This is a picture of the Christmas tree which sits in the community park in Langhorne. There was an illumination ceremony last Friday night, for which part of the street was closed off to traffic. It’s something that has been happening all over around this time, to kick off the holiday season. And of course I came across plenty of houses with Christmas lights, but I haven’t mastered night photography, and I don’t really know if my camera has the settings to capture it. Most of the Christmas lights came out blurry, and I didn’t know how to sharpen the image.
After a quick Wikipedia check, I found that the tradition of lighting Christmas trees originated in what is now present day Latvia and Estonia in the 16th century, and in Germany a little later. Those trees were first illuminated with candles, which sounds like a fire hazard. They were adorned with religious ornaments, such as the communion wafers used by the Catholic Church, and later sweets were added for the children. I didn’t research how the Christmas tree eventually became a household item during the holiday season.
Every year when I was a child I watched the children’s special Santa Claus is Coming to Town, which I now also have on DVD. For most of my childhood, that was the official story of how Christmas trees were first illuminated. It happened during the wedding of Chris and Jessica Kringle in the forest, with the Winter Warlock using his magic to light all the trees. It’s an easier and more appealing way to explain to children where all the stories and traditions came from. Most people probably didn’t bother to research the actual story anyway, as it’s just a curiosity.
I’ll be taking more walks in the upcoming weeks, and I’ll probably have my camera some of the time. I may be able to get better pictures of some Christmas house lights. There’s also going to be a live nativity scene at the Langhorne Methodist Church on Christmas Eve. If I get some pictures there, I’ll post them here.
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