O Tannenbaum O Tannenbaum "" (; "O fir tree", English: "O Christmas Tree") is a German Christmas song. Based on a traditional folk song, it became associated with the traditional Christmas tree by the early 20th century and sung as a Christmas carol. The modern lyrics were written in 1824, by the Leipzig organist, teacher and composer Ernst Anschütz. A "Tannenbaum" is a fir tree. The lyrics do not actually refer to Christmas, or describe a decorated Christmas tree. Instead, they refer to the fir's evergreen quality as a symbol of constancy and faithfulness. Anschütz based his text on a 16th-century Silesian
Elhanan Tannenbaum in 2008 was working as a taxi driver. In 2010, he was arrested for failing to pay debts totaling some NIS 2 million ($550,000). While in court, he claimed that he had recently completed his law studies and was about to begin an internship. Tannenbaum married in 1971, and had a son, Ori, and a daughter, Keren. Tannenbaum later divorced his wife. Elhanan Tannenbaum Elhanan Tannenbaum, (, born 12 August 1946) is a former reserve colonel in the Israel Defense Forces and businessman, who was kidnapped in 2000 and held for more than three years by the Lebanese militant group