The Christmas Tree

Celebrating Christmas without a richly decorated Christmas Tree would not seem right today. But why do we have a Christmas Tree, and how did it originate?

Back in the 7th century a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, traveled to Germany to spread the Word of God. Legend has it that he used the triangular shape of the Fir Tree to describe the Holy Trinity of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit to the German people. The German people started to revere the Fir Tree as "God's Tree". In the next 5 centuries, the tree became a symbol of Christianity, and was being hung upside-down from the ceiling as a sign of Christianity.

The first known decorated Christmas Tree was at Riga in Latvia, in 1510. Martin Luther decorated a small Christmas Tree in 1535 with candles for his children, to show them how the stars twinkle through the night.

In the middle of the 16th century, Christmas started already to turn into a business as the German people at the local market sold everything from gifts, food and also more practical items such as knife grinders to sharpen the knife to carve the Christmas Goose. At these fairs, bakers sold gingerbreads and wax ornaments for souvenirs to take home for use to decorate their Christmas Tree.

This has been recorded by a visitor to Strasbourg in 1601, which he stated: "...a tree decorated with wafers and golden sugar-twists (Barley Sugar) and paper flowers of all colors". Earlier trees were more biblically symbolized as the "Paradise Tree in the Garden of Eden" -- the many food items were symbols of Plenty, the flowers originally were only red (for Knowledge) and white (for Innocence).

Tinsel were invented in Germany around 1610. Only silver was used at that time and machines had been invented to pull the silver into the wafer strips for tinsel. Later they attempted to use a mixture of led and tin to eliminate the tarnishing of the silver, especially with candlelight. This attempt failed as the tinsel became to heavy and branches started to break under the weight. Therefore, silver was used for tinsels right up to the mid-20th century.

The First English Trees

The first Christmas Tree came to England with the Georgian Kings who came from Germany. At the same time, German Merchants living in England decorated their homes with Christmas Trees. The British people were not found of the German Monarchy, did not copy the fashions at Court, which is why the Christmas Tree did not establish in Britain at this time. Although, a few British families did have Christmas Trees, probably more from influence of their German neighbours than from the Royal Court.

Who Invented the Umbrella?

"Ancient umbrellas or parasols were first designed to provide shade from the sun."

The basic umbrella was invented over four thousand years ago. We have seen evidence of umbrellas in the ancient art and artifacts of Egypt, Assyria, Greece, and China.

These ancient umbrellas or parasols, were first designed to provide shade from the sun. The Chinese were the first to waterproof their umbrellas for use as rain protection. They waxed and lacquered their paper parasols in order to use them for rain.

Origins of the Term Umbrella

The word "umbrella" comes from the Latin root word "umbra", meaning shade or shadow. Starting in the 16th century the umbrella became popular to the western world, especially in the rainy weather of northern Europe. At first it was considered only an accessory suitable for women. Then the Persian traveler and writer, Jonas Hanway (1712-86), carried and used an umbrella publicly in England for thirty years, he popularized umbrella use among men. English gentleman often referred to their umbrellas as a "Hanway."

James Smith and Sons

The first all umbrella shop was called "James Smith and Sons". The shop opened in 1830, and is still located at 53 New Oxford Street in London, England.

The early European umbrellas were made of wood or whalebone and covered with alpaca or oiled canvas. The artisans made the curved handles for the umbrellas out of hard woods like ebony, and were well paid for their efforts.

English Steels Company

In 1852, Samuel Fox invented the steel ribbed umbrella design. Fox also founded the "English Steels Company", and claimed to have invented the steel ribbed umbrella as a way of using up stocks of farthingale stays, steel stays used in women's corsets.

After that, compact collapsible umbrellas were the next major technical innovation in umbrella manufacture, over a century later.

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Where was the world's first underground railway?

The world's first underground railway, between Paddington (Bishop's Road) and Farringdon Street - with trains hauled by steam engines - was opened by the Metropolitan Railway on January 10th 1863. The initial section was six km (nearly four miles) in length, and provided both a new commuter rail service and an onward rail link for passengers arriving at Paddington, Euston and King's Cross main line stations to the City of London.

Who created the pink flamingo?

The father of the pink flamingo (the plastic lawn ornament) was Don Featherstone of Massachusetts. Featherstone graduated from art school and went to work as a designer for Union Products, a Leominster, Massachusetts company that manufactured flat plastic lawn ornaments. He designed the pink flamingo in 1957 as a follow-up project to his plastic duck. Today, Featherstone is president and part owner of the company that sells an average of 250,000 to 500,000 plastic pink flamingos a year.

Is Los Angeles moving?

Using satellite-surveying techniques, scientists have determined that Los Angeles, California is moving east. At a rate estimated to be about one-fifth of an inch per year, the city is moving closer to the San Gabriel Mountains.

What do the Olympic rings stand for?

The Olympic symbol is made up of five interlocking rings, standing for the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and North America.

How busy is a queen bee?

An average bee hive has 30,000 to 60,000 bees living in it. This population is easily maintained by a queen laying 1,000 to 3,000 eggs per day.

How large is the Mona Lisa?

Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa on a piece of pinewood, 77 cm x 53 cm (30 in. x 20 7/8 in.) in the year 1506.

Who designed the Volkswagen?

Ferdinand Porsche, who later went on to build sports cars bearing his own name, designed the original 1936 Volkswagen.

What were golf balls originally made from?

Before 1850, golf balls were made of leather and were stuffed with feathers.

How much blood does a vampire need?

Vampire bats need about 2 tablespoonfuls of blood each day. The creature is able to extract its dinner in approximately 20 minutes.

Is Windsor Castle haunted?

The historic Windsor Castle in Britain has more than its fair share of ghosts, according to the United Kingdom-based Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena. The ghosts include some royal ones, including King Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I, King Charles I, and King George III (“Mad” King George). King Henry is supposed to haunt the cloisters near the Deanery with ghostly groans and the sound of dragging footsteps.

Where are the streets paved with gold?

The streets of Victor, Colorado, once a gold rush town, are paved with low-grade gold.

When were the first electric Christmas lights introduced?

Electric Christmas tree lights were first used in 1895. The idea for using electric Christmas lights came from an American, Ralph E. Morris. The new lights proved safer than the traditional candles.

What does the koala want to drink?

The koala is one of the few land animals that does not need water to supplement its food.

Where does the slugger logo appear?

The Louisville Slugger logo doesn't always appear just on baseball bats. One of the more recent adaptations of the familiar oval was on the first cruise missile fired in the Persian Gulf war. The missile was painted by sailors on the U.S.S. Louisville nuclear attack submarine which fired the opening shot of the conflict. Each of the sailors on board received a personalized Louisville Slugger bat when the ship was originally commissioned.

Can you re-grow your liver?

If 80 percent of your liver were to be removed, the remaining part would continue to function. Within a few months, the liver would have reconstituted itself to its original size.