I set out determined and confident that I would succeed in finding the meaning of the history behind the Christmas tree. After several hours of research, my determination remained intact but my confidence had been greatly bruised. I finally reached the conclusion that very few authors and researchers agree on the meaning of and the history behind the Christmas tree; but here are some views I found in regard to the Christmas tree.
1. Most everyone
agrees that the Christmas tree originated in
2. There are
those who believe Martin Luther was the first to establish the tradition of the
Christmas tree.
3. Others say its
background is pagan and has its roots in pagan rituals and worship. They base this on Jeremiah 10:4. Now I personally have a couple of problems
with this view. A) There is no
documented proof anywhere that Christmas trees had anything to do with pagan
worship. B) Jeremiah 10:4 is not a
reference to the Christmas tree but a reference to a wooden idol carved from a
tree and placed permanently in the home for worshipping. People who make Jeremiah 10:4 a reference to
the Christmas tree make the common mistake of making the Scripture say what
they want it to, rather than simply letting it say what it says!
4. Another tale
has it that a tree would be brought into the house at the beginning of each
winter (around December 22nd) to produce a fresh scent in the house
for the long winter months which lay ahead and decorating the tree for a more
pleasant view. It grew into the custom
of the Christmas tree for today.
5. Remember, I
said most everyone agreed that the Christmas tree started in
These are just some of the stories I found in my research of the Christmas tree which brings me to the following conclusion. I would certainly be better off spending my time telling others what I do know – that Jesus is the reason for the season – rather than wasting my time attempting to prove something on which very few agree.
What to do:
✞ Keep your focus on Jesus.
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