What to Consider on Christmas Trees

Given the situation the entire planet is in, the real moral of the season is to be optimistic in this moment of despair". To be able to measure the circumference of the tree and how it can fit as it is brought around be sure to carry a tape measure when buying the Christmas tree. 

The Different Trees

There are two things to note while picking a Noble Fir, however, as this tree has very sharp needles. The branches of the Noble Fir are very stiff and sturdy, making baubles and heavier decorations simple to view. When choosing the right tree, the Noble Fir sits comfortably in the centre, and these are trees which grow faster than the Nordmann Fir, but not as fast as the Norwegian Spruce. It is also not as expensive, and it does not take as long to prune. They also have a very peculiar smell that can be either loved or disliked. Therefore, these trees can either be seen inside the house or outside, depending on the owner's preference.

The Nordmann Fir Christmas Tree

The Nordmann Fir is the most common tree currently chosen while looking for the ideal tree. These are most commonly chosen because unlike the Norwegian spruce, the needles don't break. In addition, as this tree is very symmetrical when born, this tree often exudes beauty. Due to the foliage, another explanation why this tree is so common is. The leaves are gentle and smooth. This form often grows very slowly and needs more pruning, apart from that.

The Norway Spruce Christmas Tree

A ton has been selected for The Spruce of Norway, as it is considered a lovely soft oak. There are really fine needles in the tree and it is characterized as really very bushy. There are several divisions as well, because you can put a lot of lighting on them. The cheerful mood that the holidays bring is also to be celebrated. It's going to be absolutely gorgeous, and the real highlight is that it smells lovely. And contribute to the home's more festive atmosphere.

Norway's spruce grows faster than the majority of the population. It is known that these trees are among the cheapest trees on the market. The trademark that people have noticed so much of it, however is that the needles fell. Needles, of course, linger for two-three years on the branch. They should be caused by natural causes if the needles appear to fall off, and one must not be scared. 

For all the choices open, it will always be up to the homeowner to pick the chosen tree. Nevertheless, bear in mind the real explanation for the season. When everyone begins to sound like it is in place, with an optimistic spirit, we can start celebrating the season. Over the years, this will not be as festive and lucrative as the last celebration, but hope can never waver.

Enjoy the Irish Customs of Christmas

The customs that go along with it are also part of the cheerful events that Christmas offers. Christmas in Ireland lasts two weeks or so and is happily enjoyed as a winter respite. Activities include, among others, A Light in the Window, St. Stephen's Day Horse Races (December 26), Boxing Day and Christmas Day Swim. Some are popular and are often celebrated in other Catholic nations, but these are some of the most interesting practices that have been preserved and followed until now.

The traditional ones as Christmas Midnight Prayer, Christmas Dinner, Santa Clause Meeting and Christmas Carolers. These are done together in the lively company of relatives and friends celebrating their holidays. One of this is the Lights and Holly Wreath, which often takes the family to their preference of Christmas tree as they begin to decorate. The more holes, the better the luck of the year ahead. Mistletoes are not only used in the Irish culture for kissing but are also thought to bring unity and goodwill.

This are topped off with all these festive plans with the tiny of the new tree inside during the holiday season. As this is appropriate for the day the family decorates the tree and enjoys the company of each other. Not to mention the numerous seasons of holiday food available for celebration. In the years to come, these are memories also treasured, and ideally will be passed down and carry on to the next generation.

The Christmas Tree History

In Europe, the earliest history of the Christmas tree was that it was traditional during the celebration of the Winter Solstice (December 21st) to bring an evergreen tree into the home and decorate it.

Since the evergreen was the only type of tree that lived through the entire winter, the families saw it as a symbol of continued life. Of surviving the bitter cold of winter in the hopes of the coming warm and sunny weather to come in the next months.

In the 1500s, the practice of decorating an evergreen tree at this time of year was still alive and well. This has been practiced in Northern Germany as well as many other parts of Europe. During this era, apples were hung as decorations (an early form of Christmas ornaments) and candles were used to light the tree. Aside from that, other decorations included nuts, pretzels, and paper flowers.

Traditionally, Christmas trees were brought into the home on December 8th which is the Immaculate Conception and decorated. They were removed from the home on January 6th or better known as Little Christmas. As it was regarded as bad luck to have a Christmas tree in the home after this date. Similarly, modern Christmas trees have kept many of these customs. However, instead of lighting trees with candles, electric lights are normally used because they last longer and are much safer.

Modern Christmas trees are decorated with ornaments, candy canes, garland, and tinsel. The top of the tree is usually adorned with a star, or an angel, both symbols associated with the Christian aspects of the holiday.

However, whereas people in older times decorated the tree on December 24th, in modern households, the tree decorating is usually done sometime earlier in December. Especially in homes which use artificial trees. For many families, the decorating process might even take place sometime shortly after Thanksgiving or even on Thanksgiving evening for American tradition. Irish tradition still

Christmas Tree: the Norway Spruce

The Norway Spruce has been a favorite as this is considered as a lovely soft tree. The tree has got very fine needles and it is described as it goes really, really bushy. Also, there are lots of branches so one can hang plenty of decorations on. This is to feel the festive mood that the holidays bring. It will absolutely be gorgeous, and the real highlight is that it has a wonderful scent. Adding to the more celebratory mood of the house.

The Norway spruce grows faster than the other trees. These trees are considered one of the most inexpensive trees in the market. However, the thing that people have found so much about it is that the needles do drop. Naturally, needles stay on the branch for two-three years. When the needles start falling off, these may be due to natural causes and something one must not be alarmed for.

Regardless of what variety of Christmas tree one has, it is the spirit and the joyful celebration of the season that will definitely bring light and togetherness in this wonderful holiday. As families gather together for some mulled wine and hot chocolate enjoying each other’s company.

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The Story of Christmas Tree

 

The Christmas tree is also a tree, but is a decorated one that is typically an evergreen conifer, like the spruce, fir or pine, or the artificial tree of the same appearance, related to the observance of Christmas, started from the Northern Europe. A tree was traditionally ornamented with "roses made from wafers, tinsel, sweetmeats, colored paper, and apples.

Progress of Christmas Trees

1510 – The first ever written record of the decorated Christmas Trees came from Riga, Latvia. The men from the native merchants’ guild ornamented the tree with the artificial roses, danced just about it in the marketplace, and set flames with it. This rose was utilized for many years and has been considered as the symbol for our Virgin Mary.

1530 – It had the record from France in Alsace that the trees advertised in the market and was taken home and then set up undecorated. The laws limited a size until “8 shoe lengths” (a bit more than 4 feet).

1600 – It was ordinary in Germany to ornament Christmas Trees with an apple. This custom was a holdover which was from 14th to 15th centuries when the evergreen boughs dangle with apples were its only prop being used during the “miracle plays” which were executed at churches on 24th of December. December 24 was called as Day of Adam & Eve during the calendar of early Christian, and those plays were utilized as the ways of instructing the Bible to the bigger illiterate population.

1700 – In some parts of Germany and Austria, evergreen tips had been brought into the houses and dangled top down from a ceiling. They were usually ornamented with red paper strips, apples, and gilded nuts. Edible decorations became so famous on Christmas Trees which they were usually named as “sugar trees.” The first ever accounts by utilizing lighted candles as ornaments on Christmas Trees came during the 18th century from France.

1851 – Christmas Tree starts to become sold commercially in United States. They had been taken by chance from the forest.

1853 – Franklin Pierce had been credited with taking in the first ever Christmas Tree into the White House.

1883 – Sears, Roebuck and Company started offering the first ever artificial Christmas tree.

1800s – The Christmas Trees was launched in United States by the German settlers. It quickly grew from the tabletop size going to the floor up-to-the-ceiling. The first ever glass decorations were introduced to the United States, and again from Germany. It first ones were usually balls, then, it became chains of balls, figures and toys became more common.

1900s – Because of overharvesting, the normal supply of evergreens started to become decimated. Conservationists were alarmed, and lots of magazines started to encourage the people to alternate an artificial “snow” roofed tree, consisting of the branches of a deciduous tree wrapped in yarn or cotton.

1901 – The original Christmas Tree farm had started in 1901 during the planting of W.V. McGalliard with 25,000 Norway spruce at his ranch in New Jersey. Theodore Roosevelt attempted to halt the practice of owning Christmas Trees since he was concerned about the forest destruction. His two sons did not agree and then enlisted the assistance of Gifford Pinchot, a conservationist to convince the president that, the practice wasn’t damaging to the forests because it is done properly.

1930 – Pres. Franklin Roosevelt began the Christmas Treefarm at his estate at Hyde Park, in New York.

1966 – The Association of National Christmas Tree started its time-honored customs of having a Grand Champion grower presented the Christmas Tree to a First Lady for exhibit in a Blue Room of a White House. During that year, Mr. Howard Pierce of the Black River Falls, from Wisconsin, presented the tree to Pres. Lyndon Johnson and their First Lady Bird Johnson.

Now – About 25-30 million Christmas Trees from real tress are being sold yearly in many places like Ireland. Almost all of those trees came from the Christmas Trees farms.

Riding the Seas: Hippocampus, Kelpies, and more other monstrous horses

There are so many interesting myths from around the globe and through the era it refers to the mythical beings which are the same with the horses. 

Shape-shifting and the sacrifices to the water spirits

The Kelpies in Scotland are the shape-shifting water spirits which dwells in pools and lakes. Douglas Harper, the historian defined Kelpies as the demons appearing particularly in the forms of horses. However, there are some legends that state that it may also be assumed in human form.

The Kelpies are being considered as the most usual water spirits in the Scottish folklore history of the world and this can dwell both on the land and in the water. They usually appeared in legends as the beautiful and the strong black horses which dwell in the hidden pools of streams and rivers in Scotland.

The more vicious horse being

The tongie or the tangie is one more shape-shifting spirits from Shetland Isles and the Orkney. It is the sea spirit emerging in the shape of the horse or as the merman. The spirit can appear also as the old man. This creature is believed to be enclosed with seaweed and this supposedly loves to terrorize the loner travelers.

But, as soon as these horses smell water, then, it is the ending part of a rider. The skin of the horse will then be adhesive and this horse creature may immediately take the rider into the profoundest part of the pool and will drown him. The moment the victim has been drowns this each-uisge will rip off the corpse separately and will devour it, and leaving only his liver to float into the surface. And for this cause, the people in the Highlands were usually wary of loner strangers and animals they encountered close by the edge of the water.

On this Isle of Lewis, the Croc-na-Beist, which means the “hillock of a monster”, is the knoll where the each-uisge has been thought to have been killed by the sibling of the woman it attempted to seduce while it is in the form of a human.

Apart from human beings, this malevolent water creature also fed on with sheep and cattle. The use of those animals might also help somebody to lure, kill or even just capture the each-uisge. A very good aroma of roasted meat attracts this each-uisge in the McKay’s story from the “More West Highland Tale”.

Hippocampus and some other Ancient Horses

This hippocampus, which means the “horse monster” in the Greek term is the mythical being in the in the Phoenician and Greek mythology. In English, this being has been named as the “sea-horse”. This being had also been adopted by the Etruscan mythology and this is being described as owning the upper body of the horse and then, the lower body of the fish.

The horses had been present ever since the start of human records and they had also entered the mythology and the legends of the globe in a diversity of forms – sometimes scary and sometimes sweet.

Medieval ring located in the forest of Robin Hood may net a tiny fortune

In the year 2016, an amateur fortune hunter with the metal detector twisted up the medieval gold ring which has been set with the sapphire stone in the Sherwood Forest—irk of the legendary Robin Hood. The experts have studied the ring and thought it may date back to the 14th century. The really exciting news for the finder of the ring is that the experts believed that it can fetch $64,500 with the upcoming auction.

Discovering the treasure in the Sherwood Forest

The expert, Mark Thompson, discovers the treasure during that time he was utilizing with an affordable detector that he purchased from the online auction site on Ebay. He’s a painter of the forklifts and was searching for fortunes for just 1 1/2 year. He alleged the metal beneath the wand just 20mins into the meeting in Nottinghamshire in Sherwood Forest.

The online news reports of the finding said Mr. Thompson anticipated to discovering scrap metal with no value or just coins of small value, but during that time by turning up the soil, there was that glint of gold that he saw.

One part of the ring depicted the baby, believed to denote the Christ child, the other part depict the female saint, possibly Saint Elizabeth from Hungary. The mutual figures are engraved in the gold in the ring. Then, Mr. Thompson stated the finding to the proper authorities.

The worth of Medieval Gold Ring

This ring will net him the little fortune if it is really worth its expected worth of $64,500, as provided by the expert at British Museum. Christie's of London, the auctioneers, have provided the ring an even more conservative approximation of $45,000. Either way, its profit will be split to 50/50 together with the landowner. The spokesperson for Christie's had explained the meaning and the value of the ring, saying:

“Mr. Thompson needed to wait for 3 years to have that opportunity to place that medieval gold ring for auction. That moment has been spent following the proper legal process for when someone discovered buried treasures and to have a ring being identified and appreciated with British Museum and the coroner. The coroner also declared the ring being one of the treasures that gave the museum their initial chance to purchase it. When it declined, the ring has been sent back to Mr. Thompson that has now settled to place it on auction.

The type of Loot that Robin Hood might like…

This ring is not thought to be simultaneous with Robin Hood that based on the legend, operated with the gang out of the Sherwood Forest during the 13th century, about King John time. It is still not known was the real Robin Hood or even if he’d more than just that legend but the actual historical figure.

He differed from the other robbers during that time, with Eustace the Monk and Fulk Fitzwarin, who were the real people and were not just legendary. The legends said that Robin Hood stole it from those riches and handed it to the poor.

Ancient Harvest Fairs

The harvest festival that honored Min, the god of fertility and also of vegetation, was commemorated by the ancient Egyptians. During the final day of the harvest (which is being held in springtime), there will be grand parade that was believed to be held at which this Pharaoh would attribute. The Egyptian farmers will make believe to weep and to mourn just to fool those spirits that had been dwelling in their crops.

The ancient Greeks had been giving thanks to Demeter, the goddess of harvest and of fertility. The Romans are also honoring Ceres, the divinity of agriculture, (from which the term cereal has been taken) and another festivity has been held to give honor to the gods of the grain.

The Ancient Celtic peoples have robust harvest festivals, then, these traditions had goes on for about thousands of years now.

In the Jewish practice, the holiday of the Sukkot or the (Feast of Booths) has also been observed during the season of fall in which exceptional meals are being eaten from the booth, Sukkah or hut, to give thanks to the care and the protection god is giving.

The very old roots of harvest festivity are stretching back to the time when hunger has been that constant threat and many societies are sensing the mercy of many gods in the history of the world. The thanksgiving now is the modern, thriving holiday—the blend of secular and religious — but, still celebrated from around the globe in different means, with honor being given to the bountiful of our lives, that is shared among those who are strangers to us, our friends and most especially, our family!