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in an email to Patricia LTD, date Thursday, January 17, 2002, 5:51:37 PM
.......
Hello and New Year Greetings from England!
I found your site whilst searching for something else. I notice that you
link to my site www.christmasarchives.com/tree.html
I am happy about this, thank you for the compliment.
I also notice that you have printed some news items about the Riga first
tree.
These are contradicting the original text by me, and also by Snyder, The
Christmas Tree, which is also referred to on your pages.
The Riga tree reference and the Martin Luther Tree reference are two
different references. The Martin Luther Tree was not the Riga Tree. In
fact, little is known about the original Riga tree other than the fact that it was
attended by men wearing black hats, and that after a ceremony, they burn the
tree. This was a mixture of pagan and Christian custom, as were very many of
the customs in Central Europe.
The Martin Luther Tree was several decades later. The report in the Baltic
Times newspaper seems to have put the two events together to
make one.
I hope that you do not mind me telling you this, but as Riga is very important in the History of the Christmas Tree, I thought it best to tell
you so that you will not have erroneous information.
If I can assist you in any way, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Best and Warm wishes, and congratulations on a very attractive site. I hope
to have the opportunity to visit your Christmas market next year.
Maria
Countess Maria Hubert von Staufer
Christmas Archives International UK
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