O Tannenbaum

It is time to visit Germany and celebrate the tradition of the Christmas tree!

O Tannenbaum

O, Christmas Tree, O, Christmas Tree,
Your branches green delight us.
O, Christmas Tree, O, Christmas Tree,
Your branches green delight us.

They're green when summer days are bright;
They're green when winter snow is white.
O, Christmas Tree, O, Christmas Tree,
Your branches green delight us!

Don't miss The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Anderson. Read the short story here.

A concise version of the background story of the Christmas tree (complete with lesson plans) can be found here.

Read about German Christmas traditions here!

One of my favorite Christmas picture books is The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston and Barbara Cooney. (As a quick side note: I will purchase any book authored or illustrated by Barbara Cooney.) A beautiful story set in a little Appalachian town, this tale follows Ruthie the year her family is selected to provide the town's Christmas tree. Courage, determination, resourcefulness, and the importance of family are illuminated on the pages with heart-warming prose and charming illustrations. It takes a good deal of determination on my part to read this book without tearing up every single time.