Oh Christmas Tree...

Since I was a child I have loved putting up the Christmas tree and decorating it.  There is just something captivating about an evergreen covered in lights and sparkly ornaments. It has been our tradition to put up a rather large tree early in December. Richard spends several hours making sure the branches are "fluffed" just right (yes, it's an artificial tree!) and the lights are spaced evenly. The ornaments are unwrapped with love and carefully placed on the tree as we remember where or from whom we got each one. It's a time to reminisce about Christmases past.

Yesterday, as I was admiring our much smaller (apartment vs house!) Christmas tree with borrowed ornaments, I wondered how it came about that people put a tree in their home and decorated it. The internet revealed quite a few stories about the origin of the Christmas tree but the one I liked the best is this:

"When Christianity first came to Northern Europe, three virtues- Faith, Hope and Charity- were sent from Heaven to find a tree that was as high as hope; as great as love; as sweet as charity; and one that had the sign of the cross on every bough. Their search ended in the forests of the North where they found the Fir. Lighted from the radiance of the stars, it was the first Christmas tree."

As I look at our Christmas tree, I will see faith, hope, charity and the cross... another way I am keeping CHRIST in CHRISTmas!