We all have traditions when it comes to Christmas. However, most people don’t look too hard at where their traditions came from. For many people, they do what their parents have done, and their parents do what their parents did, and the cycle continues. However, this year, before you decide to start decorating your full artificial Christmas trees and celebrating with your normal traditions, you may want to look at the history of these traditions. And we have two traditions that you may use while decorating or celebrating around your full artificial Christmas trees that actually have a darker beginning than what most people think.
The History and Significance of “Good King Wenceslas”
A popular Christmas carol is “Good King Wenceslas” which is about a king who is kind and helps a poor peasant in a snowstorm. After all, Christmas is all about giving back for some people, so it makes sense that this Christmas carol is one that has inspired full artificial Christmas trees décor as well as be something that you sing during the holiday. However, did you know that this song was actually inspired by a real person?
Born in 907 AD, Wenceslaus I, Duke of Behmia was raised by his mother, after his father Vratislaus I died. His mother raised him with her family, and was the daughter of a pagan tribal chief. What is interesting is that Wenceslaus was murdered in 935 AD by orders of his brother. He was stabbed repeatedly with a lance, while he was praying in front of a church.
It is a sad story, but not much else is known. Why did he become the inspiration for this song? Many people like to theorize that it was because he was a kind man that would help those who needed it, and perhaps was punished for this attitude.