Christmas Tree

Tree worship was a part of the Nordic religion. There was the tree Yggdrasil of course and then the story that Odin hung himself on a tree and sacrificed an eye in order to gain knowlege and wisdom. The temple at Uppsala had a large oak tree at which and on which sacrifices of animals and men were made. The usual way of sacrificing to Odin was to hang the sacrifice on a tree and at the same time to thrust a spear into the body of the sacrifice. It might be said that the modern custom of hanging decorations on a tree is a faint echo of these sacrifices. These are just some general points from memory as at the moment I don't have the time to consult my books to get accurate information so I may be wrong in some details.

In the UK there is no real Christian tradition to the Christmas tree.Although a lot of ancient cultures revered evergreen trees because they were a reminder that winter would pass and that the land would soon be producing food again. I have heard it said that it was ancient Scandinavia who were the first people to take actual trees indoors as a mid-winter symbol of the promise of the coming warmth of spring. However I'm sure that Germany were one of the first countries - if not THE first to decorate a fir tree with candles for Christmas It wasn't until 1841 that the UK saw the first Christmas tree when Queen Victoria's husband, German-born Prince Albert, set up a tree in Windsor Castle. But I know of no Christian tradition to it.

The Christian custom of cutting a tree and bringing it into the house is very recent. It began in about 1400 or 1500 and was either a misunderstanding of the old custom of decking a growing tree out or was a deliberate way of killing the old custom. The tree should never be killed. It was the chosen tree to be honoured (and the custom persisted in Wassailing the apple trees in those parts where cider is made). Of course, cutting a tree and bringing it into the house is neither pagan nor really Christian. It is a travesty of BOTH traditions! Decorating the house with greenery at this tide is a pagan tradition and goes back to many older traditions to do with the renewal of the year. Any tree which remained green at this time (including the fir, the holly, the ivy and the mistletoe) was regarded as a symbol of the returning spring and of longer days and the expected growth and resultant flowering and harvest. There is really no Christian basis for the perpetuation of pagan customs apart from a wholesome respect for them which brings the worship of God into perspective. People have worshipped the same God (under different names and guises) for more centuries than the Jewish race has existed (and the Bible, let us not forget, is the record of some of the main Jewish traditions). Dis, Jove, Jahweh and Zeus are all names for the same being under different (and often misunderstood) guises.

Putting up a Christmas Tree is actually a pagan practice but I don't really mind putting up a Christmas Tree for decorative purposes but I make sure it has a star on top to depict the star that led the Wise Men to the Manger so that they could see the real Beautiful Star of Bethlehem none other than Jesus.

I never follow up such mysteries on Christmas tree though. I just follow the tradition like everyone else, buy the tree, and put it at home. decorated it with socks and lights, and put up the gifts necessary. Thanks for the information.