…the ancient «christmas» tree!

By Dimitra Tasinou        

Did Solon and Pericles put up a «christmas» tree? Well, maybe not  a Christ-mass tree, but they did put up Eiresioni, an olive branch decorated with  red and white woollen bands, colourful ribbons, nuts- like almonds or chestnuts- and  breadstuff.Thus, the Ancient Greeks showed their gratitude and thankfulness to the gods  for the abundance of the yearly crops. It was also a plead to Athena or Apollo to bless and  multiply the following year’s harvest.  The fineries were something like symbols of fertility.

On the seventh day of the Greek month Peanepsion (22 September-20 October) children  went around from house to house holding ‘’Eiresioni’, singing a kind of carol  and would get a treat.When they went back home they  burnt last year’s ‘’Eiresioni’’ before putting up the new one that they had already taken round.Other children devoted ‘’Eiresioni’’ to the temple of Apollo,the god of healing,harmony and light.

Here’s an excerpt of the ancient carols:

‘’Eiresioni brings everything which is good: figs and fluffy rolls that  nourish us, sweet honey, smooth  olive oil and chalices with good wine to get drunk and sleep.’’ In their song they also wished the master and  mistress of the house health and wealth, like we still do in modern carols.

So,“Eresioni” is an ancestor of the modern Christmas tree: both symbolise  people’s hope that  trees will be green and bear fruit, season after season. Later, it was banned as a pagan custom by the Christian church of Byzantium but it survived as part of the  folk and agricultural tradition of Europe. In medieval times in England, holly and mistletoe decorative branches were used and this evolved  into the tradition of  Christmas trees.

Sources:

Nilsson, M.P. Ελληνική Λαϊκή Θρησκεία, εκδ. ΕΣΤΙΑ

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dying-and-rising_god