Posted on 12/01/2025 7:39:10 PM PST by CondoleezzaProtege
The Christmas tree tradition emerged from the “sacred trees” of Northern European mythology such as Yggdrasil, the giant ash tree at the center of the Norse cosmos that holds all the worlds in its roots and branches.
It is said that St. Boniface came upon one such sacred tree during his mission to the Germanic tribes in 723. Upon finding devotees preparing to sacrifice a child to Thor at the “Thunder Oak,” Boniface intervened and miraculously chopped down the tree with one swift swing. He used its wood to build a Christian chapel, and in the spot where the oak had stood, he placed a small fir tree.
Perhaps unaware, St. Boniface gathered up all the traditions that use evergreens at the Winter Solstice to mark fertility and new life in a time of darkness. A tree that is forever green and points to heaven can stand for Christ.
Though the Reformation sought to rid Christianity of “pagan” vestiges, it actually expanded the Christmas tree tradition and returned it closer to its indigenous roots. After wandering home through the winter forest at night, Martin Luther put candles on a tree to evoke the stars above, making the Christmas tree a more perfect image of the cosmos. To Luther, the tree remained a symbol of Christ, but in giving it a cosmic scope, he was also unconsciously portraying Christ as the new Yggdrasil.
(Excerpt) Read more at americamagazine.org ...
There’s also some interesting things, if people would look, about All Hallow’s Eve.
Aka Halloween.
Everything started somewhere at some time in the life of our planet.
Things and customs and ceremonies, in the eye of time, have mostly suffered the old telephone game. Point, Pythagoras’ four elements, i.e., Earth, air, fire, and water, once were assigned the four compass points to explain characteristic points of said elements, aka, correspondences.
Air and fire get switched back and forth, and both switches are accepted.
And Paul said christians didnt need vear the pagan sacrificial meat which was cheaper to buy (they would sacrifice the animals to their pagan gods, then sell the meat). Buying the meat didnt mean they were participating in worshipping pagan gods. Paul mzde that clear.
I bet fruitcake has “pagan origins”
Probably one can say that about a lot of things. Similarity of appearance does not always mean a common origin.
I didn’t know thay. Iss it from a scripture? What one? That’s good to know.
Killing a tree and bringing it inside your house, decorating it while it’s desiccating has always seemed very odd to me. I remember my uncle bringing a small fir complete with a burlap-wrapped rootball into his house. The tree-in-the-house thing still seemed weird, but he planted it after Christmas. These days, I prefer the Festivus pole. Some years, when we’ve been extra busy, we even skip the pole and just go with the feats of strength.
.
“I prefer the Festivus pole. Some years, when we’ve been extra busy, we even skip the pole and just go with the feats of strength.”
Maybe you should just convert to Judaism before mocking Christianity and Christmas celebration of Christ’s birth. Be authentic for goodness sake’s man. Jerry Stiller is a Jew. At least he has authenticity.
Lighten up, Francis!
Maybe there should be a comedy show of Christians encountering weird and quirky Jews essentially mocking them in every episode. At the holidays the cast can make a menorah out of cow dung and light a pile every night. The punch line is they didn’t think it would stink up the whole apartment complex. Wouldn’t that be funny?
“Lighten up Francis”
Ppl used to be respectful towards others’ religions and religious observances. Well, Christians at least.
When paul tzlks about our liberties in Christ. He states thzt all food is good and that it is not what goes into them that defiles them but what comes out of the heart
https://biblehub.com/study/1_corinthians/10-25.htm
If a person celebrwtes halloween for the purpose of celebrating pagan dieties, then yeah, tha5 is sin, but those who do so as just a fun time with family show that 5heir hearts are not wrong. It isnt the celebra5ion that is 3vil it is the intent opf the person celebrating it that makes it evil or not.
Christmas trees have nothing to do with Christ.
But go ahead, put one up, have fun with it.
In my case The Airing of Grievances would take all year.
I think it would take you that long just for the Detroit Lions.
From ChatGPT:
The Festivus scene in Seinfeld was inspired by Dan O’Keefe, a writer for the show. The holiday itself, Festivus, was actually a real, somewhat quirky holiday that Dan O’Keefe’s father, Daniel O’Keefe Sr., had created in 1966 as a family tradition.
Dan O’Keefe adapted it for the Seinfeld episode “The Strike” (Season 9, Episode 10, aired in 1997), where it became famous with its rituals like the Airing of Grievances and the Feats of Strength.
I think it would take you that long just for the Detroit Lions.
And the Gators football program.
Don’t need to fear it. But it is worth remembering before freaking out about somebody not calling it a Christmas tree. Cause it wasn’t always and doesn’t have to be now.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.