CHRISTMAS TALES ITV
3x45
ITV1
Dec 2009
In this three- part series, Fiona Phillips focuses on three of our most enduring and best-loved, festive icons; Father Christmas, Angels and Christmas Trees. Each programme will explain how they all became an integral part of the Christmas story, and how different historical events shaped the images we have of them today.
Some of these events were described in the Bible, with the original accounts embellished throughout the centuries. A few have their roots in religions much older than Christianity. Several are the result of ancient traditions evolving down the ages. Others owe more to the advent of commerce than the spiritual celebration of Christ’s birth.
But all the background events, myths and legends combine to give us a fresh understanding of how and why we celebrate December 25th in the way we do.
The first film traces the development of the Christmas tree, from pre-Christian times to 16th century Germany, when Protestant reformist Martin Luther began the tradition of putting lights on trees. It was his fellow countryman Prince Albert who, along with Queen Victoria, started a 19th century craze for trees in the living room, which still persists to this day. The programme shows how the tree has since become a worldwide icon, requiring millions of acres of forests in North America, mainland Europe and UK to satisfy our annual demand. It also features the British tree growers holding their annual competition to determine who supplies the tree for Downing Street.
The second film investigates the origins of the world’s most instantly recognizable character, Father Christmas. Real-life saint, pagan figure, commercial creation – or a mix of all three? Whoever Santa was really based on, Fiona discovers that our modern day idea of the jolly, bearded man is far removed from the sometimes fearsome character who children were taught to believe in down the centuries.
In the final programme, she looks at the role of angels in the Christmas story, particularly Gabriel who, according to the Bible, gave Mary the news that she was to give birth to the son of God. Although Gabriel is depicted in thousands of paintings and sculptures – as well as in countless school nativity plays – the Bible gives us no visual description. So how did our idea of the winged figure originally take hold? And where does Gabriel really sit in the hierarchy of Heaven?
 back
|
