You Know You're a Nerd When...

You know you’re a nerd when you look at a Christmas stocking or tree and instead of just enjoying the beauty, you want to know the history behind it too. The more I learn about the past, the more I see the incredible influence of our ancestors, and how important our own decisions are. Like, who thought it would be a good idea to light candles and hang them in a highly flammable tree? House fires, anyone?

I mean, look how close that tinsel is to the flame?
Because I know you’re all dying to know the history, I’ll satisfy your curiosity. Martin Luther, the 16th century Protestant reformer, is credited for it. He was walking home one evening and saw the beautiful stars twinkling from the branches of an evergreen. He went home and tried to recreate the scene in his living room with a tree of his own. He wired candles to the branches, the lights symbolic of the star that led the Wisemen. I can’t think it’s silly anymore for someone to put candles in a tree. What a sweet and inspiring idea. Although, I won’t complain about my less hazardous string of twinkle lights.