Christmas tree cultural resonance of worship of sacred trees in the east and the
The Christmas tree, a Christmas symbol from Germany, is not only the embodiment of evergreen trees, but also a symbol of new life, struggle and spring. With its rich decorations and legends, it has become the symbolic existence of global Christmas. This paper will discuss the origin, symbolic significance and evolution of Christmas tree in different cultures, and at the same time, compare it with the cash cow in ancient China mythology, and reveal the worship of making a tree of God in eastern and western cultures and their similarities and differences.In combination with these conditions, artificialplants for home decor It can still let us see good development and bring fresh vitality to the whole market. https://vitalismoartificialplants.com/collections/all
01
The origin and significance of Christmas tree
The book “A Talk on Festivals in Western Countries” points out that the Christmas tree, as a symbolic symbol of Christmas, has many sayings about its origin, among which the most popular story is related to German religious leader Martin Luther. Christmas trees usually use evergreen trees, and add festive atmosphere by decorating colored paper, colored lights and other items. The colorful lights among the leaves not only bring warmth to the cold winter, but also symbolize new life and hope. In addition, different countries also have their own unique celebrations and delicious food during Christmas.
There is also a well-known Christmas symbol in people’s minds-Christmas tree. In people’s minds, the Christmas tree is a symbolic symbol of Christmas. The Christmas tree originated in Germany, and there are different opinions about its origin. Some people think that it is a combination of the Garden of Eden tree (a tree to commemorate Adam and Eve, the ancestors of mankind) and the Christmas Tower (a wooden tripod with a statue of Jesus and candles inside). Others think that it originated from a folk story: a magical child cut branches into a tree, and the tree was covered with gifts to repay a farmer’s hospitality. However, the most popular story is that Martin Luther, a religious leader in Germany, passed by a forest on Christmas Eve and found the stars shining among the leaves, just like hanging from the branches. This reminded him of the birth of Jesus under the starry sky in Bethlehem, so he cut down a tree and took it home to make the first Christmas tree in the world. On Christmas Eve, people sing and dance around the Christmas tree to celebrate the festival together. Christmas trees are usually tower-shaped, and it is generally better to have a tree with a crown and branches at an angle of 60 degrees and many branches. The selected evergreen tree species are generally not too tall and tall. Decorating the Christmas tree is one of the major activities of the festival. People use colored paper, colored lights, heart-shaped objects, candy, etc. to dress green trees into colorful “sacred objects”. A Christmas star or angel made of paper is placed at the top of the tree. Traditionally, gifts for family members are hung on branches. But in America, parents like to put gifts at the base of trees and put decorations such as mangers and houses beside them. People love Christmas trees, because evergreen trees remind people of new life, especially in the cold winter, green leaves remind people of struggle, survival and the coming spring. In addition, the colorful lights swaying among the leaves also bring warmth and beautiful reverie to people.
02
Similarities and differences between the worship of making sacred trees in the East and the West
The book Art Village points out that there is a phenomenon of worship of making sacred trees in both eastern and western cultures, which reflects the awe and prayer of human beings for natural forces. Cash cow and Christmas tree, as the evolution of worship of sacred trees in the East and the West, have both similarities and differences.
In common, both the cash cow in China and the Christmas tree in the west have evolved from the worship of making sacred trees. Both of them take the tree as the main image, and the accessories hanging on the tree have implications, such as the gift box on the Christmas tree and the copper coins on the cash cow, which have entrusted people’s feelings and wishes. In addition, both of them use symbolic techniques to express a certain meaning with concrete things, which are closely related to the themes of life and immortality.
In terms of differences, westerners combine the sacred tree with religion, and the Christmas tree has become an important part of Christmas, which has been commercialized and formed a commodity. In China, the sacred tree has evolved into a secular mascot or a cash cow representing wealth desire. Although it has certain cultural symbolic significance, it has not formed much commodity value.
Generally speaking, the evolution of the worship of making sacred trees in the East and the West reflects the differences in people’s beliefs, values and lifestyles under different cultural backgrounds.
Whether it is a cash cow in China or a Christmas tree in the West, it has evolved from the worship of making a sacred tree.
There are indeed many similarities between cash cows and Christmas trees, which are mainly manifested in the fact that they all take trees as the main image, and there are some implied accessories hanging on them. The Christmas tree is a gift box, and the cash cow is copper coins. Their functions are similar, and in people’s subconscious, they all entrust people’s emotions. They express their emotions in the same way, and they all use symbolic techniques, that is, they use specific things to express a certain meaning. In particular, they all take the tree of life as the main body and are closely related to the sun and eternal life.
Very interestingly, the worship of the sacred tree in the early days of the East and the West has evolved into a love for cash cows in China, while in the West, where Catholicism and Christianity are the main beliefs, it has evolved into the custom of Christmas trees. When we carefully compare the cash cow with the Christmas tree, we find that there is no essential difference in their functions. The only difference is that westerners combine the sacred tree with religion and turn the Christmas tree into a commodity. In contrast, Chinese, who was active in the world, turned the sacred tree into a secular mascot or a straightforward desire for wealth, but did not form much commodity value.
03
Various decorations and rich types of Christmas trees
According to Decorative Art of Christmas and New Year, as the symbol of Christmas Day, the decoration and types of Christmas tree are diversified.
In decoration, the common decorations of Christmas tree include colored balls, colored lights, toys, ribbons, etc. These colorful decorations can not only beautify the environment, but also set off a specific Christmas atmosphere. Whether placed indoors or outdoors, the Christmas tree can be a beautiful background for people to get together and celebrate.
In terms of types, Christmas trees are classified into many categories because of their different sizes, shapes, materials and colors. For example, according to the volume, it can be divided into giant, large, small and medium-sized and micro; According to the tree shape, it includes traditional conifers (tower shape), palm shape, ancient banyan tree shape and creative cartoon type; According to materials, besides living trees and flowers, there are many choices such as simulation trees, metal foils and lighting. According to the color, the Christmas trees in gold, pink, multicolored and bright green all have their own characteristics, which can express different sensory effects and creative artistic conception.