Christmas tree

A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer such as spruce, pine, or fir or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. Originally a Celtic custom, the Christmas tree developed in early modern Germany (where it is today called Weihnachtsbaum or Christbaum) with predecessors that can be traced to the 16th and possibly 15th century, in which devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. It acquired popularity beyond Germany during the second half of the 19th century, at first among the upper classes.

The tree was traditionally decorated with edibles such as apples, nuts, or other foods. In the 18th century, it began to be illuminated by candles which were ultimately replaced by Christmas lights after the advent of electrification. Today, there is a wide variety of traditional ornaments, such as garland, tinsel, and candy canes. An angel or star might be placed at the top of the tree to represent the archangel Gabriel or the Star of Bethlehem from the Nativity.

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day (Old English: Crīstesmæsse, meaning "Christ's Mass") is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed most commonly on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is prepared for by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night; in some traditions, Christmastide includes an Octave. Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world's nations, is celebrated culturally by a large number of non-Christian people, and is an integral part of the holiday season, while some Christian groups reject the celebration. In several countries, celebrating Christmas Eve on December 24 has the main focus rather than December 25, with gift-giving and sharing a traditional meal with the family.

Tree

In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, supporting branches and leaves in most species. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are usable as lumber or plants above a specified height. Trees are not a taxonomic group but include a variety of plant species that have independently evolved a woody trunk and branches as a way to tower above other plants to compete for sunlight. In looser senses, the taller palms, the tree ferns, bananas and bamboos are also trees. Trees tend to be long-lived, some reaching several thousand years old. The tallest known tree, a coast redwood named Hyperion, stands 115.6 m (379 ft) high. Trees have been in existence for 370 million years. It is estimated that there are just over 3 trillion mature trees in the world.

A tree typically has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground by the trunk. This trunk typically contains woody tissue for strength, and vascular tissue to carry materials from one part of the tree to another. For most trees it is surrounded by a layer of bark which serves as a protective barrier. Below the ground, the roots branch and spread out widely; they serve to anchor the tree and extract moisture and nutrients from the soil. Above ground, the branches divide into smaller branches and shoots. The shoots typically bear leaves, which capture light energy and convert it into sugars by photosynthesis, providing the food for the tree's growth and development. Flowers and fruit may also be present, but some trees, such as conifers, instead have pollen cones and seed cones; others, such as tree ferns, produce spores instead.

Kevin MacLeod

Kevin MacLeod or Kevin McLeod may refer to:

Kevin MacLeod (musician), US-American musician and soundtrack composer

Kevin McLeod (footballer) (born 1980), English footballer

Kevin McLeod (Australian footballer) (born 1949), Australian footballer for Footscray

Kevin McLeod (ice hockey) (born 1984), Canadian former ice hockey defenceman

Kevin S. MacLeod (born 1951), Canadian Secretary to the Queen of Canada

Kevin Macleod, member of folk music group The Singing Kettle

Kane (wrestler)

Glenn Thomas Jacobs (born April 26, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He works for WWE, and is best known by his ring name Kane. Jacobs began his professional wrestling career on the independent circuit in 1992. He wrestled in promotions such as Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW) and the United States Wrestling Association (USWA) before joining the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) in 1995. Jacobs played various characters until 1997, when he was repackaged as Kane, the monstrous and/or demonic younger brother of The Undertaker, with whom Jacobs would alternatively feud or team as The Brothers of Destruction.

Following his debut, Kane remained a pivotal component of the company's Attitude Era of the late 1990s and early 2000s, defeating Stone Cold Steve Austin for the WWF Championship in his first pay-per-view (PPV) main event at King of the Ring 1998. He has continued to compete in world championship PPV matches through the mid 2010s.

Kane has won 18 total championships during his WWF/E career, including being a three-time world champion (having held the WWF Championship, ECW Championship, and World Heavyweight Championship once each) and a 12-time world tag team champion, having held the WWF/E (World) Tag Team Championship, WCW Tag Team Championship, and WWE Tag Team Championships with various partners. He is also a two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion and a 2010 Money in the Bank winner. Two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair has called Kane "the best in the world".

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'Christmas Tree' is featured as a movie character in the following productions:

Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! (2012)

Actors: Jessica Hynes (actress), David Tennant (actor), David Tennant (actor), Ian McNeice (actor), Pam Ferris (actress), David Rogers (producer), Stephanie Collie (costume designer), Eleanor Grant (actress), Laurence Brown (producer), Jason Watkins (actor), Laurence Brown (miscellaneous crew), John Kearney (miscellaneous crew), Mark Vennis (producer), Joanna Page (actress), Gary Phillips (producer),

Plot: This sequel to the popular British comedy sees a new teacher (David Tennant) take over. When he enters his school in the National 'Song for Christmas' Competition, he and his pregnant wife, and the schoolchildren, embark on an epic road trip that ends up with a birth and a donkey, where he must embrace his fears and become a hero.