DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

 Why do we have a decorated Christmas Tree? In the 7th century a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, went to Germany to teach the Word of God. He did many good works there, and spent much time in Thuringia, an area which was to become the cradle of the Christmas Decoration Industry.    Legend has it that he used the triangular shape of the Fir Tree to describe the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The converted people began to revere the Fir tree as God's Tree, as they had previously revered the Oak. By the 12th century it was being hung, upside-down, from ceilings at Christmastime in Central Europe, as a symbol of Christianity.    The first decorated tree was at Riga in Latvia, in 1510. In the early 16th century, Martin Luther is said to have decorated a small Christmas Tree with candles, to show his children how the stars twinkled through the dark night.   Christmas Markets     In the mid 16th century, Christmas markets were set up in German

   The Fiesta de los Diablitos translates as the Festival of Little Devils, but its true meaning is closer to the Festival of the Ancestral Spirits. This annual celebration takes place in Boruca and Rey Curre, two villages that are home to the Brunka indigenous tribe. The town of Boruca celebrates the three-day festival at the end of December or beginning of January, while Rey Curre holds their fiesta during the first week of February.    This indigenous festival celebrates the Brunka tribe's victory over the Spanish conquistadors  with masks, costumes, and traditions that date back generations. Many village men dress up as diablitos, or the ancestral spirits, and one representative takes the roll of a bull, which represents the Spanish conquerors.    During the festival, the bull and the diablitos dance around a fire, in a ritual known as the Dance of the Diablitos. The celebration lasts for three days and while it appears at times that the bull might win, on