| Author |
Van Dyke, Henry, 1852-1933 |
| Title |
The First Christmas Tree: A Story of the Forest
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| Note |
Reading ease score: 86.9 (6th grade). Easy to read.
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| Credits |
E-text prepared by Michael Gray ([email protected])
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| Summary |
"The First Christmas Tree: A Story of the Forest" by Henry Van Dyke is a fictional narrative written in the late 19th century. This book blends elements of historical and religious storytelling, likely focusing on the early Christianization of the Germanic tribes during the time of Boniface, who is depicted as a key character. It explores themes of faith, sacrifice, and the significance of the Christmas tree within the context of a significant cultural transition. The narrative follows Winfried, also known as Boniface, a missionary from England, who embarks on a perilous journey through the forests of Germany to convert pagan tribes to Christianity. Alongside a young prince named Gregor, Winfried confronts a barbaric tradition of sacrifice at the Thunder-Oak, a sacred site for the worship of Thor. With courage and faith, he interrupts a ritual meant to sacrifice a child, attempting to replace the old pagan beliefs with the message of Christ. The pivotal moment occurs when he persuades the people to abandon their old ways and instead, embrace the fir tree as a symbol of new life and hope in Christ. The story ultimately showcases the triumph of faith over fear and the birth of a new tradition that we now associate with Christmas. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres
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| Subject |
Christmas stories
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
16134 |
| Release Date |
Jun 25, 2005 |
| Most Recently Updated |
Dec 11, 2020 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
116 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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