Village Break

Why is the Christmas tree part of the Christmas holiday tradition?

I mean, even if this christmas holiday honors Jesus Crist, or is just a pagan holiday(which I think it most likely is) what does a tree have to do with Christmas?

Public Comments

1. Christmas is what YOU make of it, whether it's religious or not, it's entirely up to you.
   
   
   
   As far as the origin of the Christmas tree, take your pick of these legends:
   
   http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/origin-of-the-christmas-tree-faq.htm
   
   .
2. It came from the German worship of a tree God (as does our knocking on wood, it was how they got the god's attention). When the Germans converted to Christianity, they incorporated that into their new religion. It came to the rest of the world during the reign of Queen Victoria of England when she married Prince Albert who was German. He brought his traditions to the queen's household, and since everyone wanted to copy the queen, the tradition spread through England and then the US. The Germans put candles on their trees, though.
3. In some cultures a tree was brought in the home to remind us that spring will come again despite the winter storms blowing outside.
   
   I don't believe that was pagan or Christian affiliated tradition, just a reminder of the spring to come... but some people believe that it was pagan in origination such as with the Norse (see second source) I have heard that it stemmed from pagan, and that it was not affiliated with anything but of the hope and reminder of the spring to come.
   
   (of course, I always wondered -- in those cultures... did they cut down the tree or pot it? :op )
4. I dont't know... Why does the Easter BUNNY hide EGGS???
   
   
   
   I think a drunk came up with these holiday's and their traditions!!!
5. who careess....
6. This was incorporated into the catholic religion to get more converts
7. Jeremiah 10:2-5: 2. Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
   
   
   
   I would recommend that everyone go to a pagan web site to really find out what Halloween (Samhain), Easter (the Spring Equinox), and Christmas are really about. The jack-o-lanterns, trick-or-treating, the easter bunny, colored eggs, the christmas tree, EVERYTHING that this country is practicing is PAGAN! Jesus never put ornaments on a Christmas tree, but pagans in Europe used to put trinkets representing wishes onto trees as offerings to the spirits... I realized that Christianity that is practiced today has NOTHING to do with Jesus.
8. I think http://askmuslims.com/Christmas.html gives you the best facts about Christmas with "What Did Jesus Say About Christmas?" and then what Bible has to say. A must read article.