld 138). This story was first told by a geographer of the tenth century named Georg Jacob. This story was as highly believed as the birth of Christ. Christmas trees can be dated back through writing, specifically songs and are associated with the Church, specifically to post-Reformation times. The trees, which decorate homes worldwide, are linked to a spiritual tradition practiced by a variety of religious groups. (The Fir Tree, page 241 in
The natural physical objects played a heavy role in the pagan worship, many of the themes in the poem are seen as worship of the tree as it is transformed into the cross. The Pagan religion is said to have relied heavily on the tree, as in worshiping it and giving it spiritual value. In the Christian culture the tree
When Sir Bob of Schneizereindeer returns from Zimbabwe, his knights organizes a meeting to tell Sir Bob some terrible news. His wife, Queen Phaedra, has been taken away by a dragon and locked up in its castle.
Despite the fact that the idea of giving presents developed from St. Nicholas in the fourth century, the first characters that resemble our modern day Santa developed in the seventeenth century A.D. We acquire these figures from the English and the Dutch. Although this man is not the same as the modern Santa Claus, it is evident that these are his origins. “When the Dutch lost control of New Amsterdam to the English in the seventeenth century, Sinterklaas gradually became anglicized into Santa Claus and acquired some of the features of the English Father Christmas” (Myers 321).
The idea of equality for women has been the subject of countless books, speeches, and performances for decades. The concept of a world in which a woman can be considered equal to a man is not a new concept in today’s society, but it was in that of 19th century Norway. This is the world of noted playwright Heinrik Ibsen, a forward thinking individual with ideas that challenged the restrictions of society time and time again. A forerunner in the women’s rights movement, Ibsen’s play A Doll’s House offers a commentary much before its time on the dangers of a patriarchal society through the evolution of its protagonist, Nora. In his play, Ibsen uses the Christmas tree to symbolize the growing empowerment and independence of Nora, as well as the steady deterioration of Nora and Helmer’s marriage.
Dutch children would put shoes by the fireplace for St. Nicholas or "Sinter Klaas" and leave food out for his horse. He'd gallop on his horse between the rooftops and drop candy down the chimneys into the children's shoes. Meanwhile, his assistant, Black Peter, was the one who popped down the chimneys to leave gifts behind. Dutch settlers brought the legend of Sinter Klaas to North America -- where we came to know him as Santa Claus. Clement Clarke Moore first described the “jolly old elf” with his sleigh drawn by reindeer, in the poem "The Night Before Christmas.
Showing the Christmas spirit and warming up to the yuletide; that's the essence of this special time of the year. But it is rather unfinished without buying presents and exchanging them, sharing the meals and hours of blissful joy with family and friends. Yet the most magnificent thing about Christmas is the sparkling decorations and most predominantly the stunning centerpiece - a Christmas Tree. Use of the right ornaments can transform a home magically at Christmas. If everyone including the house guests place an ornament on the Christmas tree, they put their unique feelings into it to make the day more special.
Have you ever wondered how the colors red, green, and gold came to be the Christmas colors that we all know and love? Even though it is not for certain where the idea for Christmas colors started, some believe people before Jesus such as Pagan gods came up with the idea. “As Christmas celebrations evolved over the centuries, these traditions echoed those of earlier times-some from before the time of Jesus, when pagan gods were honored (or appeased) with various customs, others from new cultural or even technological developments” (Jeffery). People also wonder how Christmas colors started, many think it is from various religions. “The traditional red and green colors of Christmas have a long and rich history rooted in both paganism and Christianity” (The Importance of Christmas Colors). People have many theories as to why they believe red, green, and gold are Christmas colors, Red: color of Santa’s coat, color of holly berries, and it symbolizes Jesus’s blood. Green: used to brighten up buildings, symbolizes eternal life, and it is a sign of long life. Gold: color of sunlight, gift brought to Jesus, and means warmth.