What’s with the Tree?

Sage wants to know . . .

Bottom line, the tree stays green, even when the earth gets dark and the weather goes to crap.  Tah-Dah!  The evergreen = hope.

History.com tells me the Christians hijacked it first as they overtook Druid territory (they let pagans adapt what they did to fit Christianity).  Next up, devout 16^th Century German Christians brought trees into their houses and then Martin Luther put candles on it, supposedly to try and recapture the magic of stars amongst evergreens.  Early 19^th century Americans (and Bible literalists today) thought it pagan and backed that up with this Bible passage:

Jeremiah 10:2 KJV 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.

Then, like so many things she had already made popular, Queen Victoria popularized the tree after she was drawn standing around one with her kids. The rest, they say, is history.

Also of note, Christmas, the birth of Christ, was not celebrated until the 4th century when Constantine converted and Biblical scholars got a notion that the day of Christ’s birth was relevant in regards to the day of his death (the true holiday).

According to The Biblical Archeology Review,  many people think Christians just wanted to hijack the pagan solstice and indeed early Christians were all about overlaying their traditions onto old beloved ones for their followers.  But they say there was another reason for picking the solstice date.

“. . . the popular [theory] being that it overtakes the solstice celebration (people site the Christmas Tree ritual as proof of this), but scholars feel more accurately the date is as it is for this reason: “March 25 is, of course, nine months before December 25; it was later recognized as the Feast of the Annunciation—the commemoration of Jesus’ conception. Thus, Jesus was believed to have been conceived and crucified on the same day of the year. Exactly nine months later, Jesus was born, on December 25.”

So there you have it.  Christmas and Christmas Trees.  Basically pagan and Christian traditions all rolled up and justified however you like. I’m a fan of the whole thing, myself. I’m all about reasons to overeat, string lights in my house, and get introspective about the hope Christ brings to the masses.