Bonifacio. In the 7th century, Saint Boniface traveled to Thuringia, Germany, to preach the Gospel. Before Christmas, Saint Boniface came across a group of pagans intent on making a sacrifice at the foot of a large oak tree. At that time tree worship was common among pagans. This sacrificial rite angered the missionary and he attempted to dissuade them from committing the act. During this altercation, St. Boniface is said to have cut down an oak tree that was to be used in a sacrifice to the god Odin. According to legend, the pagans, in awe of the oak's rapid destruction, then asked him what they should do instead to celebrate Christmas. Noticing a small fir tree among the debris of the fallen oak, Saint Boniface asked each of them to take a fir tree home with them. He turned over a fir tree and used its triangular shape to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The newly converted pagans began to call the fir “the tree of God”. By the 12th century the tradition of hanging a fire tree upside down in homes during the Christmas season was practiced throughout Central Europe, from Krakow to the Carpathian highlands, and was seen as a symbol of Christianity. These trees were decorated with flowers, usually red, and fruit to symbolize