History of the Christmas Tree
December 17th, 2009 Posted in Holiday
Mel Garner has created this scene of the manger, here continuing a traditional begun by St. Francis of Asisi.
“Ever since St. Francis of Assisi made the first Christmas crib in 1223, in many areas of Europe it has been customary to make and set up beautifully carved scenes of Christ’s nativity. As the tree became the central focus of festivities in the home, these cribs were staged at the base of it. In many homes those cribs became part of the ritual trimming the tree.”
From: The Christmas Tree – the Heart of Traditional Yuletide, Barbara Segall Clarkson, Potter 1995
