Momento Espírita
Curitiba, 22 de Dezembro de 2024
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ícone Christmas symbols

 

Christmas, that we will be celebrating soon, represents some aspects not very known. In special related to its symbols.

For instance, the Christmas tree. Some people believe it was originated in the eighth Century. It would have been the missionary Saint Boniface that idealized it, to substitute the worship realized in the forests to god Odin.

Other people say that it was Martin Luther its creator, in the sixteenth Century.

The History registered that, on the Christmas Eve, Luther was walking in a pine forest. Looking upon the sky, he has seen stars shinning even more beautiful through the branches covered with snow.

Delighted by the beauty of that picture, he cut a branch, took it home and used lighted candles to imitate the sparkle of the stars he had just seen.

The Christmas tree came to America, during the colonial time, brought by the Germans.

The crib, in its turn, was originated in the thirteenth Century. It was in Italy. On the eve of twenty four to twenty five of december in the year of one thousand and twenty-four, San Francis of Assisi had the idea to represent the birth of Christ.

He prepared a staging, in a true stable, of the manger, of the bull and the donkey. At regular times he would appear himself in scene and talk about the birth of Jesus.

Still in the thirteenth Century, the idealized representation by the founder of the Order of Saint Francis became known in all Europe.

The Christmas cards arose in England around one thousand eight hundred and forty-three. The initiative was of the Director of the British Museum in London, Sir Henry Cole. They were popularized and started to be print in one thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.

Giving presents is a tradition that has been originated in ancient times. It was part of the Saturnalias, Roman orgiastic feasts and Nordic festivities as well.

Between the christians, the habit started in the seventh Century, with Pope Bonifacio, who used to give presents to the needy people, in name of the Divine birthday one.

The lighted candles on Christmas to decorate the trees and other arrangements have a common origin: fire worship.

Only the time had made the pagan orgies disappear and helped to erase the memories about the origin of fire that was the sun worship.

Since the symbols don´t date back to Christ´s time, it is conclude that He, in essence, has nothing to do with any of them.

This way, celebrate Christmas allows us ornament home with lights, colors, ornaments. But important it is to not forget to prepare the heart.

Prepare the Christmas dinner to relatives and friends, but don´t forget to, in name of the Divine birthday one, satisfy hunger of those who suffer from it.

*   *   *

In one Thousand eight hundred and seventy, during the war between Germany and France, a prussian officer idealized Christmas cards from the cover of some school´s notebooks.

He distributed them to his soldiers so they could write to their relatives.

It was like that the first post cards were born, and then passed through several changes.

Imagine the emotion of a mom, a wife, a girlfriend, brothers when receiving a Christmas message, written by their love´s fist, in a battlefront!

 

Spiritist Moment Team.

December 27.2010.

 

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