What is the meaning behind upside down Christmas trees?
the Trinity
Turning a Christmas tree upside down first became a tradition in the Middle Ages when Eastern European Christians would flip them to represent the Trinity and Christ being crucified, according to TheSpruce.com.
Why Christmas tree is important?
In 2004, Pope John Paul called the Christmas tree a symbol of Christ. This very ancient custom, he said, exalts the value of life, as in winter what is evergreen becomes a sign of undying life, and it reminds Christians of the “tree of life”, an image of Christ, the supreme gift of God to humanity.
When was the first Christmas tree?
Flanders says the “first decorated indoor tree” was recorded in 1605, in Strasbourg, decorated with roses, apples, wafers and other sweets, according to her research. Demand for Christmas trees was so high in the 15th century that laws were passed in Strasbourg cracking down on people cutting pine branches.
Is an upside down Christmas tree sacrilegious?
Many a time have people accused the upside-down Christmas tree display to be some sort of indicator that the homeowners are snubbing the religious background of Christmas—some even go so far as to say it’s sacrilegious. Hold your horses there; it’s definitely not as serious as all that.
Who started upside down Christmas trees?
Boniface
Displaying a Christmas tree upside-down may date back to the 7th century. Legend has it that Boniface, a Benedictine monk, used the triangular shape of a fir tree to explain the Holy Trinity to pagans in Germany. It was subsequently hung end-over-end in celebration of Christianity.
What is the upside down tree called?
African Baobab
The largest and most striking tree in the Flower Dome, the African Baobab (Adansonia digitata), also known as the Upside Down Tree, is one of nature’s most useful trees. Its fruits and seeds are edible, while its trunk may hold as much as thousands of litres of water to act as a reservoir during the dry season.
What does the Bible say about Christmas trees KJV?
40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
Where did Christmas originate pagan?
Christmas owes its roots to the ancient Roman holiday of Saturnalia, which was a pagan festival which was celebrated from December 17-25 each year. This custom was altered and absorbed into Christmas, and this allowed early Christians to gradually erase these old pagan holidays.
What parts of Christmas are pagan?
Things like kissing under a mistletoe, carolling, wreaths, and even gift-giving were all aspects of pagan holidays that were adapted into Christmas celebrations in the early years.
Is Santa a pagan symbol?
The modern Santa Claus is a direct descendent of England’s Father Christmas, who was not originally a gift-giver. However, Father Christmas and his other European variations are modern incarnations of old pagan ideas about spirits who traveled the sky in midwinter, Hutton said.
What does a upside down tree look like?
Adansonia is a tree genus made up of eight species of large deciduous trees commonly called baobabs – or ‘upside down trees’. It has this name because of its peculiar shape – when it’s bare of leaves, its spreading, twisted branches look like roots spreading out into the air as if the tree had been planted upside down.
What is the upside down tree in Africa called?
Baobab
Name. Baobab [Adansonia digitata] Other names include boab, boaboa, tabaldi, bottle tree, monkey bread tree. The Baobab Tree is also known as the upside-down tree.
What is an upside down tree?
The largest and most striking tree in the Flower Dome, the African Baobab (Adansonia digitata), also known as the Upside Down Tree, is one of nature’s most useful trees. Its fruits and seeds are edible, while its trunk may hold as much as thousands of litres of water to act as a reservoir during the dry season.
What is the origin of the upside down Christmas tree?
Inverted Christmas Tree Origins The symbol of the upside down tree may have begun in 7th century. Folklore around the topic credits a Benedictine monk named Boniface. According to the legend, Boniface saw a group of pagans worshipping an oak tree, and in response he cut down the tree and in its place grew a fir.
Is it disrespectful to hang a Christmas tree upside down?
Hanging fir trees upside down goes back to the Middle Ages when Europeans did it to represent the Trinity. But now, Christmas trees are shaped with the tip pointing to heaven, and some think an upside-down Christmas tree is disrespectful or sacrilegious.
What’s behind the trend of hanging spruce trees upside down?
But it was southern Poland where the trend really thrived. In a tradition called podłazniczek, Polish people used “fruit, nuts, sweets wrapped in shiny paper, straw, ribbons, gold-painted pine cones” to decorate a spruce hanging upside down from the ceiling in the center of the room, according to The Spruce.
What is the origin of the triangular shape of the Christmas tree?
According to the legend, Boniface saw a group of pagans worshipping an oak tree, and in response he cut down the tree and in its place grew a fir. Then, Boniface cut down the fir and turned it upside down, using its triangular shape as a way of explaining the Holy Trinity to the pagans. But it was southern Poland where the trend really thrived.