Christmas is upon
us. And as you can tell by looking around at either my blog or my
house, it’s time to decorate. A Christmas tree, complete with a rainbow
of ornaments, most antique. Garland on my shelves. Everywhere is red,
green, and white (with a few other colors thrown in here and there).
us. And as you can tell by looking around at either my blog or my
house, it’s time to decorate. A Christmas tree, complete with a rainbow
of ornaments, most antique. Garland on my shelves. Everywhere is red,
green, and white (with a few other colors thrown in here and there).
Me
being me, naturally I’ve been wondering about those colors. 😉 Would my
Colonial characters have decorated at all like I do? I know the
Christmas tree tradition hadn’t made it to unerring popularity over here
yet, but the garland? The red accents? Were the Christmas colors the
Christmas colors yet?
being me, naturally I’ve been wondering about those colors. 😉 Would my
Colonial characters have decorated at all like I do? I know the
Christmas tree tradition hadn’t made it to unerring popularity over here
yet, but the garland? The red accents? Were the Christmas colors the
Christmas colors yet?
It only took a quick search to find my answer–a resounding YES! And since I found it interesting, I’ll share it with you. =)
The
green part of “red and green” I pretty much knew. Since evergreens are
the only thing growing in the Western hemisphere this time of year, it
was chosen as a decoration–one we could find much significance in, as
it’s a symbol of eternal life and/or rebirth. There were, of course,
traditions surrounding this before Christianity took root–traditions
that were easily integrated into the new faith because of how well they
represented our ideals.
green part of “red and green” I pretty much knew. Since evergreens are
the only thing growing in the Western hemisphere this time of year, it
was chosen as a decoration–one we could find much significance in, as
it’s a symbol of eternal life and/or rebirth. There were, of course,
traditions surrounding this before Christianity took root–traditions
that were easily integrated into the new faith because of how well they
represented our ideals.
But
red–that’s the one I wasn’t sure about. And it’s been around long
enough that historians aren’t entirely sure about it. But this is their
best guess:
red–that’s the one I wasn’t sure about. And it’s been around long
enough that historians aren’t entirely sure about it. But this is their
best guess:
Traditionally,
the feast day of Adam and Eve is on Christmas Day. As part of the
celebration in the Middle Ages, they would put on a play to educate the
illiterate masses about Adam and Eve’s story. When they got to the part
about the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil their options were
limited–the only tree still green was the pine. And the only fruit they
had stores was the apple. So they’d tie an apple onto a pine bough, and
that would represent their Tree.
the feast day of Adam and Eve is on Christmas Day. As part of the
celebration in the Middle Ages, they would put on a play to educate the
illiterate masses about Adam and Eve’s story. When they got to the part
about the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil their options were
limited–the only tree still green was the pine. And the only fruit they
had stores was the apple. So they’d tie an apple onto a pine bough, and
that would represent their Tree.
Over
the years, the red apple snuck into Christmas traditions too, appearing
on wreaths and garlands. Red and green soon took hold in its own right.
Holly became a popular plant to decorate with solely because it
combines those two colors (and is an evergreen so, you know, around in
December).
the years, the red apple snuck into Christmas traditions too, appearing
on wreaths and garlands. Red and green soon took hold in its own right.
Holly became a popular plant to decorate with solely because it
combines those two colors (and is an evergreen so, you know, around in
December).
And there
we have it! A tradition that has been around for somewhere between 500
and 1000 years, and shows no signs of stopping. =)
we have it! A tradition that has been around for somewhere between 500
and 1000 years, and shows no signs of stopping. =)
As
a reminder, you only have until TOMORROW, 15 December, to enter the
first round of the Great Annapolis Giveaway (though entries from after
that will go into my second round automatically). Check out the tab at
the top to see what all you could win and how to win it!
Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary.
Fascinating! I had no idea.
Such interesting stuff, Roseanna. You were in my dreams last night – will have to email you with details (nothing bad – I promise!). Prolly later today.