Nika Kravchuk

Do you know what the Christmas tree symbolizes?

In Soviet times, the Christmas tree almost imperceptibly began to be called the New Year's tree. It was decorated with a five-pointed red star and almost completely deprived of its deep religious meaning. But is a decorated spruce, the smell of pine needles, the lights of garlands and various balls on thorny branches just an addition to the celebration and nothing more? It turns out that everything is not so simple. The Christmas tree has Christian overtones and symbolizes... However, about this and about many interesting facts read on.

Christmas tree - a tree with religious overtones

It is believed that the tradition of decorating a tree for Christmas originated in medieval Germany. When this event first happened, only God knows. It is often said that the first tree in history was that Martin Luther installed in his house. Again, the exact date is unknown.

What did the decorated coniferous tree symbolize? On the one hand, the Christmas tree was reminiscent of heaven Tree of Life, the Garden of Eden and the Fall of Adam and Eve. Just before Christmas, on December 24, Western Christians celebrated the day of remembrance of the ancestors Adam and Eve.

But the Christmas tree is not a tree of sad memories. Because, on the other hand, it - symbol of the born Christ. God became Man in order to come into the world and redeem all people, to reconcile them with the Creator. In other words, to restore the connection that Adam and Eve broke at one time.

What do Christmas tree decorations symbolize?

Once you have learned about the deep Christian symbolism of the Christmas tree, you understand why it is decorated the way it is.

The Christmas tree must be decorated with lanterns, garlands and an eight-pointed star on top of the head. Why does it have to be a star? And remember the story about the wise men who came from the East to worship Christ. The Christmas star showed them the way.

According to one German legend, Luther, going into the forest, also saw how an angel decorated the top of a fir tree with a star.

Why various fruits were attached to the Christmas tree is also understandable: after all, it was reminiscent of the heavenly Tree of Life.

What do all sorts of other decorations - Christmas tree decorations - indicate? If the tree is Christ, then the colored balls and lights are all believers who are in Christ, that is, the true Church.

This is the deep Christian symbolism of a decorated Christmas tree. It is clear why the Bolsheviks immediately abolished this pious custom, and then, at the request of “Soviet citizens,” they allowed it, turning the symbol of Christ into an ordinary New Year’s tree. But more on that a little later, but first we’ll tell you how the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree arose.

Who was the first to dress up a coniferous tree for Christmas?

In historical sources, the first mention of the Christmas tree comes down to 1510 and no longer to Germany, but to the Latvian capital - Riga. True, the residents of Tallinn categorically disagree with this. The Estonians allegedly proved that their tree decorated for Christmas appeared four centuries earlier than the Latvians.

It got to the point that before the New Year 2011, a diplomatic scandal broke out between Riga and Tallinn: in which country did the Christmas tree appear for the first time? Who should celebrate the birthday of the Christmas tree?

But be that as it may, we know exactly when the tree first appeared in the future Russian Empire, - after the decree of Peter I of December 20, 1699.

How the Christmas tree took root in the Russian Empire

Before issuing the decree, Peter I visited Europe, and during the trip he really liked the trees decorated for Christmas. After returning home, he carried out a calendar reform: chronology was now carried out from the Nativity of Christ, and New Year started on January 1st. To convey the holiday atmosphere, Peter I ordered to decorate Christmas trees and light the lights.

But this custom did not take root immediately: at first, Christmas trees were installed and decorated only by German families living in the Russian Empire.

But by the middle of the 19th century the situation changed: in 1852 The first public Christmas tree appeared in St. Petersburg, followed by a whole parade of trees installed in meeting places of nobles, merchants, clubs and theaters. Then, first in wealthy families, to show their status, and then in ordinary ones - to the delight of the children - they began decorating Christmas trees.

A corresponding Christmas business emerged all over the world: they made decorations and sweets. Such commerce brought good income and joy to both adults and children.

New Year's or Christmas?

With the advent of Soviet power, everything gradually changed. Christmas and Christmas tree like "priestly custom", were abolished to prevent children from imbibing religiosity from an early age.

True, the persecution of the coniferous beauty did not last long. Already in 1935, party leader Postyshev got Stalin to rehabilitate the Christmas tree. She returned, but not as a symbol of Christ, but as a New Year's tree. And it was no longer decorated with the eight-pointed star of Bethlehem, but with a five-pointed red one.

But time returns everything back to normal: the celebration of Christmas, carols, solemn services, and, of course, a decorated tree with garlands and an eight-pointed (or six-pointed) star on the top of the head.

We invite you to watch “The Legend of the Christmas Tree” with your children:

Take it for yourself and tell your friends!

Read also on our website:

How to spend Christmas Eve? Is it possible to eat food before the first star appears in the sky? What does the tradition of preparing 12 Lenten dishes symbolize and does it justify itself? Why is it so important to prioritize: worship services first, and then cleaning and cooking? Read the article about all this.

In Russia, immediately after the merry New Year with its noisy parties and dancing until the morning comes the beautiful family holiday of Orthodox Christmas. For Russian people, New Year and Christmas are not conflicting holidays. New Year is a social and carefree reveler, hung with bags of gifts, flirting with the Snow Maiden and hurrying from one guest to another. And Christmas is a religious holiday, strict and serious, with a kind face and gentle eyes, smiling thoughtfully after its frivolous brother.

So, the New Year has died down, sparkled, danced, and Christmas is approaching. Are we ready to meet him with dignity? The holiday has an ancient biblical history that is worth remembering for ourselves and telling to our children.

Start your story with the parents of Jesus Christ - the Virgin Mary and Joseph. When Mary was pregnant with the baby Jesus, Emperor Augustus decided to conduct a census and for this purpose ordered all residents to report to their hometown. So Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem, Joseph’s homeland. On the way, the husband and wife wanted to spend the night in a hotel, but there was no free space there, and they stopped for the night in a cave. Such caves used to serve as the first floor of the house, which was entered directly from the street. They were used as barns: they had stone feeders and mangers, and animals were driven there at night. It was in such a cave that Maria felt the approach of childbirth. Joseph left his wife to look for a midwife, and when he returned, the birth had already taken place, and a bright light shone in the cave. Soon the light disappeared and the baby appeared. Mary swaddled him and placed him in a stone manger. So, in a barn, on a cold winter night, surrounded by livestock, the Savior was born.

The first to see the divine baby were simple shepherds who were grazing cattle near the cave. An angel appeared to them and announced the Nativity of Christ.

Following the shepherds, the Magi and priest-soothsayers also came: Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar. Their path to Jesus was long. After all, they lived far in the East. One day they saw a bright star in the sky and realized that it was a sign. Following its movement across the sky, they crossed several states and arrived in Jerusalem, from where the star led them straight to Bethlehem.

The sacred moment of Christmas is captured in many icons and paintings, and a skilled craftswoman will be able to embroider them with beads, for example “The Nativity of Christ”. You will find a more picturesque, non-iconographic, image of this miracle in the “Christmas” bead embroidery kit. The bead painting “Light of the Star of Bethlehem” depicts the moment when the baby Savior appeared to the world, illuminated by divine light. Cross stitch “Merry Christmas” is a modern and tenderly touching image of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus in her arms. Also a favorite Christmas motif for embroidery is the angel who brought good news to the shepherds. The light-winged creature easily soars above the snow-covered ground in the beaded painting “Angel of Christmas”. Any of these hand-made paintings will bring into your home a solemn feeling of the holiday, so sacred for every believer.

What is the easiest and most accessible way to tell children about the Nativity of Christ? You will find an adapted version of the story of Christmas, interesting and understandable for schoolchildren, in the book “The Nativity of Christ”. For the youngest children, buy a Christmas coloring book. "Russian Bible Society" offers biblical text with a modern interpretation and simple, joyful illustrations. By coloring the pictures on his own, the child will definitely learn the names of little Jesus’ parents, remember the shepherds who heard the good news, and the wise men who followed the star. For parents interested Orthodox traditions, it will be interesting to read the book “The Nativity of Christ. Traditions. Recipes. Fun." By the way, don’t forget that the Nativity of Christ is preceded by a forty-day fast, which includes the New Year’s feast. But this should not upset fasting believers - the book “Merry Christmas. 75 holiday recipes for the Orthodox table" will teach you how to prepare delicious Lenten dishes, and you will be able to surprise with them all adherents of traditional Olivier, jellied meat and fried chicken.

The story of the birth of Jesus Christ is so dear and sacred to Christians that they have been reproducing it for many centuries in the form of a so-called nativity scene. A nativity scene is a kind of sculptural and decorative composition depicting the cave where Jesus was born, the most divine baby in the manger, the Virgin Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the wise men. Masters often do not limit themselves to reproducing the cave, but also depict the surrounding area. And the characters in such dens can sometimes be counted in a whole city. In this way, people strive to show how important this event is to them. The birth of the Savior, which happened in a small cave and appeared to the eyes of only a few witnesses, actually touched the hearts of millions of people, and the good news of Christmas spread throughout many lands and countries.

Over the centuries, people have shown extraordinary imagination in creating nativity scenes. Nativity scenes were made in different sizes: from miniature to realistic, with figures in full human height. The compositions were static or mechanical, where people, animals and some details of the environment moved using built-in mechanisms. In countries of Eastern Europe a nativity theater appeared, staging Christmas performances. Puppet theaters also acted out the Nativity scene using puppets placed in a box set.

It is quite difficult to make a Christmas nativity scene entirely with your own hands, but you can buy a prefabricated wooden model or souvenir for coloring and paint them acrylic paints. The composition “Nativity scene with an angel” consists of figures of an angel, God the Father, the Virgin Mary with the Child and the Magi. In addition to acrylic, it can be painted with gouache and tempera, which will give the entire Christmas scene a wintry and sophisticated look. Assembling and painting a nativity scene with children is a calm and creative activity after January 1st. This way you can decorate your home with a traditional Christian holiday symbol. If the child is still small and cannot cope with painting, offer him a similar, already painted, model of a nativity scene made of binding cardboard.

Left: “Christmas Nativity Scene” buildable model. Manufacturer: Smart Paper. Right: “Merry Christmas!” card. Publishing house "Sphere"

For any craftsman, the main creative object for the New Year, of course, remains the Christmas tree. Let's try to dress up the green beauty in Christmas traditions. After all, initially in Rus' the Christmas tree was primarily an attribute of Christmas, celebrated on December 25 according to the old style. This holiday was extremely important for Russian Orthodox people, and the New Year that followed only heralded the change of the calendar year.

What should a proper Christmas tree look like? Previously, all Christmas tree decorations recreated the gospel story. The top of the spruce was crowned with the six-pointed star of Bethlehem, and the cross at the base of the trunk symbolized the crucifixion - an attribute of the passion of Christ. By the way, the star has its own sad story of “oblivion.” When in 1937 the Soviet government returned to citizens the New Year holiday, which had been taken away for ten years, the “renewed Soviet” spruce lost its main element - the Star of Bethlehem. This Jewish symbol was considered indecent for a socialist society and was replaced with a ruby ​​five-pointed star, as on the Spasskaya Tower. Today, six-pointed stars return to the Christmas tree as a symbol of the same luminary that led the Magi to the birthplace of Jesus. You can cross-stitch such stars for your Christmas tree by purchasing the “Christmas Star” or “Golden Star” sets. Paint the wooden blank “Star with a bell” and hang it on spruce branches.

The obligatory inhabitants of the Christmas tree are winged angels. It was the angel who announced the birth of the Savior to the shepherds, and they were the first to witness his birth. The angel on the Christmas tree symbolizes divine will. Cover wooden angels with stars with silver or gold paint and find them a cozy place among the green pine needles. The most beautiful and graceful angel can be embroidered with a cross in a set of two balls: on one - the winged Archangel Gabriel, on the other - the Virgin Mary with the Child Christ. Unusual airy and openwork angels are made from beads. Author Moras Ingrid in the book “Angels from Beads” tells how to weave winged creatures from small beads. More physical angels come out of salt dough, and you can learn how to make them from the book “Crafts from Salt Dough: New Ideas.” To keep children's hands occupied, invite them to cut out paper “New Year's angels”.

Next to the angels there must be bells on the tree. It was they who rang on the necks of sheep when the shepherds drove their flocks and went to see the newly born Jesus. The bells represent the divine voice preaching the truth. You will find a wide variety of bells for decoration in our store. Wooden blanks for painting come with a blue candle or a red one, and even a child can handle painting a wooden candle.

Such a tree, crowned with the Star of Bethlehem and decorated with angels, bells, garlands, apples, lambs and doves, will be a worthy reflection of the Christian Christmas. And your children, who took an active part in its design, will get acquainted with biblical history. If you don’t have time to decorate the whole tree in Christmas style, but want to create just such a mood for yourself on the eve of a big holiday, then buy a simple souvenir - a wooden tree for painting. One of them consists of balls and the inscription "Merry Christmas", and the other of angels with bells. Place it on your table on January 7th and it will create a festive atmosphere for Christmas dinner.

Natalya Plakhteeva

The custom of decorating the Christmas tree came from Germany. There is a legend that the beginning of this tradition was laid by the German reformer Martin Luther, who was once fascinated by the beauty of the stars that strewn the firmament. Since then, the Christmas tree began to be decorated with candles, and a star was placed on the top in memory of the Star of Bethlehem, which showed the way to the cave where Jesus was born.

In Russia, the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree appeared thanks to Peter I.

Since then, Russian people began to decorate the Christmas tree. Previously, the Christmas tree was decorated with all sorts of delicacies: marzipan, candied nuts, dried fruits, candies to the delight of the children. Well, then they were gradually replaced by Christmas tree toys and decorations.

Nowadays, there has been a fashion for various designs of New Year trees in a certain color and style. It could be a lush decoration, a simple outfit or a stylish designer Christmas tree. Today there are no specific rules on how and in what colors a New Year and Christmas tree should be decorated. In any case, this evergreen tree remains a symbol of the New Year and Christmas holidays, unforgettable childhood experiences.

Immediately after the New Year holidays, on Christmastide (from January 7 to January 19, in our kindergarten The Christmas holiday is traditionally celebrated.

In the process of preparing for it, we will definitely “redecorate” the music hall and the motley multi-colored New Year tree in other colors - silver-white and blue-blue.

These colors, in our opinion, further emphasize the solemnity of this wonderful holiday. Almost all toys and decorations for the Christmas tree are made by hand.

I offer several of my options for decorating a Christmas tree.

For work I needed:

Paper white, colored, for gift wrapping;

White paper napkin, plain and openwork;

Knitting threads white, blue, blue;

Knitting needles;

Small cardboard boxes;

Decorative mesh for packaging flowers, silver-white synthetic;

Aluminum foil;

Tree branches;

Loader for chocolates;

PVA glue.

From threads of white, blue and of blue color knitted the cones and decorated them with a silver bow on top

I made bows from decorative mesh for wrapping flowers that look very light and airy.

I made houses, pendants with stars, angels and candles from blue cardboard, white paper, and openwork napkins.

I made large snowflakes from white paper napkins. And from blue paper I made small snowflakes with a figured hole punch and glued them in the middle of each large white snowflake

I made “Christmas Tree” pendants from silver-white gift wrapping paper.

I also made “Star” pendants from the same paper.

I covered small cardboard boxes with white paper. Decorated with strips of blue paper. The gift was decorated on top with a bow made of white paper folded like an accordion.

I wrapped tree branches in aluminum foil and attached white pompoms to them.

Such bouquets will be useful for decorating the window sills of the music hall.

So, with a little imagination, you can make original decorations for the Christmas tree and decoration of the music hall, where our Christmas children's party will soon take place!

Publications on the topic:

“The decorations for the Christmas tree are a treat for everyone.” Lesson summary (GLC) in the middle-high group Integration of educational areas: “Cognition” (formation of a holistic picture of the world, “Communication”, “Socialization”, “Artistic creativity”.

A creative person is never bored! Even the simplest thing, it would seem, in his hands can become a masterpiece! Modern children.

Twice a year my children and I visit the Samara Diocesan Center to watch theatrical fairy tales shown by the children there.

Time doesn't stand still. Days run after days, months replace each other, and the seasons also do not stand still. The coldest part has arrived.

I present to your attention a master class on making cookies with children in the family group "Brownie". Let's do shortbread dough: 200 g softened.

One of the most pressing issues before the New Year holidays is decorating the New Year tree. Try to do it stylishly and beautifully with us. Check out our tips and don't forget to put them into practice.

Style selection

In order for the Christmas tree to look not just bright, but elegant, it is necessary, first of all, to decide on the style. It must certainly match the interior of the apartment.

The temperament of the owners, their preferences and the diversity of the palette are of great importance. Beauty is determined not only by the cost of the decor, but also by its harmony, as well as the general perception of the holistic picture of the result obtained.

Stylistics of Christmas trees

Depending on the chosen decoration, different toys, materials, shapes are used; all this differs in palette and texture.

European

European decor implies no more than three colors in the design. The most commonly used is scarlet. Pine can be decorated with balls, bows, and angels. This option is the most classic and strict, it is characterized by restraint and conciseness.

Russian

This robe does not have a strict direction in color and shape. By and large, you can decorate with everything that is found in the New Year's chest. The more toys, garlands and rain, the more magnificently dressed the forest guest is. This is the case when you can’t have too much decor. You can safely hang whatever you like.

American

Red and gold looks really great and is called the American version. You can combine red and white. Both combinations attract the eye and remind you of the upcoming celebration. Bright, elegant, uplifting and will fit perfectly into many interiors.

Minimalism

The minimalist style is positioned as one range, one color and one shape. Everything that hangs on the tree should be the same and in small quantities.

Retro

Retro will remind you of pleasant childhood memories, and toys that you got from your grandmother and mother will look great on the New Year tree. In this case, the older the decoration, the more it suits the style.

Old beads, bows, cotton wool, ribbons. A large number of decorations will only come in handy; such products will interest guests and will be remembered for a long time. The elements are always glass, a little worn and reminiscent of the past.

Classic

Classic colors are red and green. By decorating the spruce with balls of two tones, you can choose snow-white rain or bows. Gold would also look good. The garland must also have a suitable color: green, red or white.

Eco

Eco-style is gaining momentum and continues to delight lovers of natural things. In this case, live spruce is required. You can decorate it with anything that, one way or another, is a natural material.

These can be crafts made from fabric, paper, wood, and even baked cookies or fruit. An ordinary ball wrapped in paper or cloth will also take its rightful place on a pine branch.

Scandinavian

Scandinavians love White color, and therefore he will become the favorite in this style. You can complement it with red. Many natural products made from wood, textiles and paper are also suitable for decoration in this direction. Images of not only deer, but any animals are welcome. Bows, ribbons, and garlands will complement the decor and create the mood.

Champagne

All variations of beige and white symbolize the champagne outfit. Calm beige dominates. The sparkle of silver will add a festive touch. All shades of this palette are suitable: bronze, silver, aged gold, platinum, coffee tone and cappuccino. You can add dark gray. The garland is suitable only with gold or silver lights.

White-blue, “frosty”

The combination of snow-white and blue tones is reminiscent of frost, the Snow Maiden and the New Year. Decorating in these colors will remind you of frosty days, snowdrifts and frost outside the window, and will also give you a magical mood. You can complement the decor with beige or gray ribbons.

Monochrome

Decorating with decor of the same color will create a monochrome style. In this case, you don’t have to stick to one shade; it can be blue in all variations or pink, or maybe yellow.

All options for the chosen color will combine perfectly, and the Christmas tree will lift your spirits every day with its sparkle and festive look.

Items can be from completely different materials, of all kinds of shapes, and lights are preferred of the same shade or colorless.

Rustic

The romance of the village is dominated by rustic. Calm beige is the basis of this decor. It is better to use natural materials such as straw, paper, and fabric bows. There can be no shine, everything is restrainedly simple, without mother-of-pearl or gloss. Lights are preferably matte yellow or snow white.

Children's

For the nursery, the most delicate variations of pink, blue, green, yellow are used, as well as characters from favorite cartoons and fairy tales, clowns and animals, in the form of sweets, ice cream, colored icicles and powdered sugar. You can also use real candies; your child will definitely love it.

Choice of design colors, combination

When choosing decor, you should definitely adhere to the interior. Look around and understand which shades predominate in the room. Creativity is encouraged. If there is mainly only one shade, then it is better to dilute it rather than match it, otherwise you won’t get the festive spirit.

For example, for a fuchsia room it is difficult to choose a specific style and palette. By repeating the shade, the spruce will simply get lost in the decoration of the room. If you dress it in blue and white, the holiday will envelop the entire room and will not stand out from the overall interior.

For a green room, yellow and orange robes are more suitable, and if the furniture is brown, then you can choose blue, turquoise and mint for the Christmas tree. And for a white room, in which there are bright variations of different tones, a riot of colors is suitable, the main thing is not to overdo it with the decorations. The most important thing is not to stand out from the general interior and maintain its style.

Preparing for decoration

In order for everything to work out in accordance with the chosen style, you should start buying the missing toys, decorations and selecting accessories in advance. First of all, you need to decide whether the tree will be live or artificial. This important point, because living trees are not symmetrical, and spruce trees have branches quite widely spaced.

If you choose a design with small balls, the pine tree will look empty, and large balls will stand out too much. It’s easier with an artificial tree; everything can be adjusted to the required size, but it doesn’t smell like a holiday.

If you have chosen and purchased everything you need, then it’s time to start decorating the festive tree. First you need to determine how the elements will be arranged. There are several options. Which one will fit better into the home is up to the owners to decide.

Composition, decoration arrangement

Decorating a Christmas tree can follow certain rules or be chaotic, it all depends on the preferences of the owners of the house. The Russian version does not require a specific arrangement of balls; it is good to decorate such a Christmas tree with children, when you can hang everything and everywhere, because it is so interesting.

But more laconic styles adhere to one direction of design.

Vertical implies the arrangement of garlands, balls and other decorations in strictly vertical direction, namely from top to bottom. This spruce stretches out and looks taller and slimmer.

Horizontal strokes spruce trees can, on the contrary, make it more magnificent, and the arrangement of all decorations should be either circular or strictly horizontal. Nothing can go out of direction.

Spiral looks beautiful in single and two-tone outfits. As the name suggests, everything descends in a spiral from top to bottom. Such decorations look extraordinary when they alternate between tinsel and large balls that descend in a spiral.

Not all styles require you to adhere to certain decorating directions, but no matter which one you choose, any one should please you.

Decoration

One of the important rules is that the Christmas tree should be commensurate with the size of the room. A small spruce tree in a large room will simply get lost, and a large one in a small one will clutter up the entire space and make the room seem cramped. Compliance with the size of the room is one of the main factors.

Decorating a Christmas tree begins with its installation. The tree should be visible from all sides of the room, stand well and not wobble. Below you can make a beautiful snowdrift or decorate it.

You need to start decorating your spruce with a garland. Before doing this, you should check it for functionality. Then large toys are hung, followed by small ones. The Christmas tree is decorated from the bottom up.

Large parts are below and as the tree grows their size decreases. Then the top of the head is decorated - it can be anything, the main thing is that it is beautiful. And the final stage is tinsel, beads and other decor.

Decorating a Christmas tree is a very interesting and festive activity. Dress up your home with taste!