Christmas Tree
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Real Identity: Not Applicable
Appearances (BTAS): Christmas With The Joker
Appearances (JL): Comfort and Joy
Powers/Skills: Celebration
Voiced By: Not Applicable
Dating back to ancient times, during the Winter Solstice, the Chinese, Druids, and Egyptians decorated trees to symbolize eternal life and celebrate the coming of the Spring season. In Christian history, Saint Boniface, from the German town of Geismar, cut down the tree of Thor to question the power of the Norse gods. He noticed a fir tree growing at the same spot and interpreted it as a sign of God. Martin Luthor, the 15th century priest, attributed the Christmas Tree as a symbol of the Tree of Life from the Garden of Eden. The actually act of decorating a Christmas Tree was believed to have taken place between the 14 and 16th century in Estonia, Livonia, or northern Germany. The tradition spread across Europe east to Russia and west to England, Canada, and the United States of America.
In America, the White House's National Christmas Tree is a treasured event. As a gift of friendship since their World War II alliance, Norway gives a Christmas Tree to London and Washington DC. Until modern times, it was believed to be bad luck to erect a Christmas Tree before December 24th or leave it up after January 6th. Today, due to the excess of commercialization, Christmas Trees and other holiday decorations are put up as early as October to begin the billion dollar industry. However, one Christmas Tree was used by the Joker to escape Arkham Asylum. Somehow, he managed to secretly outfit it with a rocket. During an annual tree decoration ceremony, the Joker ignited the tree and blasted off.