AdmiralKird wrote:Hey, Jesus saved everyone from sin, so lets put a giant tree, inside our f'n house, and put lights on it. That makes sense.
The tree can be an excellent symbol of Jesus and have many liturgical and contemplative uses. Winter, a time when things are dead, cold and dark. A tree is a sign of vibrant life. The decorated trees give off light in a dark time, and remind us that Winter will not last forever, and that there is always hope for the Spring. Decorations also indicate a celebration, celebration of the birth. Also, the tree a symbol of life, is also what Jesus is crucified in which, through that death, gives life.
Those were just some random thoughts off the top of my head. The holiday and its traditions are what you make them to be.
AdmiralKird wrote:Hey, Jesus saved everyone from sin, so lets put a giant tree, inside our f'n house, and put lights on it. That makes sense.
The tree can be an excellent symbol of Jesus and have many liturgical and contemplative uses. Winter, a time when things are dead, cold and dark. A tree is a sign of vibrant life. The decorated trees give off light in a dark time, and remind us that Winter will not last forever, and that there is always hope for the Spring. Decorations also indicate a celebration, celebration of the birth. Also, the tree a symbol of life, is also what Jesus is crucified in which, through that death, gives life.
Those were just some random thoughts off the top of my head. The holiday and its traditions are what you make them to be.
No one knows what day Jesus Christ was born on. From the biblical description, most historians believe that his birth probably occurred in September, approximately six months after Passover. One thing they agree on is that it is very unlikely that Jesus was born in December, since the bible records shepherds tending their sheep in the fields on that night. This is quite unlikely to have happened during a cold Judean winter. So why do we celebrate Christ’s birthday as Christmas, on December the 25th?
The answer lies in the pagan origins of Christmas. In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast.
In Rome, the Winter Solstice was celebrated many years before the birth of Christ. The Romans called their winter holiday Saturnalia, honoring Saturn, the God of Agriculture. In January, they observed the Kalends of January, which represented the triumph of life over death. This whole season was called Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The festival season was marked by much merrymaking. It is in ancient Rome that the tradition of the Mummers was born. The Mummers were groups of costumed singers and dancers who traveled from house to house entertaining their neighbors. From this, the Christmas tradition of caroling was born.
In northern Europe, many other traditions that we now consider part of Christian worship were begun long before the participants had ever heard of Christ. The pagans of northern Europe celebrated the their own winter solstice, known as Yule. Yule was symbolic of the pagan Sun God, Mithras, being born, and was observed on the shortest day of the year. As the Sun God grew and matured, the days became longer and warmer. It was customary to light a candle to encourage Mithras, and the sun, to reappear next year.
Huge Yule logs were burned in honor of the sun. The word Yule itself means “wheel,” the wheel being a pagan symbol for the sun. Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual. Hollyberries were thought to be a food of the gods.
The tree is the one symbol that unites almost all the northern European winter solstices. Live evergreen trees were often brought into homes during the harsh winters as a reminder to inhabitants that soon their crops would grow again. Evergreen boughs were sometimes carried as totems of good luck and were often present at weddings, representing fertility. The Druids used the tree as a religious symbol, holding their sacred ceremonies while surrounding and worshipping huge trees.
In 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25. There is little doubt that he was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans (who remained a majority at that time) to convert to Christianity. The new religion went down a bit easier, knowing that their feasts would not be taken away from them.
Christmas (Christ-Mass) as we know it today, most historians agree, began in Germany, though Catholics and Lutherans still disagree about which church celebrated it first. The earliest record of an evergreen being decorated in a Christian celebration was in 1521 in the Alsace region of Germany. A prominent Lutheran minister of the day cried blasphemy: “Better that they should look to the true tree of life, Christ.”
The controversy continues even today in some fundamentalist sects.
AdmiralKird wrote:Hey, Jesus saved everyone from sin, so lets put a giant tree, inside our f'n house, and put lights on it. That makes sense.
The tree can be an excellent symbol of Jesus and have many liturgical and contemplative uses. Winter, a time when things are dead, cold and dark. A tree is a sign of vibrant life. The decorated trees give off light in a dark time, and remind us that Winter will not last forever, and that there is always hope for the Spring. Decorations also indicate a celebration, celebration of the birth. Also, the tree a symbol of life, is also what Jesus is crucified in which, through that death, gives life.
Those were just some random thoughts off the top of my head. The holiday and its traditions are what you make them to be.
No one knows what day Jesus Christ was born on. From the biblical description, most historians believe that his birth probably occurred in September, approximately six months after Passover. One thing they agree on is that it is very unlikely that Jesus was born in December, since the bible records shepherds tending their sheep in the fields on that night. This is quite unlikely to have happened during a cold Judean winter. So why do we celebrate Christ’s birthday as Christmas, on December the 25th?
The answer lies in the pagan origins of Christmas. In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast.
In Rome, the Winter Solstice was celebrated many years before the birth of Christ. The Romans called their winter holiday Saturnalia, honoring Saturn, the God of Agriculture. In January, they observed the Kalends of January, which represented the triumph of life over death. This whole season was called Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The festival season was marked by much merrymaking. It is in ancient Rome that the tradition of the Mummers was born. The Mummers were groups of costumed singers and dancers who traveled from house to house entertaining their neighbors. From this, the Christmas tradition of caroling was born.
In northern Europe, many other traditions that we now consider part of Christian worship were begun long before the participants had ever heard of Christ. The pagans of northern Europe celebrated the their own winter solstice, known as Yule. Yule was symbolic of the pagan Sun God, Mithras, being born, and was observed on the shortest day of the year. As the Sun God grew and matured, the days became longer and warmer. It was customary to light a candle to encourage Mithras, and the sun, to reappear next year.
Huge Yule logs were burned in honor of the sun. The word Yule itself means “wheel,” the wheel being a pagan symbol for the sun. Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual. Hollyberries were thought to be a food of the gods.
The tree is the one symbol that unites almost all the northern European winter solstices. Live evergreen trees were often brought into homes during the harsh winters as a reminder to inhabitants that soon their crops would grow again. Evergreen boughs were sometimes carried as totems of good luck and were often present at weddings, representing fertility. The Druids used the tree as a religious symbol, holding their sacred ceremonies while surrounding and worshipping huge trees.
In 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25. There is little doubt that he was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans (who remained a majority at that time) to convert to Christianity. The new religion went down a bit easier, knowing that their feasts would not be taken away from them.
Christmas (Christ-Mass) as we know it today, most historians agree, began in Germany, though Catholics and Lutherans still disagree about which church celebrated it first. The earliest record of an evergreen being decorated in a Christian celebration was in 1521 in the Alsace region of Germany. A prominent Lutheran minister of the day cried blasphemy: “Better that they should look to the true tree of life, Christ.”
The controversy continues even today in some fundamentalist sects.
Thanks. I was aware of most of that (Sun God, fertility and crops, Solstace, keeping with local rituals to ease conversions), but coulden't remember exact details and coulden't quickly find anything.
Or, do people have a problem because of Pagan origins? Then why celebrate the holiday at all? If you can take a holiday and redefine it, you can do the same with symbolic aspects, which was the point of my post and "making the traditions your own".
EDIT: I almost put the words, "Pagan beginnings notwithstanding" at the beginning of my original post and then decided against it... a bad decision apparantly.
My wife's father would not allow a christmas tree in their house - he called it a false idol.... and for many years would not allow the family to exchange gifts at Christmas because it took the focus away from the birth of Jesus. He also would not allow a TV in the house, calling it a false idol as well......Romanian Penticostals are very strange people.....
AdmiralKird wrote:Hey, Jesus saved everyone from sin, so lets put a giant tree, inside our f'n house, and put lights on it. That makes sense.
Please don't be negative about Christmas trees. Why can't it just be a pretty, festive, and fun thing. Not everything has to have some deep meaning or even make sense, some things can happen or be just because.....
Really, you should just put up a Christmas tree and lay underneath it looking up at it. I'm telling you it is great. I may leave mine up and lit all year round, but that's just me.
