O Tannenbaum: The Midwinter Festival of the Tree
Joseph Clayes III Gallery
O Tannenbaum: The Midwinter Festival of the Tree
November 24, 1992–January 2, 1993
The rites we practice at the season of the winter solstice have their roots in the dawn of man’s fascination with the turning of the seasons and with the passages of life, death, and rebirth. Today, the observances practiced by the ancients culminate in our own Christmas holiday celebrations. This exhibition explored the history, symbolism, and significance of the tree and its ornaments. The festivities of the winter solstice acknowledge the primacy of the evergreen tree. Throughout the ages, celebrants have employed woven chains, wreaths, fir boughs, lights, shining spheres, and miniatures to decorate the tree. These ancient practices — of which mythical meanings have been hidden for centuries -- enrich our modern celebrations in a multitude of ways. This exhibition traced the origins of the tree as symbol of the winter solstice and the history of the “tannenbaum” as the central element of the holiday rites. Examples of the numerous and varied accoutrements that ornament the tree and accompany the holiday celebration from past eras as well as the present were on display.