Christmas Pyramids

The emergence of the Christmas pyramid goes back in the Middle Ages:

In this time it was usual in south and western Europe to hang in the dwelling evergreen branches

up (e.g. buchsbaum) in order to turn mischief away in the dark time. In north and eastern Europe

the people tried this with the help of the strength of the light. The Christmas pyramid united both

customs and became particularly in the ore mountains a symbol for Christmas. In Germany in

18. "light racks" admitted century were the origin of the today's pyramids.

It consisted of four staffs entwined with green branches, that were provided with lights at the

upper end tied together. In the large cities developped the Christmas tree, which is to be found

nowadays nearly everywhere in Europe, but the poorer miners of the ore mountains did not see in

this basic form a simple tree with lights, on the contrary it reminded it of a "Pferdegoepel" (if you

don't know what it mean you can see it on the picture). The inhabitants of the Ore Mountains

talented in the carving art and mechanical handicrafts began now with the filling of the inside

empty staff rack with lives:

In the center of the rack a staff assigned to which different plates were fastened with figures, to

the upper end of the staff came an impeller, which the ascending warm air of the candles used, to

thus shift the staff and the plates in motion. The basic principle of the christmas pyramid was

created.

Here you find a website over christmas nutcracker.