Why do people decorate with lights for Christmas?

Question

Is this custom based on Chanukah which is the Festival of Lights? In addition, why is the celebration of the birth of a man born in the Middle East honored by the cutting down and decoration of a coniferous tree which is only found in Northern climates?

Answer 1

Because Christmas is based on Yule. The early Christians adopted this timing to coincide with Yule in order to try to win over the Pegans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_Trees#History

Pegans used fire/lights light up the dark winter and to scare off any evil spirits that may be lurking. They brought evergreens inside for the same reason. Then they started putting presents ONLY on a tree. Putting candles on the tree was a much later developemt in an attempt to combine the lighting and evergreen traditions. The electric lights we have today haven't been around for very long....only since 1882.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_lights



BTW: "Chanukah" is a JEWISH Holiday. It has NOTHING to do with Christianity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanukah

Answer 2

I don't know about the red and green (and white, blue, yellow, and sometimes purple) lights used to decorate varieties of things to celebrate Christmas, although your guess appears plausible.

I do know that the practice of cutting down and decorating a coniferous tree (originally a now extinct fir that grew wild in ancient Nordic territories) and decorating it with candles and other "pretty" things came from Pagan tradition, as did most other "Christian" practices. The Nordic Vikings, like most other Pagans, had a celebration on the winter solstice. It symbolized the birth of their supreme god, as did the other Pagan celebrations symbolized the birth of their supreme gods. I do not know how the tradition started, but I do know that after the tree completely died, it was used as firewood (and the needles for spices), instead of being put to waste.

Answer 3

The concept of a winter festival is one that has long been with humans for as long as there has been agriculture. We plant, we sow, we reap and celebrate. When the darkness lasts it's longest, the natural thing to do is light some lights. When it is cold, it is natural to cut down a tree for firewood. Maybe it started with a culture that thought if they honored their winter firewood in this way it would surely last all winter.

Each religion that came along has wanted people to follow the new tradition of the conquerors, as it were - but you will get nothing but opposition when you mess with people's religion. So the conquerors proudly announce that this year's celebration is about our new and improved version of god, while the conquered quietly continue to celebrate what they have always celebrated at that time of year.

Down the line you wind up often with clumps of holidays all together as each religion tries to separate itself or as coincidence would have it. Interesting, wouldn't you say?

Peace!

Answer 4

Christmas lights were invented in Denver by a newspaper editor whose son was ill and couldn't get up to see their Christmas tree. He dipped some light bulbs in red paint and hung them on a bush outside the boy's window. Of course, the tree was probably already decorated with candles. Much of our Christmas ritual comes from pagan ceremonies honoring the solstice, the shortest day of the year. Primitive people celebrated when the days began to get longer - it was frightening for them to see them getting shorter and shorter, wondering if they would disappear altogether. For example, yule logs come directly from pagan ceremonies. Christmas has nothing to do with Chanukah, which is actually a very minor Jewish holiday. The major Jewish holidays are all in the fall. Chanuka has been hyped up because it falls near Christmas and there was a feeling of competition, especially for kids.

Answer 5

its dark out.
I don't think its based on Chanukah, but simply on the acknowledgement that this is the darkest time of the year (for us in the Northern Hemisphere)
The green reminds us of life in the "dead" of winter. You've never experienced a real winter, to see something green is a blessing. Without that experience, it is meaningless.

Answer 6

Symbolically, the lights represent Jesus as the light of the world. And, since it is His birthday we celebrate it is appropriate. As a practical matter lights continue to be used to see how awful Christmas decorations can become.

Answer 7

It is not where the tree is found but, it is all about the way an Evergreen tree never dies which is what a Christian does. We are something on which the Glory of God can be seen.

Answer 8

Christmas is sorta like the actions of a drunk man... Lights outside, trees inside.

Answer 9

R T
Stephanie,unless the lights keep you awake at night or maybe put too much light when you are working,or you are paying for the power bill ,mind your business

Answer 10

I decorate with lights at Christmas because it gives me the warm and fuzzies.
I think they are beautiful.