Leijpark013

@leijpark013 · 20 Jun 2023

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Leijpark013 Fine Spruce

Written by Thierry P. Dinjens ·

In the Leijpark, we find a tree that everyone knows: the Fine Spruce. And why does everyone know about the Fijnspar? This tree is the traditional Christmas tree. We call it “pine tree” in the Christmas song, but it is a spruce. The confusion is complete when we know that each spruce is a pine tree, but that aside.
Why the spruce as a Christmas tree? It starts with tree worship by the Old Teutons. They worshipped an oak tree dedicated to the god of thunder, Donar. Now, the ancient saga says that in the year of Our Lords 725, the famous Winfried (also known as the Apostle of Germany) was in the heart of the German state of Saxony. There he came across an old oak tree around which pagans wanted to sacrifice a child. He rescued the child, cut down the oak on the spot and lo and behold: behind that mighty oak, a small spruce appeared. The spruce has a triangular shape, a clear symbol of the Holy Trinity: The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Moreover, the spruce is evergreen, a sign of eternal life, and Jesus, who returned from the realm of the dead, also symbolizes eternal life. And so the pagan oak made way for the Christian spruce. Or rather: the Protestant spruce, because it remained a pagan custom for the Catholic Church. People should honor Jesus, not a tree. The Protestants have made the use of the Christmas tree by the masses.
The Spruce is an important tree for the timber trade. After all, the tree provides the popular spruce wood, which has many uses, from planks to ship masts, from piles to violins. And: in the construction of houses. That's why the spruce owes its name. A wooden beam, the so-called ridge or frost beam, used to lie on the roof of a house. It lay in the forked end of another beam, the spruce. These spruces were cut from the spruce tree, ie the spruce (read: Spruce).
Turpentine was made from the resin of the tree, including pitch and tar, and the buds were made into spruce beer.
According to old popular belief, each spruce had a tree spirit and was regularly addressed. When a farmer got gout, he went to the Spruce with its associated tree spirit and asked him to take over the disease. The Spruce subsequently did not become ill but passed on the condition to a passing animal, preferably a bird. In return, the Spruce was well cared for and certainly not cut.
In the Leijpark, we like to see the branches with tightly spaced needles. Especially in the winter, when the snow stays on it, it's like we too are a mountain country, with thick spruce forests that survive in extremely harsh conditions. It is remarkable that we never see insects flying around spruces, even though there is certainly a period when they bloom. That's for a reason: conifers, including spruces, are wind bloomers. The flowers are pollinated by the wind. Later, the fir cones form, which are usually a bit finer and slimmer than pine cones.
De Spruce, a tree with a rich past and present, including us, where pagans and believers come together, set up the stall for Christmas. Or not, then it's just colourful Christmas balls, garlands and a candy cane here and there. All in all, it remains a gem of a tree that we can discuss together for years to come.