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Inventing the Christmas Tree, by Bernd Brunner
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A colorfully decorated Christmas tree, lit with twinkling lights, provokes awe and delight. We understand the lighted tree as a central symbol of the Christmas season, but what are the roots of the tradition? Who first thought to bedeck a tree, to bring it inside? How and where did the local activity grow into a widespread tradition, and how has the Christmas tree traveled across time and continents? Bernd Brunner's brief history—enriched by a selection of�delightful and unusual historical illustrations—spans many centuries and cultures to illuminate the mysteries of the Christmas tree and its enduring hold on the human imagination.
Tracing various European traditions from the Middle Ages forward, Brunner finds that only in the nineteenth century did Christmas trees become common in European family homes. In North America, the imported custom soon fascinated, though some found the tree not quite compatible with a Puritan mindset. Brunner explores how the Christmas tree entered mainstream American culture and how in recent times it has become globally popular. He introduces Jacqueline Kennedy's Nutcracker Tree in the White House, trees used to celebrate the New Year in Turkey, and the world's most expensive Christmas tree, erected in Abu Dhabi. The author also considers the place of the artificial tree and the ecological dimensions of the Christmas tree trade. A book rich with anecdote and insight, Inventing the Christmas Tree will enchant a wide audience.
- Sales Rank: #1354289 in Books
- Published on: 2012-11-01
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 7.00" h x 15.50" w x 5.00" l, .56 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 108 pages
Review
“An ideal stocking stuffer.” —Newsday (Newsday)
"Superb non-fiction books. ... They are archives unto themselves. A repository for dreams, visions, and fears."—Die Zeit (Die Zeit)
“Mr. Brunner meanders pleasantly through the many manifestations of the tradition over the centuries: trees hung with baked goods and fruits; trees hung with toys and ornaments; grand trees standing in the stately homes of the bourgeoisie; scrubby little pines dangling from the rafters of peasant huts; the Rockefeller Center tree; the Charlie Brown tree.” —Eric Felten,�The Wall Street Journal (Eric Felten The Wall Street Journal)
“A short and entertaining new history.”�—Michael Tortorello,�The�New York Times’�“Home” section (Michael Tortorello The New York Times)
House Beautiful included the book in its "Best Books of 2012" piece, under the "If You're Feeling Nostalgic" category (House Beautiful)
About the Author
Bernd Brunner is a freelance writer who often explores the intersection of cultural history and the history of science in his writings. He divides his time between Istanbul, Turkey, and Berlin, Germany.
Most helpful customer reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
A FASCINATING, BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE
By Steven H Propp
Bernd Brunner is "a freelance writer who often explores the intersection of cultural history and and history of science in his writings," such as Moon: A Brief History, Bears: A Brief History, The Ocean at Home: An Illustrated History of the Aquarium, etc.
He wrote in the first chapter of this 2012 book, "Of course, trees are not normally found in houses, nor are they decorated... But the tree in this book usually has only its crown and trunk---and its place is in the home. A wholly remarkable tree, and one in need of an explanation. Although now inseparable from Christmas for us, the tree isn't found in this form in early Christianity at all. It is missing even from church songs and prayers. Something mysterious surrounds this tree that first appeared in the German cultural context, before it literally branched out... capturing the imagination of many people. This book also tells a small global story. What drove people to go off into the forest, chop down a tree, put it in their house, and decorate it in the first place? Is it really just a pagan remnant---as conventional wisdom has it---or is the history behind it more complex?" (Pg. 1-3)
He explains, "The wood wrought from trees is also found in the rituals of many cultures. It has been used for thousands of years in celebrations of the winter solstice---the so-called Yuletide---in northern Europe... it was the symbolical equivalent of the living tree. These rituals probably began as elements of a fertility myth... In time, these pre-Christian rituals came to be associated with the Christmas season, in particular the revels of Twelfth Night, on January 5, the eve of Epiphany." (Pg. 11)
He suggests, "A link can be made between the ritual of our Christmas tree and the paradise play, which had existed since the Middle Ages, even before the nativity play... Creation plays presented Adam and Eve... Also onstage, of course, was a green tree of paradise, decorated with apples and communion hosts. The paradise play, performed on Christmas Eve... begins to transcend the religious context of the play and move toward a role in the Christmas celebrations of the guilds." (Pg. 15-16)
He observes, "For a long time the Christmas tree in Germany was considered Protestant---a ... Luther tree---and the aversion of many Catholics went so far that at the end of the nineteenth century many simply called Protestantism the 'Tannenbaum religion.' ... [But] In the middle of the nineteenth century Christmas trees were already found in churches---decorated with angels, crosses, wafers, and straw stars. These last were meant to represent the Star of Bethlehem while also reminding the viewers of the straw in the manger." (Pg. 31)
He notes, "The American way of celebrating Christmas is relatively recent, evolving in the latter part of the nineteenth century. In the United States the roots of the Christmas tree reach back to the early 1800s---perhaps not as far as we might guess, given the ubiquity of German immigrants in early America. Few seem to have brought the custom along... In any case, such an icon surely would have been reviled by the Puritans, who associated evergreens with heathen superstition. In fact, even Christmas was denounced as an artificial invention without any biblical warrant." (Pg. 52) Later, he adds, "some American Christians believe to this day that the Christmas tree is a pagan and sinful custom... Some base their stance on the Book of Jeremiah, chapter 10... Defenders of the Christmas tree would argue, though, that the tree Jeremiah refers to is an idol, and the decorated Christmas tree is not. If it were, would its worshippers simply thrown it away at the end of the Christmas season? Most Christians enjoy the tree with a clear conscience." (Pg. 60-61)
He says, "some yuletide celebrants are careful to refer to the 'holiday tree' rather than the 'Christmas tree,' precisely to guard against giving offense to those who don't celebrate the Christian feast. But whatever the tree is called, the effects it unleashes...remain somewhat unpredictable... As a Christian symbol the tree inspires a quietude, reflectiveness, and joy in places where the story of Christmas is known and prized. In contrast, where the story is not part of the culture, the tree may elicit resistance, or may simply take on layers of meaning unrelated to those that Christians attribute to it." (Pg. 78-80)
He concludes, "Was the Christmas tree something consciously and deliberately 'invented'? Was someone searching for it? Probably not, but it was found nonetheless... Let us assume that the nameless inventor of the Christmas tree knew about the mythical trees of the past and the old heathen customs... the Christian paradise play... played a decisive role in the emergence of the Christmas tree... In a certain sense the evolution of the tree is but a repetition of the development of Christmas itself---a celebration that also came into the world incomplete, with roots deep in the mythologies of various Eurasian peoples, and only slowly came into its own." (Pg. 90-91)
This is an excellent study of the history of the Christmas tree and the various traditions around it, that will be of great interest to all lovers of Christmas history and lore.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Enjoyable
By Mary
of course the perfect time to read this book is during the holidays, it was informative and I would recommend it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
History of the Christmas Tree
By Rich Friesenhengst
Book about the history of the Christmas Tree as we know it today - the result of the German pagan thinking regarding the evergreen tree down through the ages to what we know and use today.
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