By Mary O’KEEFE

When people think about ancient Egypt they typically think of pyramids rather than Christmas trees but the Christmas tree can actually be traced back to ancient Egypt and Rome.

Green plants had a special meaning in the winter. Ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits and illness, according to history.com.

In ancient times many cultures believed the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the sun god had become sick. So winter solstice was celebrated, usually around Dec. 21-22. Ancient humans believed this was the time the sun god would begin to get well again. Evergreen plants reminded people that the sun god was strong and would return again in the summer.

Egyptians, who worshiped the god Ra, would fill their homes with green palm rushes symbolizing triumph of life over death. Romans celebrated solstice with a feast called Saturnalia, honoring the god of agriculture, Saturn. They would also decorate their homes with evergreen boughs to remind them that the farms and orchards would once again turn green. Druids in Northern Europe were the priests of the ancient Celts. They decorated their temples with evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life.

The idea of Christmas trees in the U.S. comes from German settlers of Pennsylvania. Trees had become a German tradition and when Germans came to America they brought that holiday idea with them. But their ideas weren’t readily accepted and, apparently as late as the 1840s, Christmas trees were seen as pagan symbols and not accepted by a lot of Americans.

Religious puritans like Oliver Cromwell called the traditions of Christmas carols, tree decorating and any joyful expression that desecrated “that sacred event” were “heathen traditions.” There was a law that made any observance other than church service of Dec. 25 a penal offense. People were fined for hanging decorations.

But that all changed when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (who was from Germany) were sketched standing with their children around a Christmas tree. All of a sudden everyone wanted to be like the royals and Christmas trees were welcomed into homes.

And now the quest for the perfect tree is part of the holiday season. There are many places in the Crescenta Valley where people can get their trees including at the Crescenta Cañada YMCA where the funds go toward supporting its youth programs that benefit hundreds of kids. And then there is Ron Smith’s Christmas tree lot. For 51 years Ron Smith has sold his trees in the community where he has such deep roots.

This year I went to Smith’s for our tree and it was more like a community party than a tree lot. Smith was out talking to everyone, and I mean everyone. Families who have been going to this lot for generations would choose their tree and then take a photo, but it included not only their family – they invited Smith to join in.

“This is my doctor,” said one person at the lot when she met a family picking out a tree.

“He’s my doctor, too,” Smith said.

There were CVHS graduates and parents of graduates as well as people who just stopped by because they saw the sign advertising Christmas trees for sale. I know this happens at the lot at the Y as well, which is what makes this community such a special place to live. Community is everywhere and somehow, at least for the moment we were all picking out our trees, it really did seem like there’s peace on earth and goodwill toward all.

Since this is the weather column, I must look at how climate change has affected Christmas trees.

It takes eight years for a Noble fir seedling to mature to seven-to-eight feet and, as summers get hotter, tree growers in Oregon are trying to adjust to the change. They are starting to develop tree varieties that are more drought and heat resistant but that will take awhile. In the meantime, a lot of farmers have reported this year more burnt or wilted tips and branches on their trees. The tree damage really depends on where in Oregon they are planted. The extreme heat mixed with the already dry summer didn’t just affect seedlings; the weather also had adverse effects on mature tree stands, according to Chal Lundgren, a Christmas tree farmer and Oregon State University Extension’s Christmas tree specialist. His comments were in the article “Climate Change and the Future of Christmas Trees” from Oregon State University.

The weather for the area is more of the same. From today through Tuesday we will see highs in the upper 50s and lows in the mid-to-low 40s. There is a slight chance of rain on Friday night, a 30% chance of rain on Saturday after 10 a.m. and then again in the evening through to Sunday. Monday will be mostly clear. It looks like Tuesday and Wednesday of next week will be a little colder with highs in the upper 50s during the day and then dropping to the upper 30s in the evening. No rain expected from Monday to Friday, but the weather is predicted to be cloudy.