Why A Christmas Tree?
One of the most popular Christmas traditions is choosing and then decorating a Christmas tree. Almost all practicing, or even non-practicing Christians put up a Christmas tree each year. But where does this tradition come from? Why do we stick a dead evergreen tree in our front living room, proceed to cover it in random items and lights, and then wait until it becomes crispy to throw it out? It’s rather strange if you think about it…so let’s talk about why Christmas trees exist, where they come from and why we have them today.
The Christmas tree is believed to have come from pre-Christian pagan cultures. These pagan people may have believed that evergreen trees were magical. Just think about it- an evergreen tree stays strong and green throughout all the cold and dead months of winter. When all other plant life is brown and bare, the evergreen stays strong. It’s no wonder that the evergreen was seen as a symbol of life and the return of spring. Even in ancient Rome, people used greenery to decorate their homes and temples during a special December feast. During this time no battles would be fought and people joined together for festivities and gifts.
Some relatively conservative Christians have pointed out that the Bible condemns the use of a tree for religious purposes (putting Christians on the same level with pagan tree worshippers). However, moderate Christians point out that the Bible’s condemnation of trees is reserved for those who actually worship the trees. Since the overwhelming majority of Christians are not actually worshipping the Christmas tree, the majority of Christians have chosen to continue the tradition of putting up a Christmas tree.