Christmas Tradations and where did they come from?
I have been seeing allot of propaganda lately, that Christmas is turning into a Pagan holiday. I was very disturbed by this comment. So I decided to look up how different religions celebrate Christmas. I also wanted to find out where some of the traditions comes from, such as decorating a Christmas Tree. It just bewildered me that at this day and age that people are still or religious ignorance. Especially when thinking what our country was founded on. Catholicism wasn't even allowed in this country in it's first decade of existence!
I am a very opened minded person when it comes to religion. I don't believe that one particular religion is more "right" then the next. I actually like to read about these and experience them for myself. I was raised Roman Catholic and went through all the "rights of passage" of becoming a god Catholic adult, first communion, confession and confirmation. I have Wiccans in my family so I have also done extensive reading on Paganism. And I am particularly intrigued in reading about Buddhism, Hinduism and other Eastern religions.
I stumbled upon a page in my search that lists 120 reasons why Christians shouldn't celebrate Christmas. The site can be found at http://letgodbetrue.com/ The first line that struck we was "Celebrating Christmas is Adultery" it continues to say "Taking an evergreen tree, putting it in your house, decorating it with lights, sitting in the dark, and adoring it to Christmas carols is spiritual adultery. You profess to love Jesus, but you do so with the mementos and techniques of other lovers – the world and pagan religion. You are not content with Christ's pure gospel – for it has no Mass of Christ. You have added the world's seductions to keep you happy in your marriage to Christ. He is highly offended at your whorish ways."
The list of 120 reasons that god doesn't want you to celebrate with a Christmas tree and such, ranges from one laughable reason or another. Like god actually would be this picky about how he is worshipped. To follow is a few of the reasons I found the funniest; condemns using pagan religious practices in his worship, condemns doing anything under green trees, condemns anything different from His word as dark ignorance, and condemns friendship with the world as becoming His enemy, just to name a few.
While it is very hard to say where the original idea of decoration an evergreen tree at Christmas came from there are many different origins, that did not directly have to do with Christ's birthday.
-Many pagan cultures used to cut down boughs of evergreen trees and bring them in their homes and decorate them in recognition of the Winter Solstice. The time of the year that had the shortest daylight hours, and longest night of the year. This occurs annually sometime between DEC-20 to 23. The pagans fearing the cold of winter, noticed that the evergreens did not die during the winter and thought they contained magically powers.
-In Northern Europe, the ancient Germanic people tied fruit and attached candles to evergreen tree branches, in honor of their god Woden. Trees were viewed as symbolizing eternal life.
-Another is that Martin Luther (1483 - 1546) was so impressed by a forest scene that he allegedly cut down a small fir tree, took it home, and decorated it with lighted candles. This is probably a myth, because the earliest documented record of a Christmas tree in Germany is dated to almost 60 years after his death.
What ever the case maybe it has become a part of tradition for many countries and people of different religions to decorate Christmas trees.
I am a very opened minded person when it comes to religion. I don't believe that one particular religion is more "right" then the next. I actually like to read about these and experience them for myself. I was raised Roman Catholic and went through all the "rights of passage" of becoming a god Catholic adult, first communion, confession and confirmation. I have Wiccans in my family so I have also done extensive reading on Paganism. And I am particularly intrigued in reading about Buddhism, Hinduism and other Eastern religions.
I stumbled upon a page in my search that lists 120 reasons why Christians shouldn't celebrate Christmas. The site can be found at http://letgodbetrue.com/ The first line that struck we was "Celebrating Christmas is Adultery" it continues to say "Taking an evergreen tree, putting it in your house, decorating it with lights, sitting in the dark, and adoring it to Christmas carols is spiritual adultery. You profess to love Jesus, but you do so with the mementos and techniques of other lovers – the world and pagan religion. You are not content with Christ's pure gospel – for it has no Mass of Christ. You have added the world's seductions to keep you happy in your marriage to Christ. He is highly offended at your whorish ways."
The list of 120 reasons that god doesn't want you to celebrate with a Christmas tree and such, ranges from one laughable reason or another. Like god actually would be this picky about how he is worshipped. To follow is a few of the reasons I found the funniest; condemns using pagan religious practices in his worship, condemns doing anything under green trees, condemns anything different from His word as dark ignorance, and condemns friendship with the world as becoming His enemy, just to name a few.
While it is very hard to say where the original idea of decoration an evergreen tree at Christmas came from there are many different origins, that did not directly have to do with Christ's birthday.
-Many pagan cultures used to cut down boughs of evergreen trees and bring them in their homes and decorate them in recognition of the Winter Solstice. The time of the year that had the shortest daylight hours, and longest night of the year. This occurs annually sometime between DEC-20 to 23. The pagans fearing the cold of winter, noticed that the evergreens did not die during the winter and thought they contained magically powers.
-In Northern Europe, the ancient Germanic people tied fruit and attached candles to evergreen tree branches, in honor of their god Woden. Trees were viewed as symbolizing eternal life.
-Another is that Martin Luther (1483 - 1546) was so impressed by a forest scene that he allegedly cut down a small fir tree, took it home, and decorated it with lighted candles. This is probably a myth, because the earliest documented record of a Christmas tree in Germany is dated to almost 60 years after his death.
What ever the case maybe it has become a part of tradition for many countries and people of different religions to decorate Christmas trees.
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