Trimming and setting up a Christmas tree

Christmas tree: In the middle of the Christmas season with Christmas around the corner, everyone is busy doing their Christmas shopping and decorating their homes for the holidays so they can enjoy their family's Christmas traditions. Offices, shops and churches are also decorated for the Christmas season. One of the most common and beloved Christmas traditions is the hanging of a Christmas tree. Christmas trees are also a very common Christmas decoration in shops, public places and churches.

The origin of the Christmas tree

Tradition has it that the Christmas tree originated in Riga, Latvia. The Christmas legend says that a monk named Boniface used his triangular shape of an evergreen tree to explain the Trinity - that God was Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. From that moment on, the Germans called the tree 'God's tree'.

In West Germany in the 16th century, evergreen trees were used in plays to represent the tree in the garden of Eden with Adam and Eve and they were decorated with apples. (Actually, an apple is never mentioned in the Bible as the forbidden fruit from the Grades of Eden, but that's the tradition.) However, they were called "Paradeisbaum" (Paradise trees) and were soon brought into houses and decorated with apples and other fruits to celebrate Christmas. Later dates, pretzels and nuts were also used to decorate the tree.

To add meaning to the tradition, the evergreen tree was also recognized as a symbol of eternal life because its leaves were always green. Soon candles were also added to the evergreen branches to represent the stars that would have appeared in the sky on the night of the Savior's birth and to symbolize that Jesus was the light of the world.

In addition to apples and other fruits, tradition says they also added communion wafers wrapped in gold and silver foil, which represented the fact that Jesus came into the world to save it, that like the communion bread, his body would be broken to save us from sin. Later, the waffles were replaced with cookies cut into the shapes of bells, angels, stars, and hearts. All of this adds to the tradition of the Christmas tree and how it is used in Christmas celebrations around the world today.

Trimming the tree

Many families have their own unique ways to put up the Christmas tree for the holidays. Hanging and pruning the tree is a great way to bring the family together and enjoy the Christmas holidays. There are also many excellent ideas for decorating your Christmas tree. Of course all Christmas trees look great with light on them.

When setting up your Christmas tree, the very first decision to be made is deciding exactly what kind of Christmas tree you want to decorate. There are several types of trees that are traditional holiday favorites. Some Christmas trees are considered regional favorites, but you can usually get any kind of tree you want. Pines are always a good choice and the three that stand out are the Noble, Douglas, and Frasier Firs. The branches of these spruces are usually very full and they smell wonderful. The blue spruce is an excellent choice as the spruce for the same reasons. Some pines are also very good for Christmas decorations.

When decorating your Christmas tree, you should consider using both garlands and tinsel to add color and fill in the gaps of your Christmas tree, making your Christmas tree look fuller. The good thing about slingshot and tinsel is that it's relatively cheap, something you don't usually hear on vacation. Another great thing about garland and tinsel is that it comes in a wide variety of colors, which means you should be able to find your favorite Christmas colors with ease. One drawback to garland and tinsel is that it is flammable, so be careful when hanging these items from your tree.

Most people who grew up in families where celebrating Christmas and trimming the tree in particular is a very important tradition tend to hang a lot of heirloom decorations from the trees. It is always a good idea to decorate the Christmas tree with ornaments that are important to the family and have sentimental value. Be careful with these types of tree decorations, as they are often very fragile. Many of the older Christmas decorations are made of glass or some type of ceramic, although they can be made of other materials as well.

If you have to buy Christmas decorations, there are a number of things to consider before making your purchases. The first thing to think about is how safe they will be, and that question is usually answered by whether or not you have children. Kids love to play with ornaments, especially if they are favorite cardboard characters or the like, and in this case, plastic ornaments are a safe bet. Glass ornaments are of course very beautiful and come in many shapes, colors and sizes and if your kids are older or if you don't have them they are safe and a great investment.

In addition to store-bought and heirloom ornaments, handmade ornaments are also great and can be very meaningful. Check out a crafting website for great ideas for handmade ornaments.

However you decide to decorate and trim your Christmas tree, you can make it a special occasion that you as a family will love and look forward to for many years to come. For ideas for games and ideas and other activities around the Christmas tree, visit Creative Christmas Ideas

 

Christmas Gifts is a Wonderful Celebrations

Attending Midnight Mass

Christmas Gifts: Today, Mass is said at midnight on Christmas, as it is commonly believed that Jesus was born at midnight. The Catholic Church has never officially stated that midnight is the time for the first mass ... it has only prescribed that the mass be said "in nocte" (during the night).

Since midnight mass falls in the middle of the night, your children may be too tired to attend. To take part in this wonderful party, take them for a nap earlier in the day! They will love having the chance to attend Midnight Mass with Mom and Dad! The sacrament of confession is offered just before midnight mass in some Catholic churches. This would be a great time to make that final sacrifice of your own to Jesus before the celebration of His birth. Remember that your children will look and see that you are giving a gift to Jesus.

Exchanging Christmas presents

Exchanging Christmas gifts is a wonderful tradition that is very popular in the United States on Christmas Day. This custom is a combination of two old European customs. The first custom was for the children to wake up and put Christmas presents under the Christmas tree. They believed that the Christ Child had come on Christmas Eve and left the gifts behind. The second custom of Santa Claus is the one most Americans celebrate. Traditionally, children looked forward to the arrival of Sinterklaas on the night of December 6. Sinterklaas came at night and put presents in their stockings that were usually hung on the fireplace to dry.

Most Americans celebrate the Sinterklaas tradition with a few adjustments. They usually call him Santa and he comes on Christmas Eve (instead of December 6). This year, try to learn more about the life of the real Sinterklaas. Pray a nine-day novena for him as a family or have your children draw pictures of him. You can also buy Santa Claus prayer cards from a Catholic store and put them in your kids' stockings.

Another great idea when it comes to opening Christmas gifts is to exchange a gift every Christmas Eve. Discuss how the wise men gave Christmas gifts to the baby Jesus. Bring Jesus with you for the holidays to make them holy every chance you get! Then open the rest of your gifts on Christmas Day.
The poinsettia

The Poinsettia plant is also called the "flower of the holy night". It is a native plant of Central America and is widely used in churches and homes during the Christmas season. This plant was nicknamed the "flower of the holy night" because the flaming star of its red bracts resembles the star of Bethlehem. The Poinsettia is named after the US Ambassador to Mexico, Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett. When Dr. Poinsett returned to the United States, he took this flower back to his home in South Carolina, where it thrived.

Happy birthday Jesus

Another popular way to celebrate Christmas with young children is to have a birthday party for Jesus. This usually happens on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

You can plan the birthday party as you would a regular party. Bake a cake and decorate it with "Happy Birthday Jesus". Sing a happy birthday and then exchange gifts in his honor. If you have a small wooden statue of Jesus, bake it in the cake. Make sure it is non-toxic. Your kids will be delighted to find the little Christ Child!

Christkind Letters

A beautiful Austrian custom is to write a letter to the Christ Child, the Christ Child. These letters are written by children and adults. They contain resolutions and requests for gifts.

Don't forget to ask your Guardian Angel to bring your letter to the Christ Child! The Austrians believe they are delivered this way!

Christmas time is a beautiful and holy time. It is important to remember why we really celebrate this holiday. It is up to Catholic parents to teach their children the true meaning of Christmas — the birth of the Savior of the world! These holiday traditions and Advent ideas will help convey this important message. Moreover, if you build these traditions in their hearts, they will remember and pass on the Christmas message.

Christmas traditions and Advent ideas from the Catholic family

Christmas Traditions: There are so many beautiful ways to celebrate this holy season. Advent and Christmas traditions help make this special season more sacred and less secular. Helping children understand the true meaning of Christmas is a must for Catholic families in today's society. Some of the traditions below that you may be familiar with and practice. You may find new traditions or Christmas ideas that your family will enjoy for years to come!

The nativity scene, crèche or Christmas tradition

Saint Francis of Assisi is credited with the manger scene as we know it today. The animals in the nativity scene, usually the donkey and the ox, are traditionally part of every nativity scene. Saint Francis followed tradition when he had these animals placed near the manger in Bethlehem.

Waiting until Christmas Eve to place the Christ child in the daycare center is a great tradition to start with your Catholic family. As a Catholic family, you must help your children learn that the holy season continues into Epiphany. You can do this by leaving your nativity scene set up through Epiphany. Add your wise men to the scene at the Feast of Epiphany. Family members, especially children, will look forward to this tradition! It also stretches the fun just a little longer.

If you don't have nativity scene images, you can use images. Set up a "bulletin board" for Christmas and place the pictures on the board at the correct times. Play a game to determine who can place the Christ Child in the nursery or on the board. This will contribute to the family celebration.

The Christ Candle

The Christ Candle tradition is beautiful and easy to apply. On Christmas Eve, light a large candle to symbolize the arrival of baby Jesus. Let it burn all night and everyone will realize what a special Christmas Eve is when they see the candle.

Have your children help you choose a "special candle" for your Christ candle. It should be large in size so that it can burn for a long time and also be decorative in a special way. In other words, it has to stand out.

The tradition of the Christmas tree

The beginnings of the Christmas tree tradition go back to medieval Germany. The "mystery game" was a very common and popular form of entertainment at the time. One of the most popular "mysteries" was the play Paradise. The creation of man, the sin of Eve and Adam, and their subsequent expulsion from the garden of Eden, were represented in the Paradise play the Germans performed. A fir tree hung with fruit (usually apples) represented the Garden of Eden. This first Christmas tree represented both the "tree of life" and the "tree of discernment between good and evil." When Germans stopped playing mystery games in churches, the Paradise tree (or Christmas tree) began to appear in the homes of the believers.

Today, Christmas Eve in Germany starts late in the afternoon. Families come together to decorate the Christmas tree. Their beautiful decorations include the use of real candles on the tree. After all other ornaments have been hung, the candles are lit. Early in the evening a nativity scene is performed in front of the tree. Seasonal music is played. After presents are opened and exchanged, the family has a Christmas dinner. The children are put to bed and are awakened just before midnight mass.

Your children will have fun setting up a Christmas program for your family for the Christmas tree. Let the older children help the younger; they can be the directors of the play. The Christmas play can include caroling and the kids can design special "programs" with words for the Christmas carols for all the adults to sing. If someone in your family can play the piano, ask them to accompany you.