圣诞树TheChristmasTree

A beautifully decorated evergreen tree, with colored lights ablaze inspires in many warm memories of Christmases long past. The Christmas tree has become one of the most beloved and well know holiday symbols.
The tradition of a holiday tree has been around since ancient times and has played an important part in winter celebrations for many centuries. Many pagan festivals used trees when honoring their gods and spirits. In Northern Europe the Vikings considered the evergreen a symbol and reminder that the darkness and cold of winter would end and the green of spring would return. The Druids of ancient England and France decorated oak trees with fruit and candles to honor their gods of harvests. At the festival Saturnalia the Romans decorated trees with trinkets and candles.
The use of a Christmas tree indoors appears to have begun in Germany. German Christians would bring trees into their homes to decorate. In some areas evergreen trees were scarce so the families would build a Christmas pyramid, simple wooden structures which they decorated with branches and candles.
The tradition of the Christmas tree eventually spread through out Europe. The English Royalty helps popularize the tree in England by decorating the first Christmas tree at Windsor Castle in 1841. Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, decorated the first English Christmas Tree with candles, candies, fruits, and gingerbread.
When the German immigrants went to American they also brought along their Christmas trees. In the 1830's most Americans still considered the Christmas tree an oddity. One of the first public displays of a Christmas tree was set up by German Settlers in Pennsylvania. At the time many still considered the tree to be a symbol of pagans and it wasn't until the late 1800's that Americans began accepting the Christmas tree.
Early Christmas trees were often decorated with apples, nuts, cookies, colored popcorn and candles. The invention of electricity in the early 20th century and use of electrical Christmas lights helped spread the use of the Christmas tree.
It is now common in most communities through out the US to feature public displays of Christmas trees. Every year the President of the United States lights the National Christmas Tree in Washington and in New York skaters spin beneath the lighted tree of Rockefeller Center. Through Europe and the rest of the world the Christmas tree has also become readily accepted and adored.
圣诞树⼀直是庆祝圣诞节不可少的装饰物，如果家中没有圣诞树，就⼤⼤减少了过节⽓氛。

关于圣诞树的来源有多种不同的传说。

其中⼀个是说：⼤约在⼗六世纪，圣诞树最先出现在德国，德国⼈把长青的松柏枝拿到屋中去摆设，将之成为圣诞树。

后来，由德国⼈马丁路德把蜡烛放在树林中的枞树枝上，然后点燃蜡烛，使它看起来像是引导⼈们到伯利恒去。

⽽今⽇，⼈们已经改⽤粉⾊的⼩灯泡了。

另⼀个传说记载。

在很久以前，曾有⼀位农民，在圣诞节那天遇到⼀个穷苦⼩孩，他热情地接待了这个⼩孩。

⼩孩临⾛时折下⼀根松枝插在地上，松枝⽴即变成⼀棵树，上⾯挂满了礼物，以答谢农民的好意。

圣诞树真正出现在圣诞节时，⾸先见于德国，之后⼜传⼊欧洲和美国，并以其优美的姿态，成为圣诞节不可缺少的装饰。

圣诞树的种类繁多，有天然松柏圣诞树、也有⼈造圣诞树及⽩⾊圣诞树。

每棵圣诞树上都挂满琳琅满⽬的装饰品，但每棵树的顶端必定有个特⼤的星星，⽽且也只有该家庭的⼀家之主可以把这棵希望之星挂上。