Tuesday 12 November 2019

Christmas Trees - The History of a Christmastime Tradition

How did evergreen trees first become associated with Christianity and the Christmas holiday?  And how did this evolve into our modern-day tradition of decorating a Christmas tree?  We'll explore the answers to these questions and more.


When we talk about the history of Christmas trees, there are really several issues to address.  First, there is the association of the evergreen tree with Christianity.  When and where did this begin?  Next, how did the evergreen tree come to be associated with the Christian holiday of Christmas?  And last, how did this association manifest itself into our modern-day tradition of a decorated tree at the holiday season?  We will examine each of these questions one by one.

Evergreen trees and Christianity:

There is some debate about when and how the evergreen tree first became associated with Christianity.  Some historians tell us that a monk named Boniface happened upon a group of pagans worshipping an oak tree in the woods (and possibly also performing animal and human sacrifices there).  Boniface was angered by this, and he cut the oak tree down.  As the legend goes, an evergreen tree sprang up where the oak had been.  Boniface and the pagans believed this to be a sign of Christianity, and thus, the association of the evergreen tree with Christianity first begin.  There is also some debate about where exactly this happened.  Some historians claim it happened in Riga, Latvia.  However, some others argue that this occurred in Germany, which might make more sense given that Boniface was a German monk.

Evergreen trees and Christmas:

Some other historians claim that the monk Boniface actually used the evergreen tree as a teaching tool to preach Christian beliefs to pagan populations.  He took the triangular shape of the tree as a symbol of the Christian trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  According to this legend, sometime around the 12th century A.D., Christian people brought evergreen trees indoors at Christmastime and hung them upside down from their ceilings as a symbol of the Christian faith.

Others claim that the earliest recorded reference to evergreen trees being used at Christmas celebrations was documented by 16th-century German craft guilds.  One such reference tells of a fir tree that was decorated and displayed in the guild's main shop, and that the guildsmen's children were allowed to take the small gifts that decorated the tree for the holiday.  Still, other references suggest that perhaps the guild apprentices were charged with carrying the decorated evergreen through the streets in celebration.

Martin Luther is another individual credited with the early association between the evergreen tree and Christmas.  As the story goes, Luther was out for a walk one winter evening, admiring the beauty of the twinkling stars in the clear night sky.  He was thus inspired to cut down an evergreen tree, bring it indoors, and attempt to re-create the starlight effect by decorating the tree with candles.

Transition to the Modern Day Christmas Tree:

Traditionally, Germans decorated their Christmas trees with fruits, nuts, small gifts, and other trinkets.  Glass ornaments also got their start in the famous glassblowing shops of Germany.  For this reason, our modern-day tradition of decorated Christmas trees is usually traced back to German heritage.

There was a period of time when Christmas trees were shunned by conservative Christians as idolatry.  In Puritan America, Christmas trees were not welcome in Christmas celebrations.  In England, decorated trees and Christmas carols were banned completely.  Fortunately, these days didn't last for too long.  In the mid-1800s, Queen Victoria of England and her royal family were photographed in front of their decorated family Christmas tree and the picture appeared in the London News.  From then on, decorated Christmas trees became widely popular in England and the United States.

The tradition of decorating evergreen trees at Christmastime has certainly evolved from the early historical accountsHealth Fitness Articles, but one thing remains the same.  A beautifully decorated Christmas tree is still an inspiring sight enjoyed by all that puts us in the holiday spirit each year.

Monday 4 November 2019

How to Install Kodi on Amazon Fire TV

Install Kodi on Fire Stick or Fire TV Stick is easier than you may assume. You don’t need to root anything, and it takes mere minutes.

Streaming video lovers are in all likelihood familiar with Kodi — and might also be acquainted with its previous iterations, XBMC and Xbox Media Center. While the platform has a (properly-deserved) reputation for delivering pirated content and the occasional piece of malware, it is absolutely viable to apply Kodi for valid functions. You can prepare your very own media library and deploy a ramification of unconventional accessories, among other things. However, it's not similarly smooth to install for every gadget. If you're questioning a way to set up Kodi on Amazon Fire TV systems, then look no in addition.

While Kodi is straightforward to install on a computer, getting it for a streaming tool is rather more difficult. That’s ironic, thinking about the app’s interface is optimized for TVs. Still, installing Kodi on a Fire TV Cube or Fire TV Stick is easier than you might assume. You don’t need to root your tool, and you may accomplish the whole technique in about five minutes in case you’re a brief typist.

1. Access your device settings.

In the Settings menu, click Device. This is in which you may manipulate your app set up permissions.

Secrets of Making Instant and Massive Cash Betting on Sports Online

Sports betting can very tricky and risky. However, this article is going to reveal some secrets to help you make some profitable bets.

It all starts with the choice of the bookmaker. Choose your bookmaker wisely. Do some due diligence to see if the bookmaker is suitable for you. Check all their offers, rating, payment and withdrawal methods, etc. You don't want to lose your money at first instant, so the advice is to make some research before finally picking any bookmaker or the company that provides the betting platform. Watch Sports Online Free

Don is not bet as a fan. Many people around the world are with teams mostly in the English Premier League and are great fans of most top popular teams in the world; Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea, Liverpool, Real Madrid, etc. There is that tendency to bet on sentiments because of the love of a team or putting on a team's jersey. But it is your money that is involved here not your passion and loyalty to your team. Betting should strictly be business. Study the teams before placing your bet. Do not bet on a team because you love that team. Get to know the team's strengths and weaknesses, analyze home and away performances. Take note of injuries, transfers and any other significant changes.

Always watch out for highly motivated teams. Teams battling for either promotion or relegation are highly motivated. Matches played by these teams are very critical. These teams go out of their way to play extraordinarily avoid relegation or gain promotions. A huge loss can be sustained by punters who do not have the basic system and strategy to handle this type of bet. A typical example of this is the surprise defeat of the top side Manchester United by the relegation prone Wigan Athletic in the 2011/12 English Premiership season. Very few bettors won this bet because they were equipped with the right information. And the reward was extremely high.

Stick to your betting systems, plans or strategy. This is where many punters go wrong. No matter the outcome of your bets, remain calm and stay with the original betting system that works for you even after losing. It is important to note that no system can guarantee 100% winning all the time. So your best bet is to win most of the time and stay in profit.

Do not chase your losses. In sports betting losing a bet or bets is inevitable. There are winning streaks and losing streaks. No matter what system or strategy you employ, there is a time to lose. Therefore do not panic when this happens by increasing your bets to recoup the loss but rather calm down and get back to the drawing board. With a good betting system or strategy in place, you can start winning again. Just take it easy and study your bets well.

You have to be in control of your betting scheme by being happy enough to make a profit. When you have made a profit according to your betting plan, quit playing for the moment and plan another bet. Always control your emotions while betting, for emotion can be quite dangerous leading you to reckless betting. Just base your interest in profit and your account balance.

Do not get carried away by big wins. Discipline is crucial in sports betting. Always define a bankroll and adhere strictly to It. No matter how well analyzed or attractive a bet is, never use all your betting money or bankroll to place a bet. Use only a fraction of not more than 10% percent of your total betting account for any bet. This is an effective way to manage your bankroll. Most e-books and manuals on sports betting include money management strategies. This strategy prevents you from depleting your betting account.

Do rush into betting at the beginning of the Season. Betting at this period can be very tricky. Always allow for a couple of matches to be played in the league before betting. If you can not resist then you may as well be betting for fun and not the profit.

Do not bet with a large stake without good information. It is not the information about how the games are played but information on how to make money betting on games played and at the same time have some fun doing so. knowledge is power in a general sense is but in sports betting, knowledge is money. The secret of this lucrative online business is information. With the right information, you are sure to become super-rich.