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2006-12-29 09:04:59 · 5 answers · asked by Sara N 1 in Society & Culture Holidays Christmas

5 answers

The tradition of a holiday tree has been around since ancient times and has played an important part in winter celebrations for many centuries. Many pagan festivals used trees when honoring their gods and spirits. In Northern Europe the Vikings considered the evergreen a symbol and reminder that the darkness and cold of winter would end and the green of spring would return. The Druids of ancient England and France decorated oak trees with fruit and candles to honor their gods of harvests. At the festival Saturnalia the Romans decorated trees with trinkets and candles.


In the 7th century a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, went to Germany to teach the Word of God. He did many good works there, and spent much time in Thuringia, an area which was to become the cradle of the Christmas Decoration Industry.

Legend has it that he used the triangular shape of the Fir Tree to describe the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The converted people began to revere the Fir tree as God's Tree, as they had previously revered the Oak. By the 12th century it was being hung, upside-down, from ceilings at Christmastime in Central Europe, as a symbol of Christianity.

The first decorated tree was at Riga in Latvia, in 1510. In the early 16th century, Martin Luther is said to have decorated a small Christmas Tree with candles, to show his children how the stars twinkled through the dark night.

ornaments:
When German immigrants came to America, they brought with them the tradition of hanging small toys, candies and other goodies on the Christmas tree. Between 1800 and 1920, blown-glass ornaments called kugles were sent to the United States, where they were eventually popularized by dime store chains.

2006-12-30 01:12:52 · answer #1 · answered by Marge Simpson 6 · 0 0

The modern Christmas tree custom be traced to 16th century Germany; Ingeborg Weber-Kellermann (Marburg professor of European ethnology) identified as the earliest reference a Bremen guild chronicle of 1570 which reports how a small fir was decorated with apples, nuts, dates, pretzels and paper flowers, and erected in the guild-house, for the benefit of the guild members' children, who collected the dainties on Christmas day. Another early reference is from Basel, where the tailor apprentices carried around town a tree decorated with apples and cheese in 1597.

2006-12-30 15:35:23 · answer #2 · answered by Nuttie Nettie 4 · 0 0

the fir tree's triangular shape apparently represents the father, son, and holy ghost. It has its roots in pagan/christian history. Trees are also a symbol of life. . .the christmas tree represents the life of Jesus. Read more about it at didyouknow.cd blah blah blah

2006-12-29 09:10:30 · answer #3 · answered by JulySparkl 1 · 0 1

I don't know

2006-12-29 09:36:43 · answer #4 · answered by U make me sick 1 · 0 0

History of the Christmas Tree
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=history%20of%20christmas%20tree
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=where%20did%20christmas%20tree%20originate
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=christmas%20tree-pagan

JEREMIAH 10:1-8 = "Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus says the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, (Pagan means no religious beliefs; in the 1984 New Concise Webster's Dictionary--Pagan defined : "A heathen; one having no religious beliefs") and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 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. they deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go..." verse.8 = "But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities."

How Christmas came about. Is it related to Valentine's?
VALENTINE'S (CUPID)
CENTURIES BEFORE CHRIST, THE PAGAN ROMANS CELEBRATED FEBRUARY 15 & THE EVENING OF FEBRUARY 14 AS AN IDOLATROUS & SENSUOUS FESTIVAL IN HONOR OF LUPERCUS, THE "HUNTER OF WOLVES". THE ROMANS CALLED THE FESTIVAL "LUPERCALIA"; CUSTOM OF EXCHANGING VALENTINES & OTHER TRADITIONS TO HONOR LUPERCUS, THE "HUNTER OF WOLVES". THE ROMANS CALLED THE FESTIVAL "LUPERCALIA"; CUSTOM OF EXCHANGING VALENTINES AND OTHER TRADITIONS IN HONOR OF LUPERCUS (THE DEIFIED HERO-HUNTER OF ROME). IT WAS ALSO BONDED ANCIENTLY WITH THE PAGAN PRACTICE OF TEENAGERS "GOING STEADY" THAT USUALLY LED TO FORNICATION. TODAY, "GOING STEADY" IS A REBIRTH OF AN OLD CUSTOM THAT CAME FROM THE TOMAN FESTIVAL LUPERCALIA THAT WAS CELEBRATED IN FEBRUARY BY DRAWING YOUNG WOMEN'S NAMES OUT OF A BOX BY MEN AS CHANCE DIRECTED.-- ENCYCLOPEDIA AMERICANA, ARTICLE, "ST. VALENTINE'S DAY."

WHEN CONSTANTINE MADE CHRISTIANITY THE OFFICIAL RELIGION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE THERE WAS SOME TALK IN CHURCH CIRCLES OF DISGARDING THIS PAGAN FREE-FOR-ALL. BUT THE ROMAN CITIZENS WOULDN'T HEAR OF IT! SO IT WAS AGREED THAT THE HOLIDAY WOULD CONTINUE AS IT WAS, EXCEPT FOR THE MORE GROSLY SENSUAL OBSERVANCES. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE REIGN OF POPE GELASIUS THAT THE HOLIDAY BECAME A "CHRISTIAN CUSTOM." AS FAR BACK AS 496, POPE GELASIUS CHANGED LUPERCALIA ON FEBRUARY 15 TO ST. VALENTINE'S ON FEBRUARY 14."--("CUSTOMS AND HOLIDAYS AROUND THE WORLD", PG.172 BY LAVINIA DOBLER)(BY HERMAN L. HOEH; THE PLAIN TRUTH;FEBRUARY 1966).

LUPERCUS BORNE THE NAME VALENTINE AMONG THE HEATHEN ROMANS. THE GREEKS CALLED HIM "PAN"; THE SEMITES "BAAL" ACCORDING TO THE CLASSICAL DICTIONARIES". IN THE BIBLE; "BAAL" IS MENTIONED OFTEN; ANOTHER NAME FOR HIM IS CALLED "NIMROD, "THE MIGHTY HUNTER" (GENESIS 10:9). ANOTHER NAME FOR NIMROD WAS "SANCTUS" OR "SANTA", MEANING "SAINT", COMMON TITLE FOR A HERO-GOD. NIMROD KNOWN AS BAAL OR sun god OF ANCIENT PAGANS WAS BORN AT THE WINTER SOLSTICE. IN ANCIENT TIMES THE SOLSTICE OCCURED ON JANUARY 6; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/epiphany THIS WAS HIS BIRTHDAY UNTIL THE SOLSTICE CHANGED & THEN IT WAS CELEBRATED ON DECEMBER 25. "IT WAS THE CUSTOM OF ANTIQUITY FOR THE MOTHER OF A MALE CHILD TO PRESENT HERSELF FOR PURIFICATION ON THE 14TH DAY AFTER THE DAY OF BIRTH. THE 14TH DAY AFTER JAN.6--NIMROD'S ORIGINAL BIRTHDATE---TAKES US TO FEB.15, THE CELEBRATION OF WHICH BEGAN ON THE EVENING OF FEB.14--THE LUPERCALIA OR ST. VALENTINE'S DAY." --(HERMAN L. HOEH) NIMROD'S OTHER NAME WAS "CUPID" WHICH MEANS "DESIRE"---ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA", ART., "CUPID".
Encyclopedia Americana, article, "St. Valentine's Day."
Encyclopedia Britannica, art., "cupid."
http://family.webshots.com/photo/1339760087049373547vWZntY
http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/valentin.html
http://home.swbell.net/kelkay/valentines
http://home.sprynet.com/~pabco/stvalen.htm

EXODUS 20:3 = "Thou shalt not have other gods before me." It tells us in verse 5 = "not to bow to them nor serve them".

Here are the texts of gods that should not be worshipped:
EXOD.20:23; 32:3,4,8-10,19-23,30
DEUT.4:19,28-31; 11:26-28; 17:3
JER.10
EZEK.8:13-18
DAN. 3:1-18 (tried to make Daniel's friends to bow to the image, but they didn't)

New Testament Texts:
GAL.4:8-10 (pagan feasts are: New Year's, Valentine's-Cupid, Patrick's Day, Easter-Ishtar, Halloween, Christmas, Sunday-sun{from sunset Sat. to sunset Sunday = GEN.1:5), Monday-moon-{worship after sunset Sunday which would be Sunday evening(Sun.even to Mon.even)= considered to be Monday according to GEN.1:8}. Birthdays come from pagan origin too. = (only 2 birthdays are mentioned in Bible; they are: Pharoah and King Herod)
You can find most of things in sources like encyclopedias, history, etc. that tell you it's pagan or that it comes from pagan origin.

http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=Christmas--Pagan--sun%20god
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=mithras%2chorus%2c%20nimrod%20of%20Christmas
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=mithras%2c%20Horus%2c%20Nimrod--Christmas

Look at these websites:
MITHRAS (goddess of light)
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=mithras
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=PCTA,PCTA:2006-34,PCTA:en&q=mithras+god+of+light
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=PCTA%2CPCTA%3A2006-34%2CPCTA%3Aen&q=Mithras+born+Christmas&btnG=Search
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=PCTA%2CPCTA%3A2006-34%2CPCTA%3Aen&q=Mithras--goddess+of+light&btnG=Search

HORUS (sun god)
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=horus
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=PCTA%2CPCTA%3A2006-34%2CPCTA%3Aen&q=horus&btnG=Search
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=PCTA,PCTA:2006-34,PCTA:en&q=dec+25%2d%2dhorus
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=PCTA%2CPCTA%3A2006-34%2CPCTA%3Aen&q=Horus--bull%3F&btnG=Search
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=Horus--Valentine%27s
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=PCTA,PCTA:2006-34,PCTA:en&q=Horus+born+after+the+death+of+Nimrod
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=PCTA,PCTA:2006-34,PCTA:en&q=Horus+the+sun+god

Saturnalia (Mid-December; another name for Nimrod or Tammuz)
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=saturnalia+christmas+tree&rs=1&fr2=rs-top&prssweb=Search&ei=UTF-8&fr=slv8-
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geuoKAwIhFuoYAeSBXNyoA?p=saturn+god+related+to+nimrod&prssweb=Search&ei=UTF-8&fr=slv8-&x=wrt
http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en&oe=ISO-8859-1&client=pub-6807258685122891&channel=9400434304&cof=FORID:1%3BGL:1%3BS:http://www.google.com%3BL:http://www.google.com/intl/en/logos/Logo_50wht.gif%3BLH:74%3BLW:163%3BLBGC:336699%3BLP:1%3BLC:%230000ff%3BVLC:%23663399%3BGFNT:%230000ff%3BGIMP:%230000ff%3BDIV:%23336699%3B&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=saturnlia&spell=1
http://www.google.com/custom?q=saturnlia&hl=en&lr=&oe=ISO-8859-1&client=pub-6807258685122891&channel=9400434304&cof=FORID:1%3BGL:1%3BS:http://www.google.com%3BL:http://www.google.com/intl/en/logos/Logo_50wht.gif%3BLH:74%3BLW:163%3BLBGC:336699%3BLP:1%3BLC:%230000ff%3BVLC:%23663399%3BGFNT:%230000ff%3BGIMP:%230000ff%3BDIV:%23336699%3B&start=10&sa=N
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geusU_wohF.QAADbJXNyoA?p=saturnalia+god+related+to+December+25&prssweb=Search&ei=UTF-8&fr=slv8-&x=wrt
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=saturnlia
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=saturnalia+god&rs=0&fr2=rs-top&prssweb=Search&ei=UTF-8&fr=slv8-
http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-&p=saturnalia%20god%20related%20to%20tammuz
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0geutnRwYhFJhkAZR9XNyoA?p=saturnalia+god+related+to+tammuz+and+nimrod&prssweb=Search&ei=UTF-8&fr=slv8-&x=wrt
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2007-01-01 11:45:24 · answer #5 · answered by KNOWBIBLE 5 · 0 0

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