The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Did you know that the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree began in Germany? When Britain's Queen Victoria married Germany's Prince Albert in 1840, he brought the tradition to London. When pictures of the Royal Family and their Christmas tree appeared in newspapers, thousands of people in Canada, the U.S. and England started to decorate their own trees. However, it's very likely that many Nova Scotians set up their own trees long before then, since many of them emigrated to Canada from Germany in the 1700s. In fact, many of them settled in present-day Lunenberg, County, which today calls itself the "Christmas tree capital of the world." Every year, thousands of trees grown especially for Christmas are harvested in Nova Scotia and shipped as far away as the southern United States and Mexico. But there's one tree that has special meaning. On Dec. 6, 1917, a massive explosion nearly obliterated Halifax. One of the biggest sources of help was the city of Boston, whose citizens sent millions of dollars' worth of aid and supplies. In gratitude, the people of Halifax presented Boston with one of the province's finest trees to serve as the city's official Christmas tree. Ever since, a Nova Scotian tree is shipped to Boston to show thanks for its neighbor's help in its time of need. Something to Ponder: If there is no joyous way to give a festive gift, give love away.
