December EarthCare Update

With the celebration of Christmas later this month, some of us may now be preparing to purchase a live tree to bring into our homes. If we do, we’ll be carrying on a tradition rooted in centuries of belief and custom.

Ancient cultures noted that in winter, when the landscape appeared barren and lifeless, there was one notable exception: evergreens, which seemed untouched by bitter frost and cold. Without the benefits of science to explain this phenomenon, people saw evergreens as a powerful symbol of life enduring, a tree with a mysterious power to hold onto the light (life) when the rest of their world was cloaked in darkness. They began the custom of bringing branches of evergreen and holly, bearers of light, into their homes to ward off the darkness. Many civilizations, including the ancient Egyptians and Romans, used evergreen boughs in winter solstice festivals to celebrate the promise of spring and the sun’s eventual return. The greenery represented a wish for the earth to become fruitful again.

Later Christian cultures saw evergreens as representing eternal life with God, a symbol of life that does not die. They named the Christmas tree as a symbol of the “tree of life,” with its use tied to the celebration of Christ’s birth. Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition and German immigrants with bringing fir trees (Tannenbaum) into their homes. They decorated the trees with real candles representing the light of Christ bringing peace and hope into the world.

Today, Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states including Hawaii and Alaska. Evergreens include the Eastern White Pine, Eastern Hemlock, Atlantic White Cedar, Eastern Red Cedar, White Spruce, Douglas Fir, and broadleaf evergreens such as Holly.

Our EarthCARE committee wishes our Sisters, Associates, and friends all the blessings of Advent and the Christmas season. May the new year to come be evergreen with God’s unconditional love for us and for all people.