After studying trees all year—especially the street trees in
Dublin, California where I work and walk—I thought it would be fitting to look
into the Christmas carol O Tannenbaum (Oh Fir Tree in German, and Oh Christmas
Tree in English). It is not a religious song, but the carol is frequently
included in any good line up of Christmas carols. It seems perfectly fitting to
sing “Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches”,
while sitting at the base of a beautiful tree, decorated with lights and
ornaments.
Turns out, the carol was not originally associated with
Christmas, but based on a German folk song from the 1550s extolling the evergreen
fir tree branches as symbols of steadfastness. Many versions of the lyrics
exist (including many parodies). Modern lyrics for several verses are attributed to Ernst Anschütz, an
organist, teacher, and composer from Leipzig, in Saxony, Germany in 1824. Think
of the carol next time you see a fir tree – green whether in summer or winter. Enjoy the carol in German: http://youtu.be/Oq_sD3hMBhc
Merry Christmas to all!
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