2006-12-15 02:23:19 · 13 answers · asked by Cindi W 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I’m a Christian and Love the Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart.
But I’m sorry to tell you that Christ is not the reason for the season.
There is no connection.
It's a Pagan feast.
Go look it up.
It’s shocking.
www.history.com/minisites/christmas
www.religioustolerance.org/xmas_tree.htm
www.garnertedarmstrong.ws/christmas2.shtml
2006-12-15 02:32:36 · answer #1 · answered by Louw D 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Those things are not necessarily connected to Jesus, but rather the winter season, these are things that are found during winter, poinsettias are a plant, related to thw elephant ear that is indigenous to Mexico, so I would look up Mexican Christmas customs. Mistletoe is fould within other types of trees and is just for a gesture of trying to get kissed as a holiday tradition, there are many things that are standard Chrstmas holiday traditions that have nothing to do with Jesus, other than they suggest new life during a very barren part of the year. Hope that made some sort of sense! Merry Christmas!
2006-12-15 02:31:16 · answer #2 · answered by lvminole 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A Mexican legend explains how poinsettias came to be associated with Christmas. Apparently, a child who could not afford a gift to offer to Christ on Christmas Eve picked some weeds from the side of a road. The child was told that a humble gift, if given in love, would be acceptable in God's eyes. When brought into the church, the weeds bloomed into red and green flowers and the congregation felt they had witnessed a Christmas miracle.
Nowadays, mistletoe is commonly used as a Christmas decoration. Viscum album is used in Europe whereas Phoradendron leucarpum is used in North America. According to a custom of Christmas cheer, any two people who meet under a hanging of mistletoe are obliged to kiss.
So, there is a legend between poinsettias and Jesus, but not mistletoe and Jesus. But since Jesus Christ is God and God is love and a kiss is a way to express love, you could say it fits.
2006-12-15 02:29:47 · answer #3 · answered by Sldgman 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Other than Betty's answer, there is NO direct connection. The fact that Mistletoe blooms in the winter and Poinsettias are red and green (Christmas colors), they are just that, traditions. Mistletoe did start with the Druids and Poinsettias only came into being after they were discovered in Mexico. They have no significance to Christmas other than that. Merry Christmas. Jesus loves you.
2006-12-15 02:28:04 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
Mistletoe and holly come from older religions and are symbols of never ending and adaptable life, since it stays green year round. Same with evergreens. They've just been adapted by Christianity long ago to help guide more people to the "new" religion and make them feel comfortable.
Norse mythology has this legend about mistletoe - Frigga was the mother of Baldur (Balder), the best loved of all the Norse gods. And she foresaw his death. Knowing that there was nothing she could do to avert his fate, the hapless goddess extracted a promise from all things that they would play no part in his death. Unfortunately, thinking the mistletoe was too insignificant to bother with, she neglected to secure its pledge.
And when the malevolent prankster Loki discovered her oversight, he crafted a dart made of the poisonous plant. Devious and evil, he brought it to Baldur's brother who was blind, suggesting a game of darts and agreeing to guide his hand. And this he did, directing the dart directly at Baldur's heart.
The mistletoe's white berries were formed from Frigga's tears of mourning. Some versions of the story of Baldur's death end happily. Baldur is restored to life, and the goddess Frigga is so grateful that she reverses the reputation of the baleful plant, making it a symbol of peace and love and promising a kiss to all who pass under it.
Romans thought the plant a man who angered the gods with his treatment of women, and so was turned into the plant, doomed to watch young women kissed under it for all eternity. IT was also used in the Saturnalia rites at this time or year. Druids thought the berries of the mistletoe were the "sperm of the gods" nad during winter solstice, harvested it with a gold knife and gave it to followers to hang over their door as protection against lightening.
Holly is Celtic - the Holly king being one of the rulers for part of the year, the oak king the other part of the year. The Holly king rules over the "dark" months of the year - winter and fall.
Ahh, I DID find how Holly is connected with Jesus!- An old Christian legend has it that the Holly first sprang up under the footsteps of Christ as he trod the earth and its thorny leaves and scarlet berries are likened to drops of blood symbolic of his suffering. In many parts of Europe the Holly tree was called “Christ's Thorn” or “Holy Tree”.
I used to know about pointsettias, but I've forgotten.
2006-12-15 02:39:43 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Poinsettia is supposed to represent the star and foreshadow the blooms of blood that he shed. The Mistletoe is actually a throwback to days when public kissing was taboo and since it is thorny and had white berries it was used as a symbol of the pure love he showed by wearing the crown of thorns so when you stand beneath it you are supposed to kiss in gratitude for that love.
2006-12-15 02:28:24 · answer #6 · answered by Walking on Sunshine 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Nothing. all the above mentioned traditions along with December 25, Santa, Elves, gift giving, decorated trees, yule logs, and every single tradition associeted with Christmas is not Christian at all but pagan yes even the birth of a god. Chrisians persecute pagans, but modern Christianity is more pagan than Christian. Very few Christians know what being a Christian really means. All these traditions are much older than Christianity itself.
2006-12-15 02:56:42 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Matthew 26. The Jewish culture that Jesus springs from had an abhorrence of eating human flesh. That's why lots of his contemporaries felt as creeped out as you about what he said. "A hard thing to believe" is how they put it. There was no Jewish or Christian tradition of eating "real people flesh" to acquire the power of the person eaten, but the Eucharist does fit into that category. With Jesus it was more a self-sacrifice. And while the bread we eat is really His body, it is under the appearance of bread, so it is not "real people flesh." That's a great phrase, though. :)
2016-05-24 20:21:07 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Holly wreaths are said to be representative of the Crown of Thorns...and the red berries are supposed to signify drops of His Blood.
Poinsettias is a nice story, but long: http://christmas.howstuffworks.com/inspirational-christmas-stories10.htm
2006-12-15 02:27:05 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
These are remnants of ancient Germanic and Celtic pagan traditions that have become woven into the fabric of Christmas.
2006-12-15 02:29:54 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋