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Show St Winnifred and the Tree One story of the origin of the green tree as the Christmas tree among the people of northern Europe is given in a legend of St. Winnifred. It is one of the many thousands of those simple sim-ple and beautiful beliefs that have attached at-tached themselves to the midwinter festival and which generally pass now under the name of "Christmas myths." It is related that St. Winnifred, a great Christian missionary, began cutting down a "sacred" oak which had been the object of worship by the northern pagans whom he was seeking to lead aright. While he was hewing down the huge tree it was blasted by a sudden whirlwind. Close beside it was a young fir tree, which was not harmed either by the whirlwind or by the fall of the giant oak. Then St. Winnifred is reported to have spoken as follows to the pagans : " "This little tree, a young child of the forest, shall.be your holy tree tonight. to-night. It is the wood of peace, for your homes are built of it. It is the sign of an endless life, for its leaves are always green. See how it points toward heaven ! Let this be called the tree of the Christ Child. Gather about It ; not in the wild woods, but in your homes ; there it will shelter no deeds of blood, but loving gifts and acts of kindness." The fir tree, the common evergreen of the' northern regions, became the holy tree of the converted pagans, and in its honor or in memory of the thoughts it stood for they decorated it with lights and gifts at Christmas. |