History of Christmas Trees

Sa “Hey Mo! Did you see that?”

Mo “What? I don’t see anything.”

Sa “Ha ha. I got you. Was talking about all those trees that humans are buying on the streets. As of late.” 

Mo “Oh so you think you are funny?! Let me hit you with the thoughtful face and I will teach you for a change.”

Sa “Oh really? I really do NOT want to hear about hot dogs again.”

Mo “Actually I am going to teach you about the history of the Christmas tree.”

Sa “Mmmm. Did not know you had any information that was not about snacks.”

Mo “All the time I have spent smelling and marking trees peeked my interest on the history of those funny indoor trees that come around only once a year. That our human parents do not let me pee on.”

Sa “Ok it can be your turn to teach me something. When did this idea start?”

Mo “There are many different versions of how and when this Christmas tree tradition started. Yet most agree that Germany is credited with bringing the Christmas tree tradition in the 16^th century which is the 1500’s in human years.”

Sa “Wow interesting. So who started decorating the trees.”

Mo “Calm down. I am getting there. The most accepted version is that a human during this time by the name of Martin Luther was the first to add candles to the trees. He was a Protestant reformer and was walking toward his home one winter evening, composing a sermon, he was awed by the brilliance of stars twinkling amidst evergreens. Later, to recapture the scene for his family, he erected a tree in the main room and wired its branches with lighted candles.”

Sa “You really did homework but so far you are only talking about Germany, what about here in America?”

Mo “You are so impatient give me a moment and I will tell you. The first one on the record of actually being on display was in the 1830’s and was in a German settlement in Pennsylvania, yet the trees had been a tradition in many German homes much earlier. But most saw Christmas trees as pagan symbols and not accepted by most Americans.”

Sa “Hey since you do it to me I will do it to you here is something I know. It was in 1846 that Queen Victoria and her German Prince, Albert, were sketched in the Illustrated London News standing with their children around a Christmas tree. Due to her being very popular with her subjects, and what was done at the court immediately became fashionable not only in Britain, but with fashion-conscious East Coast American Society. Thanks to this the Christmas tree had arrived to the shores of the USA.”

Mo “So now you are stealing my thunder. Do you know about the lights?”

Sa “Um no you can finish the lesson now.”

Mo “Thanks. Candles had become more and more of a danger. Then in 1895 Ralph Morris, an American telephonist which is a switchboard operator, invented the first electric Christmas lights, very similar to similar to the ones people use today. So humans should say a big thank you to Ralph Morris for making Christmas safer. That was about it for the trees this time.”

Sa “That was really interesting.”

MoSa “And for all those humans who like the images here and want to see more you can visit our moms site to view or even purchase images from the link below. Remember all purchases helps our puppy parents buy treats.”

http://www.bkpphoto.com/

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York City

Sa “Did you enjoy seeing the parade?”

Mo “Wait? What? What’s a parade?”

Sa “Don’t you remember we just went and saw the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. You and I got to pose with the fine men and women who help keep all the humans in New York City safe.”

Mo “I remember all the nice people in uniform saying hi but that still does not tell me what a parade is or why people would do one.”

Sa “That is a really good question which will let me tell you not only what a parade is but the history of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.”

Mo “Boooo, you tricked me. Well since now I am curious go ahead and teach me.”

Sa “Well many parades are meant to celebrate a human holiday or festival. The parade can vary but for the most part have bands and people performing. The big ones like this will have floats and balloons.”

Mo “I remember seeing the really big balloon today. So, that was for the parade? Was it always for this holiday?”

Sa “Yes that was part of the parade, but no it was not always for this holiday. The very first Macy’s parade was actually for Christmas and it was on November 27 in the year 1924. It originally went from 145^th street in Harlem all the way to the Macy’s store on 34^th street but got shortened when people started holding the balloons and not animals.”

Mo “Wow that is a really long time that must make this the oldest one for this holiday.”

Sa “I thought so too yet mom let me know the oldest one is Gimbels Thanksgiving Day Parade that started in Philadelphia in the year 1920 and due to Gimbels going out of business has since changed its name to 6ABC Dunkin’ Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade.”

Mo “Wait you said Macy’s parade was for Christmas not Thanksgiving does that mean Macy’s went out of business?”

Sa “No. It still has Macy’s in the name they just changed the holiday theme in the year 1927 to coincide with the day that they perform the parade.”

Mo “Well I do know one thing that pop pop told me and that is that the first balloon in the parade was a naughty cat named Felix and that was in 1927. Also, they use to just let the balloons go and placed return addresses on them but unlike us they did not go home.”

Sa “That is very cool. Did you know that they use to let live animals from the Central Park Zoo walk in the parade?”

Mo “Really? That would be cool. Wait no it wouldn’t then who would want to pet us and give us treats. Those animals can stay in the zoo so we can have all the treats.”

Sa “True also people thought it was a little too scary so they decided instead to just add more balloons and floats.”

Mo “So lots of people come to watch this parade every year.”

Sa “Yes. And they close the parade with Santa to give credit to the original Macy’s Parade.”

Mo “Well that is it for this time. Let’s go get us some turkey. To all the humans.”

MoSa “Happy Thanksgiving!!”

MoSa “And for all those humans who like the images here and want to see more you can visit our moms site to view or even purchase images from the link below. Remember all purchases helps our puppy parents buy treats.”

http://www.bkpphoto.com/

Lincoln Center, New York city

Mo “We got dressed up and went past a building that had lots of sounds of humans singing and playing music.”

Sa “Indeed, that is the Lincoln Center and is home to the Metropolitan Opera and the New York Philharmonic.”

Mo “So is this another old building like many of the museums?”

Sa “Well it is a little old but not as old as that.”

Mo “So it was an open park like Central park.”

Sa “No it was home to lots of people and some other humans decided it would be better space for this arts center.” 

Mo “Hmmm so the humans moved other humans so they could build? Don’t understand.”

Sa “Yes humans can be weird sometimes but that is for humans to figure out. You and I will stick with talking about buildings, statues and parks instead of trying to figure out humans.”

Mo “That sounds like a plan since then we can have snacks. So when was this place built?”

Sa “The construction started in 1959. It was founded by the Lincoln Center Corporation which was overseen by a famous human John D. Rockefeller III.”

Mo “If they started it in 1959 then did it open that same year?”

Sa “Ah, no. It does take time to construct a building. Yet it did open its first building in 1962 and that was the Philharmonic Hall that is now the Avery Fisher Hall it was designed by Max Abramovitz and is home to the New York Philharmonic.”

Mo” That building changed its name though. It was originally the Philharmonic Hall but was renamed in 1973 to honor Avery Fisher, who donated lots of hot dogs to the orchestra.”

Sa “What? Not hot dogs. Money. People use money for donations not hot dogs.”

Mo “Oh well I would rather have hot dogs donated. But wait, since they changed the name of the building? Is that because humans are still building there?”

Sa “Yes that is right. The original idea for Lincoln Center was finished in 1976 with the Alice Tully Hall. However, people continue to add more buildings to this area.”

Mo “So what is in the grand building?”

Sa “Interesting you should call it that because that houses New York City's Metropolitan Opera and is the most spectacular of all Lincoln Center buildings. Designed by Wallace K. Harrison and opened in 1966. Many say it ranks among the most beautiful performance venues in the United States.”

Mo "Well that is it for this one we are off to get our hot dogs! Yummy!"

MoSa “And for all those humans who like the images here and want to see more you can visit our moms site to view or even purchase images from the link below. Remember all purchases helps our puppy parents buy treats.”

http://www.bkpphoto.com/