With the passing of Thanksgiving and the start of December, it’s starting to look a lot more like Christmas. The frenzy began on Black Friday, as the mall parking lots began to fill and the shopping traffic became unavoidable. Take a ride through any neighborhood to see the decorations being put up or walk into any store as the holiday sales go up everywhere. Places such as Disney World and Disney Land have transformed the parks for the holidays, while New York City has already decorated its annual Christmas tree. Many families have already put up their Christmas trees and colorful lights, but most of us do not know the real reason in why we do such things.

Decorating trees can be traced back all the way to the fifteenth century. In Estonia, religious Brothers first put up trees in their homes but later took the trees to the town hall on Christmas Eve. As a means of celebration, people danced around the decorated trees. People from the town and visitors from afar slowly started to adopt this tradition of decorating trees but it took until the nineteenth century until it became truly popular. This tradition started in America mainly around Texas and the East Coast but spread from there. Some of the first lights and ornaments were often homemade out of glue, pictures, tin, etc., and there was generally a “Christmas Crib”placed at the base of the tree representing baby Jesus. Even before Christianity, Evergreen trees had more meaning to people in the winter because of the trees’ strength and beauty year round, making them the perfect holiday tree.

Today, ornaments can be bought in almost every store, and even artificial trees are readily available. Homemade lights are almost no where to be found with machine made stringed colored lights becoming more and more popular. Based off of the “Christmas Crib,” mangers with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus figurines are commonly underneath Christmas trees for those of the Christian religion.

Now, with Christmas right around the corner, it is that time of the year again to buckle down and prepare for the holidays. Just take a look around anytime, and watch as everyone gets ready and prepares their houses for the celebration of Jesus’ birth.