Traditional Usage of the Fir Species: Fir as a Christmas Tree from Middle Asia to Europe

Year 2012, Volume: 12 Issue: 3, 8 - 14, 01.09.2012

Gülzade Kahveci

Abstract

Keywords

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Traditional Usage of the Fir Species: Fir as a Christmas Tree from Middle Asia to Europe

Abstract

During the meeting of Council Nicea (325 AC) it was decided that December 25 th (by protestant church December 24 th) the well-known pagan holiday dedicated to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Germans used first Christmas tree in Christmas in 16th Century. Today Christmas is celebrating worldwide with Christ tree. As Christ Church accepted, Christmas celebration is originated by Pagan celebration, which is very similar with Turkish “Nardugan”. This Shamanism tradition Nardugan (wintry solstice holiday) has to be celebrating by Turkish communities for about 3200 years. Most important part of the celebration is decorating of tree “Akçam” (White pine), which is also called “life tree” according to shamanism tradition in Altay region. Although this tree is called as white pine, all historical sources and traditional illustrations, designate to be a fir. In the light of foregoing; if geographical distribution of the boreal tree species is considered this white pine could be Abies sibirica with high probability. This result could expound also why today Abies spp. are used as Christ tree worldwide

Keywords

Christmas celebration, Christ tree, Pagan tradition, Nardugan, Abies sibirica

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