Christmas Trees

Christmas trees have long symbolized the holiday season and the celebration of the birth of Christ for hundreds of years and in many Christian homes today. Christians welcome in the holiday season with trimming evergreen trees and hanging beautiful Christmas wreaths on their doors. The smell of evergreen needles and the sparkle of gold and silver ribbons bring warm memories of family gatherings, holiday cheer, and festive celebrations.

But, as most Christians realize, there is a debate swirling in society today about the secularizing of the day that is marked as Christ's birthday. Christmas has come to be more than the simple celebration of the birth of our Savior. Retailers base their yearly budgets on holiday sales, and Santa Clause is heralded more than Christ. So, as Christians evaluate their focus and search for the true meaning of the season, it might be a good idea for Christians to undertake a study of where many of the practiced traditions come from, gathering information to make good healthy choices for the spiritual growth of their families. Research into the origins of holiday traditions reveals that Christmas trees and Christmas wreaths have little to do with Christ.

The first evergreen trees erected in homes were symbols of worship to the pagan sun god, Nimrod. They were not called Christmas trees, but they were items that symbolized the resurrection of Nimrod through his son, Tammus. The tree was decorated with red berries and little balls that represented the sun and the sun-god these ancient people worshipped. The prophet Jeremiah warned the Israelites against taking part in such practices in Jeremiah 10: 2-5. The tradition of decorating a tree has evolved into a Christian practice, but when a true investigation of tree idolatry is undertaken in the Bible, Christians will find that tree idolatry was strictly forbidden. "And Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all their fathers. For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every hill, under every tree" (1 Kings 14:23).

The origins of wreaths being placed on doors dates back to the Middle Ages. The original Christmas wreaths were an evergreen hoop that hosted a symbol of the Mary and Christ in the center. The evergreen wreaths would be decorated with nuts and ribbons and be hung at the door or entrance to the home. A Catholic priest would bless the wreath and then it was believed that subsequent visitors would be blessed upon arrival.

When looking back on the reasons that many of our holiday traditions were created, we find that Christmas trees and wreaths have little, if nothing, to do with the birth of the world's Savior. The debate surrounding the secularization of Christmas should first address our own Christian traditions. How do hanging evergreens in the home bring glory to Christ? If He is truly the reason for the season, then perhaps we should undertake a tradition examination to see what we could do to better represent His life and death to our families. Clicking the links above will help families discover more about the true meaning of Christmas and all the traditional practices.

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