The legend of the First Christmas Tree

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According to one legend St Boniface, was the creator of the very first Christmas tree. 

In the early part of the 8th century, St Boniface was sent into Germany as a missionary, with an aim of converting the pagans to Christianity. 

He worked tirelessly in the country destroying idols and pagan temples across Germany and building churches in their place - especially in Bavaria.

On one of his trip, around the time of Winter Solstice, he come across a group of pagans worshipping an old oak tree. Horrified by what he saw, St Boniface grabbed the nearest axe and hacked down the tree. As he did this he called to the pagans to see the power of his God over theirs.

Pagan feelings were understandably mixed, but Boniface's actions were obviously taken in good spirit, with some of the tales saying he converted the pagans on the spot.

This is where the tale now divides. Some say St Boniface planted a fir tree there, but the most common idea is that a fir tree grew spontaneously in the oak's place.

The fir was seen as an image of God and many believed its evergreen symbolised the everlasting love of the Maker.

According to the myth, the next year all the pagans in the area had been converted to Christianity and hung decorations from the tree to celebrate what they now called Christmas rather than Winter Solstice.

To get more information visit the website:http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/articles/2005/12/05/st_boniface_christmas_tree_feature.shtml

Another legend of the Christmas tree takes us back in a faraway country village, on Christmas’ Eve day. A little boy got into the woods, looking for an oak log to burn in the fireplace during the Holy night. He stayed out longer than he had to and as darkness came, he could not find its way back home. It also began to snow. 

The boy was scared and cold. Tiredness took him and he fell asleep at the foot of a tree. The tree, moved by this pitiful scene, lowered its branches in order to protect the boy from snow and cold.

The morning after, the youth woke up and felt in the distance the voices of the villagers who had gone out looking for him. When he went out of his hiding place, he could hug once again his friends. Everyone noticed the wonderful sight appearing in front of them: the snow fallen during the night, on the leafy branches, had bended the plant and it had formed garlands, decorations and crystals which, at the light of the rising sun, looked like sparkling lights. The fir tree was then adopted as the symbol of Christmas and since then in all houses it is decorated and lit, to remember the miracle and the beaty, the people witnessed on that day before Christmas.