Top Photo of the Town Square this Christmas. A beautiful scene. Below, copied from my book, is a bird's eye view of the world heritage site Tallinn's Town Square.
Based on my book: OUR SUMMER IN ESTONIA Amazon.com
Reissuing my Christmas post of last year. I don't think I can improve of this scene.
Just in time for Christmas is the story, likely a fable, of how Tallinn, Estonia has been identified as the site of the first Christmas Tree. Guidebooks and some historians cite 1441 as the year when in the Town Square of Tallinn the first Christmas tree appeared. Most historians dispute that, noting that the Christmas tree evolved over many years first appearing in Northern Germany in the 16Th century. It should be noted however, that Tallinn was home to a ruling German minority and the German merchant class dominated affairs in the old town square. There was also a custom for German Merchants to burn a tree on ash Wednesday. Is that the source of the story? No one knows. But Tallinn is sticking to its claim of the having the first Christmas tree in 1441; and there is a plaque in the ground at the town square where this took place. It is the site now of the yearly Tallinn Christmas Tree and the center of a growing Christmas market. Since so much about Christmas is based on myth anyway, why not Estonia's? Happy Holidays.
No comments:
Post a Comment