Tree with amethyst and zircons

Silver Christmas tree with Amethysts and zircons.
The custom of decorating homes with evergreen plants rooted deep in the history. Mistletoe, ivy, Holly, spruce, pine and cypress green, when everything in nature was in a deep sleep, and thus seemed to resist the winter "death". They served as symbols of the eternal, the undying principle of life, symbols of all the sacred, beautiful, what can not destroy of any difficulties and problems, what is reborn again and again. These plants decorated the house, gave them each other with wishes of happiness. In Rome during Saturnalia, people gave each other "strine" (strenae) — branches of green plants and be sure to Laurus, which symbolized immortality, dostigayutsya through battle and victory.
In France, for Christmas they baked a special bread which is decorated with Holly or mistletoe. In Britain went home with the mistletoe, this tradition has survived until now. This evergreen shrub bears fruit in mid-winter, despite the natural conditions.
And the druids on the eve of the new year holiday ritually cut the mistletoe with a Golden knife and decorated the temples. At home in Britain is also adorned with a Holly (Holly), boxwood, ivy, Laurel, rosemary. Branch of Holly with bright red berries, covered with green ivy, attached around the Windows, decorated with these wreaths and garlands candlesticks, chandeliers and ceilings. The ruler of the dark part of the year, according to tradition, is King-Holly. It involves a lot of legends, and still preserved the Christmas tradition of games against each other boys "padobot" and girls "ivy".
In China it was customary to decorate the entrance to the house with branches of spruce, cypress or pine tied with red paper strips (in the South of China, they are often replaced bamboo). If in the yard growing real Christmas trees, they were connected with ropes tied to them "happy" signs and labels. In Japan, one of the brightest parts of dwelling decoration was "pine at the entrance" — kadomatsu. Kadomatsu made of pine, bamboo and ropes, woven from rice straw, decorated with branches of fern and tangerine. Each part had its own symbols: bamboo revered for the durability — because of its thin trunks can not break any hurricane; pine has long been considered a symbol of longevity and immortality — thanks to the inner strength that cannot be destroyed, because it is the result of a long internal battles and overcome.
About this custom to the Japanese poet saigyo laid in the XII century tank:
At every gate
Are young pines.
Festive look!
All homes indiscriminately
Today spring has come!
In the New year was born what was supposed to bloom in the spring:
Bare branches that seem to be in winter sleep,
Secretly working, in preparation for its Spring...
With this view related another beautiful custom in Germany and Austria before the New year pre-cut branches of cherry, Apple, pear or hawthorn, brought into the house and placed in water or wet sand so that they bloom by Christmas, as a symbol of the awakened vitality.
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