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Long before the advent of Chris- tianity, plants and trees that re- mained green all year had a special meaning for people in winter. Just as people today decorate their homes at Christmas with pine, spruce and fir trees, ancient people hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries people believed that evergreens would keep away wit- ches, ghosts, evil spirits and illness. 'The ancient Egyptians worship- ped a god called Ra, who had the head of a hawk and who wore the sun as a blazing disc in his crown. At the solstice, when Ra began to recover from illness, the Egyp- tians filled their homes with green palm rushes which symbolized for them the triumph of life over death. Across the Mediterranean Sea, the early Romans marked the solstice with a feast called Satur- nalia in honour of Saturn, the god of agriculture. To mark the occa- sion, they decorated their homes and temples with evergreen boughs. The Saturnalia was a special time of peace and equali- ty when wars could not be declared, when slaves and masters could eat at the same table, and when gifts were ex- changed as a symbol of affection and brotherhood. In northern Europe the mysterious Druids, the priests of the ancient Celts, also decorated their temples with evergreen <boughs as a symbol of everlasting 'life. The fierce Vikings in Scan- _dinavia thought that evergreens - were the special plant of the sun god Balder. Many historians 'believe that our word for Yule 'came from the Norse word "rol," the Gothic word "huil"' of the Sak- on word "hweol," all of which mean wheel and refer to the cycles of the sun. When families bring home their Christmas tree from a sales lot or a chopse-and-cut tree farm they are following a tradition that is more than a thousand years old. "Bringing in the Yulo log" was a ritual that began in Great Britain and that spread throughout Europe, eventually reaching North America. On Christmas GREYSTONE RESTAURANT "THE PARTY RESTAURANT" Celebrated Chef, Jonathan Tulett is chomping at the bit to show you his creativity, wholesome food and unlimited styles of cuisine. With a career spanning 25 years in Britain, US of A and Canada, coast to coast, Jonathan brings something different to the Greater Scugog Area. The Restaurant is Open to the Public Wednesday 5 to 10 PM; Thursday 5 to 10 PM; Friday 5 to 11 PM; Saturday 5 to 11 PM; Sunday Brunch & Dinner Noon to 9 PM So come on out to the Greystone for a dinner to remember or just saddle up to the bar and enjoy the atmosphere. RESERVATIONS & INFORMATION call SID 985-9713 Still lots of early sittings available for "New Years" and limited seatings for the Late Dinner/Party. See our ad under coming events. P.S. $50. Gift Certificates . Merry Christmas Ce atid hr Sg RY 2 yy Sey pha py S30 he PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, December 18, 1990 -- 33 The history of Christmas trees explained Matthew Reed had quite a load to haul on Sunday when his family went Christmas tree hunting. After finding the perfect tree at a local tree farm, Matthew pulled it and his dad back to the main entrance. Eve, the large central trunk of a great tree was dragged from the forest. Everyone in the family, both adults and children, helped with the job by pulling on ropes. When the log was finally brought into the house, it was thrown on the family fireplace where it burned for the twelve days of Christmas. In the fourteenth centyry, when few knew how to read, churches rheld "miracle plays" te tell peo- ple in villages and towns stories from the Bible. The play that was held every December 24, which was Adam and Eve's Day, was about the Garden of Eden. The play showed how Eve was temp- ted by the serpent, how she pick- ed the apple from the forbidden tree, and how the couple was ex- pelled from Paradise. The time of year that the play was held created a problem for the actors and organizers of the play. How do you find an apple HOI HOI .. Only $35.00 When business is good, it pays to advertise... When business is bad, you've got to advertise! J tree with leaves on it in the mad- dle of winter? In Germany, the problem was solved by cutting down an evergreen tree, probably a spruce or pine, and tying apples onto it. As well, the tree was hung with round, white wafers to re- mind the audience that even though Adam ahd Eve were ex- pelled from Paradise, the birth of the baby Jesus would bring redemption. The idea of a Christmas tree hung with apples amused people in Germany so much that before long many families were setting up a "Paradeisbaum," or paradise tree, in their own homes. The custom persisted long after the miracle plays were no longer performed. Ever since, red and green, the colour of the apples hanging on a pine tree, have been the official colours of Christmas. The wafers that once hung on the Paradise tree were replaced with cookies in the form of hearts, bells, angels and stars. With time, perhaps because so many decora- tions got eaten before the tree was taken down, the cookies were replaced with decorations made out of thin, painted metal. When families combined the decora- tions on the Paradeisbaum with the candles on Martin Luther's Fireproof your Christmas tree Each Christmas, recommenda- tions are circulated for 'fireproof- ing' Christmas trees by spraying them or adding compounds to the water in the tree stand. Some of these may increase the fire resistance of trees, but their prac- tical use by the consumer is of questionable value. According to studies, a con- tinuous water supply is sufficient to maintain the freshness and flame resistance of cut Christmas trees indoors. A fresh Christmas tree is naturally fire resistant because it has a high moisture content and will not sustain a fire. In a bulletin dated November 5, 1988, T.J. Dunfield, Fire Commis- sioner of Canada stated, "Christmas trees with their butts immersed in water will remain safe from ignition by a point source of heat for at least three weeks, if installed reasonably fresh." Tannenbaum, they created the Christmas tree that is still found in homes today. The first Christmas tree in Canada was set up in Sorel, Quebec in 1781 by Baron Friederick von Riedesel. The baron, who was born in Germatiy, selected a handsome balsam fir from the forests that surrounded his home and decorated it with . white candles. The next recorded Christmas tree appears in Halifax in 1846 when William Prior, a local merchant, cut déwn an evergreen and decorated it with glass ornaments imported from Germany to please his German wife. After that, the custom. spread quickly as German and British pioneers settled throughout the growing nation. The Christmas tradition that is celebrated in Canada today has borrowed many customs from many lands, but families who have come from all over the world have all adopted the Christmas tree as the symbol and center- piece of the festive season. As much as decorating the tree, choosing the tree has become a tradition of its own. Bundled in boots and winter coats, families walk through the snow to Christmas tree lots in the city or drive to plantations in the country in search of just the right tree. On some choose-and-cut farms, the growers may welcome the fami- ly with hot chocolate, a bonfire or a wagon ride through fields covered with beautifully shaped trees. Making the right choice is never easy, especially when it comes to Christmas trees. Discus- sions on the matter are always lively. Is the tree big enough or will it fit in the house? Is it full on every side? Is a pine tree with its long soft needles more beautiful than a spruce or fir with their shorter, stiffer needles? Decisions are difficult but sooner or later everyone agrees on the perfect tree. Decorating the tree is an especially important job that is shared by everyone in the fami- ly. These days glittering glass or- naments, electric lights and shin- ing tinsel have replaced the gild- ed fruits, pine cones, sweets, ap- ples and candles that were once used as decorations. But the ceremony itself has changed lit- tle over the centuries. Glowing with colour and light and topped with a star or radiant angel, the Christmas tree, green and lush in the winter, is a symbol that life is eternal while the gifts below it are reminders of the love, job and : close. ties that are shared by families and friends. The German folk song, '"O Tan- nenbaum,"' says: Not only in the summer's glow But 'mid the winter's frost & snow O faithful pine, O faithful pine, You're true and green forever. As it has for centuries, the evergreen still symbolizes our belief in renewed life and the hope and faith that lives in all mankind, regardless of race or creed. It is a symbol of joy and a delight to all. GIFT CERTIFICATE To be applied towards the fee for the most comprehensive driver training course in North America. PUT THIS IN THEIR HANDS BEFORE GIVING THEM THE STEERING WHEEL. JAN. 2-5 am Youna Drivers of Canada N DY e teach you more than how to 4 pass your driver's test. " We teach you to drive and survive. 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