The tradition of Christmas Trees in America came from German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania. It is believed that the tradition of Christmas Trees started in Germany as early as 700 A.D., and was practiced by many Germans in the 1800s. It's also since that period that Christmas Trees have been available for sale in the United States.
While artificial Christmas Trees are popular, many people like to have a fresh Christmas Tree in their homes or outside on their lawns. And similar to all other trees, Christmas Trees have different shapes and qualities that make some types more popular than others.
Along with other decorative Christmas items, such as wreaths and garlands, having a Christmas Tree in your home is essential in creating a special atmosphere for the season. It is believed that Christmas Trees have been available for sale in America since the 1800s, which is about the same time that the former Woolworth's department store started selling ready-made ornaments for Christmas Trees.
Choosing the right type of Christmas Tree is important because Christmas Trees are often a focal point for many family activities and traditions. Given the many types of Christmas Trees that are available, it is important to think about how the tree will be used. While a tall tree may look very elegant, it may not be suitable if there aren't many adults around who can reach the tree's heights. A very short tree may be dwarfed by other furniture in the room. It's therefore very important to carefully consider these issues and to get a tree that has a suitable height, and also one that has sturdy branches to hold heavy ornaments.
Artificial and real Christmas Trees can often be bought from the same retail stores these days, as local businesses and retail chain stores often sell both types of trees. The best place to get a real and fresh Christmas Tree, and also to see a wide variety, is likely a Christmas Tree farm, however. Using modern technology, both types of trees can also be obtained through online transactions, via telephone, as well as by mail-order through catalogs.
Among Christmas Trees there are certain types that are always favorites and which are best sellers. These include: Douglas, Fraser, Noble and Balsam firs, and Scotch, Virginia and White Pine trees. These evergreen trees all have all have one or more excellent features related to shape, color, or sheen, and fragrance, which makes them favorites for Christmas Trees.
The most favorite Christmas Trees basically have a pyramid or cone shape. A pyramid-shaped tree is likely taller and has somewhat of an elegant look. The Douglas Fir, which ranks first among Christmas tree favorites, is an example of a pyramid-shaped tree. Other examples include Fraser, Balsam, and Noble firs.
A cone shape tree tends to be short with dense branches, which makes them excellent for holding many ornaments and other decorations. Families that have a strong tradition of making their own ornaments, or putting mementos on Christmas Trees, may consider a cone-shaped tree. Virginia and Scotch Pines, Norway Spruce, and the Eastern White Pine all have cone shapes.
Another feature that makes Christmas Trees appealing is their color. While all trees have a green appearance, a closer look at their needles will reveal differences, such as a bright or dark green, blue-green or yellowish-green hue. The needles may also emit a silvery sheen with the right lighting. Fraser and Noble firs both have needles with a silvery sheen, and the branches of both trees are also used for garlands and wreaths.
Most people choose a fresh Christmas tree for its fragrance, which can be fairly strong, or just subtle, giving off just enough of a scent. The Douglas Fir, which is the most popular Christmas Tree in homes and public places, is a very fragrant tree. The Balsam Fir is also fairly fragrant. The Eastern White Pine, however, doesn't have much fragrance.
Whether you have a favorite type of Christmas Tree, or will choose one from its appearance, there are many choices to satisfy the desire to have a fragrant and well-decorated tree for Christmas.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Christmas in the United States and Canada
Many of the celebrations in the United States that are associated with Christmas were traditions brought over by German and English immigrants. Along with the well-known and practiced tradition of a brightly decorated Christmas Tree, other traditions brought by these immigrants include Advent calendars, Christmas greeting cards, gingerbread houses, and gingerbread cookies.
Today, Christmas in the United States can be seen as focused around family, travel, shopping, and decorations. Family and travel go together during Christmas in the United States because family members often have to travel fairly long distances to be with each other. The growth of cities that have primarily economic activity, suburbs for residences, as well as the fact of different industries being found in certain geographic locations, are among the reasons that family members often live great distances from each other in separate states.
Christmas and its festivities therefore present a wonderful opportunity for many members of the family to gather in celebration and see each other in an intimate setting. The traveling involved makes the Christmas season a busy time of the year for rail and air travel.
The occasion of seeing many family members at Christmas is also linked to the activity of shopping, which is an important feature of Christmas in the United States. The Christmas season officially begins on the Friday after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, which now ranks second in shopping for a single day. The first is the Saturday before Christmas.
Much of the shopping that is done is to purchase gifts for friends and family. Gifts for family members are usually exchanged after dinner on Christmas Day, when everyone gathers in the room with the Christmas Tree. Gifts are usually left at the base of the Christmas Tree in the weeks leading up to Christmas Day. Gifts may also be exchanged before Christmas at parties held by friends and parties held at workplaces.
Second to gifts, shopping is also done at Christmas for decorations. While the Christmas Tree may be the centerpiece of attraction, garlands, wreaths, candles and decorative lighting placed outside on lawns, or along rooflines, are also used to create a home’s beautiful holiday appearance.
Canadians enjoy Christmas activities which are similar to those celebrated in the United States. This is so because, in the 1700s, when some German immigrants in the United States migrated to Canada, they continued to practice many of the activities associated with Christmas. The geographical proximity of the two countries also means they share many things, and similarities in Christmas traditions are no exception.
One thing that accounts for the difference between the two countries however, is the Eskimo population in Canada. Eskimos in Canada celebrate a festival during winter and have other traditions that are absent from American Christmas celebrations.
A practice also exists in Nova Scotia in which small groups of masked individuals march around about two weeks before Christmas. These masked groups attract attention by creating a stir with much bell ringing, and engaging in a noisy caper in an aim to get candy, sweets, and goodies from onlookers.
This tradition bears some similarity to Jonkonoo celebrations in the neighboring islands of the Caribbean. Those celebrations also involve masked individuals, including some that appear on stilts that make them as tall as trees. The parade of Jonkonoo regales onlookers with various antics and presents a minor scare to some children, who are then calmed with candies and other treats.
In Nova Scotia, onlookers can try to calm the noise and rowdiness just a little if they can correctly guess the identity of the masked person. A correct guess puts an end to the noise as the mask is removed, exposing the individual. For their part, maskers also play nice by jovially nudging answers from children about whether they have been naughty or nice, and handing out candies and treats accordingly.
Today, Christmas in the United States can be seen as focused around family, travel, shopping, and decorations. Family and travel go together during Christmas in the United States because family members often have to travel fairly long distances to be with each other. The growth of cities that have primarily economic activity, suburbs for residences, as well as the fact of different industries being found in certain geographic locations, are among the reasons that family members often live great distances from each other in separate states.
Christmas and its festivities therefore present a wonderful opportunity for many members of the family to gather in celebration and see each other in an intimate setting. The traveling involved makes the Christmas season a busy time of the year for rail and air travel.
The occasion of seeing many family members at Christmas is also linked to the activity of shopping, which is an important feature of Christmas in the United States. The Christmas season officially begins on the Friday after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday, which now ranks second in shopping for a single day. The first is the Saturday before Christmas.
Much of the shopping that is done is to purchase gifts for friends and family. Gifts for family members are usually exchanged after dinner on Christmas Day, when everyone gathers in the room with the Christmas Tree. Gifts are usually left at the base of the Christmas Tree in the weeks leading up to Christmas Day. Gifts may also be exchanged before Christmas at parties held by friends and parties held at workplaces.
Second to gifts, shopping is also done at Christmas for decorations. While the Christmas Tree may be the centerpiece of attraction, garlands, wreaths, candles and decorative lighting placed outside on lawns, or along rooflines, are also used to create a home’s beautiful holiday appearance.
Canadians enjoy Christmas activities which are similar to those celebrated in the United States. This is so because, in the 1700s, when some German immigrants in the United States migrated to Canada, they continued to practice many of the activities associated with Christmas. The geographical proximity of the two countries also means they share many things, and similarities in Christmas traditions are no exception.
One thing that accounts for the difference between the two countries however, is the Eskimo population in Canada. Eskimos in Canada celebrate a festival during winter and have other traditions that are absent from American Christmas celebrations.
A practice also exists in Nova Scotia in which small groups of masked individuals march around about two weeks before Christmas. These masked groups attract attention by creating a stir with much bell ringing, and engaging in a noisy caper in an aim to get candy, sweets, and goodies from onlookers.
This tradition bears some similarity to Jonkonoo celebrations in the neighboring islands of the Caribbean. Those celebrations also involve masked individuals, including some that appear on stilts that make them as tall as trees. The parade of Jonkonoo regales onlookers with various antics and presents a minor scare to some children, who are then calmed with candies and other treats.
In Nova Scotia, onlookers can try to calm the noise and rowdiness just a little if they can correctly guess the identity of the masked person. A correct guess puts an end to the noise as the mask is removed, exposing the individual. For their part, maskers also play nice by jovially nudging answers from children about whether they have been naughty or nice, and handing out candies and treats accordingly.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
A Caribbean Christmas
In the tropical islands of the Caribbean, the temperature is above 75 degrees from January 1st to December 31st, which means that it is warm and pleasant during Christmas. The Christmas season in the Caribbean is also pleasant because it is far removed from the rainy season, which usually occurs from late March to May. During Christmas time in the Caribbean, the temperature is also more temperate and tolerable compared to the searing hot days of the summer months.
As in many parts of the world, family, merriment, and gift-giving are among the many activities that the people of the Caribbean enjoy during Christmas. Families often live in fairly close proximity to each other, however. But what makes getting together at Christmas so special is that if often involves intense and laborious preparations that are not done at any other time of the year.
In many homes, an intense cleaning is done in the two or three weeks before Christmas Day. All furniture is moved, and may even be rearranged, and new and fancy curtains are put up for the season. The best bed linens, tablecloths, cutlery, and dinnerware are also used in entertaining any visitors during the season. It is a common occurrence for visitors, including people from the neighborhood, to stop for short visits during the season.
During those visits, guests are entertained with certain food and drinks, many of which are made only at Christmas time. These include fermented drinks such as sorrel and mauby, as well as the alcoholic drink, rum punch. A special type of cake, called Black Cake, or fruitcake, is also made at Christmas. It is made with raisins and other dried fruits that are minced and placed in wine for several weeks.
This cake is the traditional dessert for Christmas dinner. The main menu of a traditional Caribbean Christmas dinner includes baked poultry, roast beef, ham, boiled and steamed root vegetables, rice with peas, seasoned rice or rice pilaf with sorrel, and rum punch or mauby as the beverage.
Caroling has also been a tradition, although its practice has been declining in recent years. Small groups from churches or schools will walk through neighborhoods singing Christmas carols, or will drive from house to house to sing carols in neighborhoods, primarily in rural areas, where houses are not always found in close proximity.
Two Christmas traditions that are unique to the Caribbean are the practice of Jonkonoo and having a grand market. Jonkonoo consists of a group of masked revelers who take part in a parade dancing to the beats of drums, shaking tambourines and improvised instruments. The group also includes stilt walkers who appear as tall as some trees and single-story buildings. Jonkonoos perform various antics to amuse onlookers and give candies and treats to children, especially younger children, who may seem scared of any of the Jonkonoo participants.
Grand market is the big outdoor market that takes place the week before Christmas up to Christmas Eve. Outdoor markets, found in the central points of regional towns, are common in the Caribbean as a place to get fresh fruits, vegetables, and produce that are grown by local farmers. But at Christmas time, they also become filled with assorted items that can be given as gifts, and they bustle with activity even after nightfall. It is a special treat for children to accompany parents to grand market during the Christmas season.
Since Christmas falls during the high winter tourist season in the Caribbean, Christmas is also an opportunity for many school children to perform for tourists. Many hotels take advantage of the fact that most schools and churches will have singing and dramatic groups that perform the Christmas story and sing carols and Christmas songs. These groups are often invited to provide local entertainment at hotels and guesthouses during Christmas.
As in many parts of the world, family, merriment, and gift-giving are among the many activities that the people of the Caribbean enjoy during Christmas. Families often live in fairly close proximity to each other, however. But what makes getting together at Christmas so special is that if often involves intense and laborious preparations that are not done at any other time of the year.
In many homes, an intense cleaning is done in the two or three weeks before Christmas Day. All furniture is moved, and may even be rearranged, and new and fancy curtains are put up for the season. The best bed linens, tablecloths, cutlery, and dinnerware are also used in entertaining any visitors during the season. It is a common occurrence for visitors, including people from the neighborhood, to stop for short visits during the season.
During those visits, guests are entertained with certain food and drinks, many of which are made only at Christmas time. These include fermented drinks such as sorrel and mauby, as well as the alcoholic drink, rum punch. A special type of cake, called Black Cake, or fruitcake, is also made at Christmas. It is made with raisins and other dried fruits that are minced and placed in wine for several weeks.
This cake is the traditional dessert for Christmas dinner. The main menu of a traditional Caribbean Christmas dinner includes baked poultry, roast beef, ham, boiled and steamed root vegetables, rice with peas, seasoned rice or rice pilaf with sorrel, and rum punch or mauby as the beverage.
Caroling has also been a tradition, although its practice has been declining in recent years. Small groups from churches or schools will walk through neighborhoods singing Christmas carols, or will drive from house to house to sing carols in neighborhoods, primarily in rural areas, where houses are not always found in close proximity.
Two Christmas traditions that are unique to the Caribbean are the practice of Jonkonoo and having a grand market. Jonkonoo consists of a group of masked revelers who take part in a parade dancing to the beats of drums, shaking tambourines and improvised instruments. The group also includes stilt walkers who appear as tall as some trees and single-story buildings. Jonkonoos perform various antics to amuse onlookers and give candies and treats to children, especially younger children, who may seem scared of any of the Jonkonoo participants.
Grand market is the big outdoor market that takes place the week before Christmas up to Christmas Eve. Outdoor markets, found in the central points of regional towns, are common in the Caribbean as a place to get fresh fruits, vegetables, and produce that are grown by local farmers. But at Christmas time, they also become filled with assorted items that can be given as gifts, and they bustle with activity even after nightfall. It is a special treat for children to accompany parents to grand market during the Christmas season.
Since Christmas falls during the high winter tourist season in the Caribbean, Christmas is also an opportunity for many school children to perform for tourists. Many hotels take advantage of the fact that most schools and churches will have singing and dramatic groups that perform the Christmas story and sing carols and Christmas songs. These groups are often invited to provide local entertainment at hotels and guesthouses during Christmas.
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