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sannhet, thanks for that great information
Christmas trees go against the Christian religion. Very interesting.
posted by
SuccessWarrior
on November 30, 2006 at 5:47 PM
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Success -
Some interesting facts about the Christmas Tree (from ReligiousTolerance.com)
- The Prophet Jeremiah condemned as Pagan the ancient Middle Eastern practice of cutting down trees, bringing them into the home and decorating them. Of course, these were not really Christmas trees, because Jesus was not born until centuries later, and the use of Christmas trees was not introduced for many centuries after his birth. Apparently, in Jeremiah's time the "heathen" would cut down trees, carve or decorate them in the form of a god or goddess, and overlay it with precious metals. Some Christians feel that this Pagan practice was similar enough to our present use of Christmas trees that this passage from Jeremiah can be used to condemn both:
Jeremiah 10:2-4: "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. 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. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not." (KJV).
- In Europe, Pagans in the past did not cut down evergreen trees, bring them into their homes and decorate them. That would have been far too destructive of nature. But during the Roman celebration of the feast of Saturnalia, Pagans did decorate their houses with clippings of evergreen shrubs. They also decorated living trees with bits of metal and replicas of their God, Bacchus. Tertullian (circa 160 - 230), an early Christian leader and a prolific writer, complained that too many fellow-Christians had copied the Pagan practice of adorning their houses with lamps and with wreathes of laurel at Christmas time.
- The English Puritans condemned a number of customs associated with Christmas, such as the use of the Yule log, holly, mistletoe, etc. Oliver Cromwell preached against "the heathen traditions" of Christmas carols, decorated trees and any joyful expression that desecrated "that sacred event."
- In America, the Pilgrim's second governor, William Bradford, a Puritan, tried hard to stamp out all "pagan mockery" at Christmas time. Christmas trees were not used by Puritans in colonial times. However, if they were, they would certainly have been forbidden.
- In 1851, Pastor Henry Schwan of Cleveland OH appears to have been the person responsible for decorating the first Christmas tree in an American church. His parishioners condemned the idea as a Pagan practice; some even threatened the pastor with harm. But objections soon dissipated.
posted by
sannhet
on November 30, 2006 at 3:04 PM
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SuccessWarrior - or the new tree could finally grow once the shade of the
oak tree had been removed?
In any event it has become another tradition that has long since lost its original meaning or significance. I don't think there is any legitmate objection to the practice continuing as Chrsitmas trees are a managed crop. (one of my jobs in high school was planting, pruning and harvesting Christmas trees for an outfit called "Twinkle Trees") It is a very lucrative business if the growing land can be leased cheap enough.
posted by
gomedome
on November 30, 2006 at 2:43 PM
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Gome, let me get this straight.
A Christian cuts down an oak tree out of spite. God replaces it with a fir tree and this guy thinks that somehow symbolizes Christianity?
Maybe it does. Maybe no matter how hard Christians try to destroy people and the planet, new growth will always reappear in defiance.
posted by
SuccessWarrior
on November 30, 2006 at 2:14 PM
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SuccessWarrior - I clipped this from a website somehere.
"The fir tree has a long association with Christianity, it began in Germany almost 1,000 years ago when St Boniface, who converted the German people to Christianity, was said to have come across a group of pagans worshipping an oak tree. In anger, St Boniface is said to have cut down the oak tree and to his amazement a young fir tree sprung up from the roots of the oak tree. St Boniface took this as a sign of the Christian faith. But it was not until the 16th century that fir trees were brought indoors at Christmas time."
Yep, another tradition we can thank the pagans for.
posted by
gomedome
on November 30, 2006 at 1:48 PM
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Ben, I've heard of the gift giving and the food.
I don't know anything about the Yule log.
posted by
SuccessWarrior
on November 30, 2006 at 9:07 AM
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Unfortunately, I don't have an answer to your question. I'd heard about gift-giving and the burning of a Yule log coming from pagan times, shamelessly borrowed from religions more ancient than Christianity, but I don't know the origin of the Christmas tree.
posted by
kidnykid
on November 30, 2006 at 9:01 AM
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