Christmas pyramid

A Christmas pyramid (German: Weihnachtspyramide) is a Christmas decoration that has its roots in the Ore Mountains of Germany but has become popular throughout the country. It is suggested that the Christmas pyramid is a predecessor of the Christmas tree. These pyramids are not limited to Christmas: in the Erzgebirge there was a custom of dancing around the "St. John's Tree", "a pyramid decked with garlands and flowers", at the summer solstice. Not actually pyramid-shaped, the Christmas pyramid is a kind of carousel with several levels, some depicting Christian motifs such as angels or manger scenes, and others with more secular motifs such as mountain-folk, forests, and other scenes from the everyday life of people in the Erzgebirge. The spinning motion of the pyramids is traditionally achieved with the help of candles whose rising heat spins a propeller above.