Holiday Tree question

[pants]

Does any other religion other then Christianity use a tree to celebrate the upcoming holiday???

[PlayaMama]

well, not sure if i count as a religion necessarily, but we're using a tree to celebrate the solstice. we're not pagans or anything really but we do have seasonal celebrations.

in fact, i didn't realize the tree was a christian thing? i always thought the tree was pagan in origin.

can someone tell me how the tree came to be associated with christians?

[EarthMommy80]

Originally Posted by PlayaMama

well, not sure if i count as a religion necessarily, but we're using a tree to celebrate the solstice. we're not pagans or anything really but we do have seasonal celebrations.

in fact, i didn't realize the tree was a christian thing? i always thought the tree was pagan in origin.

can someone tell me how the tree came to be associated with christians?

The tree has Pagan origins, but I'm sure the reason that it was adapted by Christians was because many Pagan holidays were transformed/adapted to become acceptable for Christians so that when the Christians were converting the Pagans they still had many of the old traditions.

We have a tree to celebrate the solstice also.

[PlayaMama]

that's what i always thought.

is there any special significance of the tree to christians? like, for example, i can see why a nativity scene is associated with christians, or why the cross is a symbol associated with christianity... but the tree?

what does the tree have to do with jesus christ?

[pants]

Originally Posted by PlayaMama

that's what i always thought.

is there any special significance of the tree to christians? like, for example, i can see why a nativity scene is associated with christians, or why the cross is a symbol associated with christianity... but the tree?

what does the tree have to do with jesus christ?

Here are a few things that may help answer your question

Christmas Tree=evergreen: symbol of eternal life and the tree: biblical reference to cross

Star or Angel on top of tree=Star of Bethlehem (the one the wise men followed) and Angels who announced Christ's birth

Lights=Jesus is light of the world

Ball Ornaments=our world was created by God; the different colors remind us that the Gospel is for all different nations and peoples on the earth

[pants]

I figured about the solstice but I was wondering about muslim, hindu, jewish and the like too.

[PlayaMama]

thank you for those points.

i'd never actually heard how the tree was associated with christianity before and honestly, i'd always thought the tree was more of a secular part of the celebration that hard-core christians didn't use because of the pagan underpinnings.

kind of like santa.

eta: i said hard-core christians but what i meant by that was the born-again christians that i have met. they seemed very strict about the celebration being only jesus' birth with none of the secular trappings, and well, very strict about their faith being the only true way to heaven. so i tend to think of them as really strict or hard-core christians. no offense is intended so i hope none is taken.

[smeisnotapirate]

No tree for Chanukah. We do candles, though we do candles for every holiday.

This one is candles and fried food.

But no tree.

[flapjack]

Originally Posted by pants

I figured about the solstice but I was wondering about muslim, hindu, jewish and the like too.

I think that generally people figure that God wants them to worship with what they're given. An evergreen tree is going to be a meaningless symbol to someone in a temperate climate, let alone a desert.

I'm kind of bewildered by the idea that an evergreen tree is a crucifixion reference, though : I always thought that it was part of the need to convert Mithraists to Xianity by adopting their celebrations, hook, line and sinker.

[pants]

Originally Posted by flapjack

I'm kind of bewildered by the idea that an evergreen tree is a crucifixion reference, though : I always thought that it was part of the need to convert Mithraists to Xianity by adopting their celebrations, hook, line and sinker.

FYI
The Greek and Latin words corresponding to "crucifixion" applied to many different forms of painful execution, from impaling on a stake to affixing to a tree, to an upright pole (a crux simplex) or to a combination of an upright and a crossbeam.

Crucifixions were not always carried out on what is typically show with Christ on a cross like a T. A tree was used too as a crucifixion site. I guess an evergreen is what is available on this side of the world. But i'll take a desert tree too.

[pants]

Originally Posted by PlayaMama

teta: i said hard-core christians but what i meant by that was the born-again christians that i have met. they seemed very strict about the celebration being only jesus' birth with none of the secular trappings, and well, very strict about their faith being the only true way to heaven. so i tend to think of them as really strict or hard-core christians. no offense is intended so i hope none is taken.

It takes more than that to offend me . We do not celebrate with Santa. But I don't call it a "secular trapping" LOL..We just prefer to focus on Christ's birth (although I know his real birth is more like in the spring and not December).

[pants]

so far it looks like pagan, secular (no faith) and christian....anyone else????

[Theoretica]

You might be interested in reading this book:

Christianity: The Origins of a Pagan Religion

It explains the pre-Christian origins of practically every single aspect of Christianity, and it shows the commonalities of the god myths that permeate every culture throughout humanity. Fascinating stuff!

[philomom]

Bible says no tree

Jeremiah 10:1-5 in the Bible says the following (King James Version):

[1] Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
[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.

[Ambystoma]

Obviously there's a pagan connection, so here's a link to an explanation from Circle Sanctuary about the pagan symbolism of the different solstice greenery. It's short and easy to read.

http://www.circlesanctuary.org/pholi...nterplants.htm

[Liquesce]

Muslims generally don't do trees. There may be some local traditions here and there, but by and large it would be a "sure, string some lights on them if they're handy" thing more than anything relevant to the faith. Like I sometimes buy one of those little grocery store potted Christmas trees, but that's because I like them and they remind me of my grandmother, not because green was the Islamic prophet's favorite color or tinsel represents the flowing waters of the sacred well at Mecca or, I don't know, plastic ornaments represent the wealth of oil that laid hidden beneath the feet of our most revered figures, or such. It's just a tree.

[smeisnotapirate]

Originally Posted by Liquesce

Like I sometimes buy one of those little grocery store potted Christmas trees, but that's because I like them and they remind me of my grandmother, not because green was the Islamic prophet's favorite color or tinsel represents the flowing waters of the sacred well at Mecca or, I don't know, plastic ornaments represent the wealth of oil that laid hidden beneath the feet of our most revered figures, or such. It's just a tree.

For some reason, this cracked me up.

[Theoretica]

Originally Posted by Liquesce

Muslims generally don't do trees. There may be some local traditions here and there, but by and large it would be a "sure, string some lights on them if they're handy" thing more than anything relevant to the faith. Like I sometimes buy one of those little grocery store potted Christmas trees, but that's because I like them and they remind me of my grandmother, not because green was the Islamic prophet's favorite color or tinsel represents the flowing waters of the sacred well at Mecca or, I don't know, plastic ornaments represent the wealth of oil that laid hidden beneath the feet of our most revered figures, or such. It's just a tree.

GREAT post

This reminds me of the Candy Cane myth as well as The 12 Days of Christmas myth. There are groups in the Christian communities that turn EVERY.SINGLE.THING into supposed Christian symbolism.

[PlayaMama]

Originally Posted by Liquesce

Muslims generally don't do trees. There may be some local traditions here and there, but by and large it would be a "sure, string some lights on them if they're handy" thing more than anything relevant to the faith. Like I sometimes buy one of those little grocery store potted Christmas trees, but that's because I like them and they remind me of my grandmother, not because green was the Islamic prophet's favorite color or tinsel represents the flowing waters of the sacred well at Mecca or, I don't know, plastic ornaments represent the wealth of oil that laid hidden beneath the feet of our most revered figures, or such. It's just a tree.

especially the bolded.

so, see, that was why i thought it was a secular thing rather than a religious thing.

[Wicked Bliss]

We're pagans, and celebrate with a potted tree or two from a local nursery, then we plant it/them every spring.

Having a beautiful evergreen tree, slowly die in our living room, is just not really very celebratory for us.