Tuesday, December 23, 2008

The origin of the Christmas Tree


Christmas tree is that which is very important in Christmas celebrations and all over world it is been followed.

Once upon a time, in a country far away to the north, there lived two little children who wear good, obedient and kind.

On cold winter night they were sitting close by the fire in their cozy house when they heard a timid knock. The little boy ran to open the door , and his little sister followed. There upon the steps , in the snow and the wind and the darkness, they saw a child, no older then themselves. He had no shoes on his feet , and his garments was thin and ragged.

‘Please, may I come in to your house and sit a while by your fire?’ He asked.

‘Yes, Yes’ exclaimed both children, ‘Come into our cozy house , and sit beside the fire?’

The children took the hands of the little stranger, and led him in their own seat by the fire place. They heaped more wood on the fire, and bought a warm blanket to put about his thin, shivering body. They gave him their supper of bread and milk, and he ate it all; for he was very hungry. Then the little boy bought his own new pair of shoes, and gave them to the stranger , saying:

‘My old shoes are strong and comfortable. They are quite good enough for me. You must journey in the snow and ice. Take my shoes and welcome.’

The little girl looked at the stranger’s thin ragged garments. Then she took her own new red coat from the peg where it hunt, and gave it to the visitor saying:

‘Take my warm coat. I have a cozy home, and a warm fire to sit beside, while you must wander in the snow and ice with only thin ragged garments.’


Soon the stranger grew drowsy. His eyes closed and his head nodded. Then the children said:


‘Here is our nice, soft, warm bed. Sleep here and may God give you sweet dreams.’

That night the boy and the girl slept on the hard floor of the house. They were cold, but their hearts were warm, for they could hear the little stranger berating evenly, and they knew he was sleeping in warmth and comfort.

Early the next morning, before it was light, the little boy and the girl heard the sweet music. They looked about to see from whence it came and saw to their surprise that the little stranger’s bed was empty.

The sweet music grew louder and nearer, and they ran to the door to see what they could see. There in the darkness they saw a group of little children, dressed in glimmering garments of light, approaching dressed in glimmering garments of light, approaching the house. The little ones were dancing and singing and playing on golden harps; and their leader was the strange child, but now different! He was no longer barefoot and clad in a thin, ragged garments. Nor was he wearing the little girls red coat and the little boy’s new shoes. He was dressed in shining garments, and about his head glowed a heavenly light.

He advanced to the door, and with a sweet, soft voice said to the astonished children:

‘I was cold and you gave me shelter, and your own place by the warm fire. I was hungry and you gave all your own supper; I was almost naked, and you gave me your best garments, I was weary, and you gave me your own soft bed, while you slept on the hard floor.’

‘I am the Christ- child. I wander about the world, testing children to see who are worthy. To those who are kind and good and unselfish, I bring peace and happiness.’

The children could not take their eyes off the shining Christ-child. While they stared, the child broke a branch from a fir-tree and planted it in the snow, saying:

‘You have shared with me all that you have. So this tree, each year will bear precious fruit for you.’

Thus the Christ-child spoke and vanished with the group of children who were singing heavenly music. The boy and the girl looked and listened until they had disappeared, and when they turned again to look at the fir-tree, behold! It has borne fruit: sparking candles, bright garlands and beautiful gifts.

And so from that day to this, the Christmas tree has blossomed and borne rich fruit at Christmas time for all children who are good, kind and unselfish.

By
Santhosh P kumar.

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