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Human beings, observing the growth and death of trees, and the annual death and revival of their foliage, [1] [2] have often seen them as powerful symbols of growth, death and rebirth. Evergreen trees, which largely stay green throughout these cycles, are sometimes considered symbols of the eternal, immortality or fertility.
Sacred trees and groves are mentioned throughout the history of the ancient Germanic people, from their earliest attestations among Roman scribes to references made by medieval Christian monks. Notable examples of sacred trees and groves in the historical record among the ancient Germanic peoples include the following:
Lime tree in culture – uses of the lime (linden) tree by humans; Rose symbolism – a more expansive list of symbolic meanings of the rose; Apple (symbolism) – a more expansive list of symbolic means for apples
The General Grant Tree is the only living national shrine in the United States. Giant sequoias, the most massive trees on earth, are viewed as sacred symbols in America. [20] Promoted by John Muir using biblical language after their discovery in the 19th century, these trees helped inspire the creation of the national park system.
Like an evergreen tree, a poinsettia plant can be kept alive all year long, while the shape of the petals resembles a star. The colors of the Christmas plants are symbolic as well. The bold red ...
Other sources have offered a connection between the symbolism of the first documented Christmas trees in Germany around 1600 and the trees of pre-Christian traditions. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, "The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands to symbolize eternal life was a custom of the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and ...
Many types of trees found in the Celtic nations are considered to be sacred, whether as symbols, or due to medicinal properties, or because they are seen as the abode of particular nature spirits. Historically and in folklore, the respect given to trees varies in different parts of the Celtic world.
Trees in Chinese mythology and culture tend to range from more-or-less mythological such as the Fusang tree and the Peaches of Immortality cultivated by Xi Wangmu to mythological attributions to such well-known trees, such as the pine, the cypress, the plum and other types of prunus, the jujube, the cassia, and certain as yet unidentified trees.