Holiday Tree????
I heard the other day that there are activist wanting everyone to start calling their Christmas tree a holiday tree!! I was blown away. I was at first very angry with the way people feel they can just take the American tradition and twist it around. I also ask myself why would anyone have the nerve to think they could ask someone to change the name of our sacred Christmas tree?? Then I tried to figure out what the original Christmas tree symbolized, and I couldn't think of what the tree actually symbolized. So I did a little research on the internet and came up with a very educational website (http://users.rcn.com/tlclcms/chrtree.htm) that talked about the starting of the Christmas Tree. This is what I found out:
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The first Christmas tree originated in Germany in 1521. Granted it wasn't decorated with lights, but it is our first known Christmas tree. The Christmas tree was probably first used in America about 1700 when the first wave of German immigration settled in western Pennsylvania.
From the eleventh century, religious plays called "mystery plays" became quite popular throughout Europe. These plays were performed outdoors and in churches. One of the most prevalent of these plays was the "Paradise play." The play depicted the story of the creation of Adam and Eve, their sin, and their banishment from Paradise. The play would end with the promise of the coming Savior and His Incarnation (cf. Gen. 3:15). The Paradise play was simple by today's standards. The only prop on stage was the "Paradise tree," a fir tree adorned with apples. From this tree, at the appropriate time in the play, Eve would take the fruit, eat it, and give it to Adam.
Because of abuses that crept into the mystery plays (i.e., immoral behavior), the Church forbade these plays during the fifteenth century. The people had grown so accustomed to the Paradise tree, however, that they began putting their own Paradise tree up in their homes on Dec. 24. They did so on Dec. 24 because this was the feast day of Adam and Eve (at least in the Eastern Church). The Paradise tree, as it had in the Paradise plays, symbolized both a tree of sin and a tree of life. For this reason, the people would decorate these trees with apples (representing the fruit of sin) and homemade wafers (like communion wafers which represented the fruit of life). Later, candy and sweets were added.
Another custom was to be found in the homes of Christians on Dec. 24 since the late Middle Ages. A large candle called the "Christmas light," symbolizing Christ who is the light of the world, was lit on Christmas Eve. In western Germany, many smaller candles were set upon a wooden pyramid and lit. Besides the candles, other objects such as glass balls, tinsel, and the "star of Bethlehem" were placed on its top.
Though we cannot be certain, it seems highly likely that the first Christmas trees that appeared in Germany in the early sixteenth century were descendants of both of these customs: the Paradise tree and the Christmas pyramids and lights. The Paradise tree became our Christmas tree. Decorations that had been placed on the pyramids were transferred to the Christmas tree.
For many Christians the Christmas tree still retains the symbolism of the Paradise tree. The tree reminds us of the tree in Eden by which Adam and Eve were overcome and which thrust them into sin. But more importantly, the tree reminds us of the tree by which our sin was overcome, namely the tree upon which Christ Jesus was crucified. Is it a stretch to refer to the cross as a tree? Hardly, for this is the language of the New Testament itself! For example, Paul writes in Galatians 3:13, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree" (quoting Deut. 21:23). And Peter writes, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." Therefore, the Christmas tree is a wonderful symbol and reminder of our salvation and forgiveness through Jesus Christ!
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After reading this article I feel better about my understanding of the Christmas tree. But even with this understanding I still find that calling the Christmas tree a holiday tree is wrong. Lets set back and think for a second. What is a holiday? Easter, Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Fathers Day, Mothers Day, etc. So if we have a holiday tree then this tree should be out all year! So lets us see....... if we put the Christmas tree out at Christmas, then hummmmm wouldn't it make sense to call it a CHRISTMAS TREE?!?!?!?!?! If we put the tree out at Easter then it would makes sense to call it an Easter tree right?? So lets leave the Christmas Tree as it is, a Christmas Tree.
This subject still irritates me, but on the bright side of things, everyone has different beliefs about religion and politics. And that is the great thing about living in American, we can believe whatever we want. But please, lets not mess with tradition, and don't try to fix things that aren't broken.
Until next time, always look on the bright side of things.
Jodee
Family Gift Ideas
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The first Christmas tree originated in Germany in 1521. Granted it wasn't decorated with lights, but it is our first known Christmas tree. The Christmas tree was probably first used in America about 1700 when the first wave of German immigration settled in western Pennsylvania.
From the eleventh century, religious plays called "mystery plays" became quite popular throughout Europe. These plays were performed outdoors and in churches. One of the most prevalent of these plays was the "Paradise play." The play depicted the story of the creation of Adam and Eve, their sin, and their banishment from Paradise. The play would end with the promise of the coming Savior and His Incarnation (cf. Gen. 3:15). The Paradise play was simple by today's standards. The only prop on stage was the "Paradise tree," a fir tree adorned with apples. From this tree, at the appropriate time in the play, Eve would take the fruit, eat it, and give it to Adam.
Because of abuses that crept into the mystery plays (i.e., immoral behavior), the Church forbade these plays during the fifteenth century. The people had grown so accustomed to the Paradise tree, however, that they began putting their own Paradise tree up in their homes on Dec. 24. They did so on Dec. 24 because this was the feast day of Adam and Eve (at least in the Eastern Church). The Paradise tree, as it had in the Paradise plays, symbolized both a tree of sin and a tree of life. For this reason, the people would decorate these trees with apples (representing the fruit of sin) and homemade wafers (like communion wafers which represented the fruit of life). Later, candy and sweets were added.
Another custom was to be found in the homes of Christians on Dec. 24 since the late Middle Ages. A large candle called the "Christmas light," symbolizing Christ who is the light of the world, was lit on Christmas Eve. In western Germany, many smaller candles were set upon a wooden pyramid and lit. Besides the candles, other objects such as glass balls, tinsel, and the "star of Bethlehem" were placed on its top.
Though we cannot be certain, it seems highly likely that the first Christmas trees that appeared in Germany in the early sixteenth century were descendants of both of these customs: the Paradise tree and the Christmas pyramids and lights. The Paradise tree became our Christmas tree. Decorations that had been placed on the pyramids were transferred to the Christmas tree.
For many Christians the Christmas tree still retains the symbolism of the Paradise tree. The tree reminds us of the tree in Eden by which Adam and Eve were overcome and which thrust them into sin. But more importantly, the tree reminds us of the tree by which our sin was overcome, namely the tree upon which Christ Jesus was crucified. Is it a stretch to refer to the cross as a tree? Hardly, for this is the language of the New Testament itself! For example, Paul writes in Galatians 3:13, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree" (quoting Deut. 21:23). And Peter writes, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." Therefore, the Christmas tree is a wonderful symbol and reminder of our salvation and forgiveness through Jesus Christ!
_____________
After reading this article I feel better about my understanding of the Christmas tree. But even with this understanding I still find that calling the Christmas tree a holiday tree is wrong. Lets set back and think for a second. What is a holiday? Easter, Fourth of July, Memorial Day, Fathers Day, Mothers Day, etc. So if we have a holiday tree then this tree should be out all year! So lets us see....... if we put the Christmas tree out at Christmas, then hummmmm wouldn't it make sense to call it a CHRISTMAS TREE?!?!?!?!?! If we put the tree out at Easter then it would makes sense to call it an Easter tree right?? So lets leave the Christmas Tree as it is, a Christmas Tree.
This subject still irritates me, but on the bright side of things, everyone has different beliefs about religion and politics. And that is the great thing about living in American, we can believe whatever we want. But please, lets not mess with tradition, and don't try to fix things that aren't broken.
Until next time, always look on the bright side of things.
Jodee
Family Gift Ideas
posted by jrpublishers | 10:52 AM
1 Comments:
The evergreen brought into the home originally symbolized how life would return after winter since the tree remained green. It was a symbol of hope to help people get through the hard winter. When Christianity was introduced people did not want to let go of the tradition (among a great many others practiced at "Christmas" time) and so it was absorbed into Christianity to make everyone happy. It was a great move by early christians to absorb traditions and customs of other people's; probably one of the many reasons it took off and was eventually widely accepted. But if you don't want to mess with tradition then it is no more a Christmas tree than it is a holiday tree. It is unfair to say the Christmas tree must be labeled as such as it was practiced long before the birth of christ. It irritates me that christians lay claim to something that wasn't their's to begin with; it sells short the traditions, lives, and hardships of all those that practiced it thousands of years ago.
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