Description
In the month of December, millions of Canadian homes sparkle with the warmth, light, and colour of Christmas. At the center of the festive magic presides the Christmas tree—each one unique. This 2011 $20 one once fine silver coin captures the beauty and magic of the season with a traditional holiday scene including a star-topped Christmas tree in a front parlour window with lovingly wrapped gifts arranged at its base. The tree is enhanced with five green Swarovski crystals, each one refracting light and bringing the tree to life. As a pure silver coin struck by the Royal Canadian Mint, this item is HST/GST exempt.
The History of the Christmas Tree:
The history of the Christmas tree in Canada is believed to date back to the winter of 1781, when it was introduced by German soldiers in the town of Sorel, Quebec. That year, German forces led by General Friedrich Adolf Riedesel were working alongside the British army to protect Canada from invasion by American revolutionaries. To raise the spirits of soldiers and townspeople alike, General Riedesel and his wife hosted a Christmas party that featured a traditional German Christmas tree decorated with treats, gifts, and candlelight.
Within a century, the practice of decorating a fir tree at Christmas had become widespread among the noble classes of Europe. When England’s Queen Victoria married German Prince Albert in 1840, he introduced the Christmas tree tradition to the British court. From there, the practice was widely popularized among the citizens of England and North America. By the late nineteenth century, a few upper-middle class homes in Canada and the United States, as well as town halls and department stores, had taken up the annual tradition. However, the middle class as a whole eventually embraced the tradition later during the first half of the twentieth century.
Today, watching the tree lights sparkling in windows is one of the great joys of a Canadian Christmas. This imagery is beautifully captured in just over one ounce of pure silver on this Royal Canadian Mint Christmas Tree coin.
