Christmas Trees Are Not Pagan
Christmas is certainly not pagan. Sure, Jesus’ birth was probably in the Fall rather than December but the exact day is uncertain. Even so, Christmas is the celebration of the savior’s birth because that is when most all Christian churches celebrate. While some customs have a distant pagan origin, the idea that Christmas trees are pagan is almost certainly false. Jeremiah 10 describes fashioning Canaanite idols from fresh cut wood and precious metals. It has nothing to do with Christmas trees. There have been a myriad of customs in different cultures using holly and evergreen but there is not a discernable evolution from paganism to today’s Christmas tree from the ancient world. Christianity relegated pagan belief to the cultural dustbin and tree customs were sporadic and divergent until after the reformation. The modern tree began in sixteenth century Germany. The best evidence points to Martin Luther for popularizing the candle lit evergreen tree.[i] As the reformation spread, so did Luther’s legacy. A popular artist, Carl Schwerdgeburth, painted a scene of Luther’s family around a candle-lit tree:
Painting source[ii]
This painting, depicting what oral tradition indicated happened in 1536, was engraved in a gift book titled Wheat Sheaf from 1853 that was published in Philadelphia. It also said that Luther was the first to light a tree with candles in order to illustrate the “light of God” to his children.
Because Luther was a great advocate of Christmas, the Christmas tree became a sign of Protestant solidarity and German nationalism. The Catholic majority of the lower Rhine discouraged the lighted tree as a Protestant custom. In the early nineteenth century, lit trees gained widespread acceptance across Germany.[iii] Most likely, the tradition came to the United States with Hessian troops during the American Revolution and/or the German immigrants to Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Many have pointed out the New England puritans did not recognize the holiday. However, their reasoning for disdain was not its alleged pagan origins but rather a form of strict biblicism that asserted that if a holiday is not in scripture it should not be celebrated. Not many folks still agree that conclusion is scriptural because it is inconsistent with our freedom of conscience in Christ (Col 2:16). Because we are not under Israelite ceremonial law, we are free to celebrate the birth of the savior any day we please! Finally, it is safe to say, that hardly anyone is thinking about pagan deities while performing Christmas traditions. Most of the conspiracy theories give paganism too much credit. Paganism did not infect Christianity but rather Christianity made paganism irrelevant.
[i] Karal Ann Marling, Merry Christmas! Celebrating America’s Greatest Holiday,( Boston: Harvard University Press, 2009), 176.
[iii]Johannes Marbach, The Holy Christmas season for meaning, history, customs and symbols (Stutgart: 1859)., 416, http://books.google.com/books?id=FXhEAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA416#v=onepage&q&f=false
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Christmas and all its associated things are PAGAN http://www.neveropenedeyes.com explains this
Christmas trees, when festooned with a complete and proper array of Christian ornamentation, represent the configuration of the universe which God created.
The strings of lights plugged into electrified wall sockets represent the stars which are powered by the electromagnetic fields that permeate the cosmos.
The various sized bulbs represent various sized and uniquely colored planets.
Tinsel represents the trails of comets.
The angelic icons posted on the tree’s tippety tops represent the angelic Virtues which govern cosmic forces.
The nearby creche commemorates Christ, for whom the universe was created by his Father.
Each star is unique. God calls each one of them by name.
There is nothing pagan about Christmas trees. They, like the universe, are positively Christian throughout.
Anyone who claims Christmas trees are pagan is a pagan Grinch.
The child of Hell Martin Luther is your guide? All who adopt a doctrine of Pharisees become children of Hell (Matthew 23:15). The false apostle Paul is a Pharisee (Acts 23:6, 26:5, Philippians 3:5). Martin was well versed in Paul’s doctrine, and loved that disgusting doctrine of a Pharisee. When the Jews refused Paul’s doctrine, Luther frothed at the mouth, said no one can be held guilty for killing a Jew. He prevented Jews from engaging in business within the provinces he had power over, influence to get his way. He advocated confiscating the wealth of Jews.
Satan used Luther to ensnare Gentiles who were leaving the Catholic church, ensnare them again with the gospel of Pharisee Paul. Leaving the chains of the Catholic altar, the evil Luther chained them to Protestant altars. Same altar regardless of the church denomination:
Hebrews 13:10 Gentiles have an altar that those who serve the Tabernacle have no right to eat at
Rev. 13:6 … the Beast opened his mouth to blaspheme the Tabernacle of God
Regardless of the church denomination, all of the churches allegedly of God are founded on the doctrine of Pharisee Paul. No where in the gospel of Christ does Christ establish Gentile altars. Christ says there are only two altars of God and both are altars of the Jews (John 4:19:24).
This I write for the author of the article. But so far I have found that every BIN contributor of articles to the spirituality section are blind as the Pharisees, for they refuse the truth that Pharisee Paul’s gospel is not of God. They refuse the truth that Pharisee Paul teaches that Christ taught lies to the Jews, per Romans 11:30-32. They have no room in themselves for the words of Christ who warned against adopting a doctrine of Pharisees and Paul says he is a Pharisee (Matthew 23:15):
Philippians 3:5 … I am a Pharisee of the tribe of Benjamin
They refuse the truth that Paul is the anti-Christ and his converts are the many anti-Christ (1 John 2:18). They refuse the truth that Paul is a self-admitted liar (Romans 3:7).
This article is so wrong its laughable..
Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.
In the Northern hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night of the year falls on December 21 or December 22 and is called the winter solstice. Many ancient people believed that the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the sun god had become sick and weak. They celebrated the solstice because it meant that at last the sun god would begin to get well. Evergreen boughs reminded them of all the green plants that would grow again when the sun god was strong and summer would return.
Most 19th-century Americans found Christmas trees an oddity. The first record of one being on display was in the 1830s by the German settlers of Pennsylvania, although trees had been a tradition in many German homes much earlier. The Pennsylvania German settlements had community trees as early as 1747. But, as late as the 1840s Christmas trees were seen as pagan symbols and not accepted by most Americans.
It is not surprising that, like many other festive Christmas customs, the tree was adopted so late in America. To the New England Puritans, Christmas was sacred. The pilgrims’s second governor, William Bradford, wrote that he tried hard to stamp out “pagan mockery” of the observance, penalizing any frivolity. The influential Oliver Cromwell preached against “the heathen traditions” of Christmas carols, decorated trees, and any joyful expression that desecrated “that sacred event.” In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts enacted a law making any observance of December 25 (other than a church service) a penal offense; people were fined for hanging decorations. That stern solemnity continued until the 19th century, when the influx of German and Irish immigrants undermined the Puritan legacy.
http://www.history.com/topics/history-of-christmas-trees
The article above is so far from the truth it is funny!!
Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.
In the Northern hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night of the year falls on December 21 or December 22 and is called the winter solstice. Many ancient people believed that the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the sun god had become sick and weak. They celebrated the solstice because it meant that at last the sun god would begin to get well. Evergreen boughs reminded them of all the green plants that would grow again when the sun god was strong and summer would return.
Early Romans marked the solstice with a feast called the Saturnalia in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture. The Romans knew that the solstice meant that soon farms and orchards would be green and fruitful. To mark the occasion, they decorated their homes and temples with evergreen boughs. In Northern Europe the mysterious Druids, the priests of the ancient Celts, also decorated their temples with evergreen boughs as a symbol of everlasting life. The fierce Vikings in Scandinavia thought that evergreens were the special plant of the sun god, Balder
Most 19th-century Americans found Christmas trees an oddity. The first record of one being on display was in the 1830s by the German settlers of Pennsylvania, although trees had been a tradition in many German homes much earlier. The Pennsylvania German settlements had community trees as early as 1747. But, as late as the 1840s Christmas trees were seen as pagan symbols and not accepted by most Americans.
It is not surprising that, like many other festive Christmas customs, the tree was adopted so late in America. To the New England Puritans, Christmas was sacred. The pilgrims’s second governor, William Bradford, wrote that he tried hard to stamp out “pagan mockery” of the observance, penalizing any frivolity. The influential Oliver Cromwell preached against “the heathen traditions” of Christmas carols, decorated trees, and any joyful expression that desecrated “that sacred event.” In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts enacted a law making any observance of December 25 (other than a church service) a penal offense; people were fined for hanging decorations. That stern solemnity continued until the 19th century, when the influx of German and Irish immigrants undermined the Puritan legacy.
http://www.history.com/topics/history-of-christmas-trees
December 21- 22
– Yule – When the sun begins its northward trek in the sky, and days began to grow longer again, pagans celebrated the Winter Solstice by burning the Yule log.
Since the sun had reversed itself and was now rising in the sky, pagans believed this was a sign that the human sacrifices carried out in Samhain (Halloween) had been accepted by the gods.
We continue to sing:
“Deck the halls with boughs of holly … troll the ancient Yuletide carol … See the blazing Yule before us. Fa la la la la la la la.”
["Pagan Traditions of the Holidays", David Ingraham, p. 71]
The Roman Catholic Church later changed the day of celebration to December 25, calling it Christmas.
Consider the pagan roots of our popular symbols of Christmas:
(1) Christmas Tree – The sacred tree of the winter-god; Druids believed the spirit of their gods resided in the tree. Most ancient pagans knew the tree represented Nimrod reincarnated into Tammuz! Pagans also looked upon the tree as a phallic symbol.
(2) Star – Pentalpha, the five-pointed star. The pentalpha is a powerful symbol of Satan, second only to the hexagram. The star is the sacred symbol of Nimrod, and has nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity.
(3) Candles represent the sun-gods’ newly-born fire. Pagans the world over love and use candles in their rituals and ceremonies. Certain colors are also thought to represent specific powers. The extensive use of candles is usually a very good indication that the service is pagan, no matter what the outward trappings might be.
(4) Mistletoe is the sacred plant of the Druids, symbolizing pagan blessings of fertility; thus, kissing under the mistletoe is the first step in the reproductive cycle! Witches also use the white berries in potions.
(5) Wreaths are circular, and so they represent the female sexual organs. Wreaths are associated with fertility and the “circle of life”.
(6) Santa Claus – Former Satanists have told me that “Santa” is an anagram for “Satan”. In the New Age, the god, “Sanat Kamura”, is most definitely an anagram for “Satan”. The mythical attributes and powers ascribed to Santa are eerily close to those possessed by Jesus Christ.
(7) Reindeer are horned animals representing the “horned-god” or the “stag-god” of pagan religion! Santa’s traditional number of reindeer in his team is eight (8); in Satanic gematria, eight is the number of “new beginnings”, or the cycle of reincarnation. The Illuminati views the number “eight” as a symbol of their New World Order.
(8) Elves are imp-like creatures who are Santa’s (Satan’s) little helpers. They are also demons.
(9) Green and Red are the traditional colors of the season, as they are the traditional pagan colors of winter. Green is Satan’s favorite color, so it is appropriate it should be one of the traditional colors for Christmas; red is the color of human blood, Satan’s highest form of sacrifice – for this reason, Communism adopted red as it main color!
(10) December 25 is known as the “nativity” of the sun. This date is the birthday of Tammuz, the son, the reincarnation of the sun god. Traditionally, December 21 is known as Yule. The Roman Catholic Church moved the celebration of Yule to December 25.
(11) December 25 is also known to the Romans as “Saturnalia”, a time of deliberate debauchery. Drinking through repeated toasting – known as ‘wassail’ – was a key to the debauchery of this celebration. Fornication was symbolized by the mistletoe, and the entire event was finished with a Great Feast, the Christmas Dinner.
(12) Even the name, “Christmas” is pagan! “Christi” meant “Christ”, while “Mas” meant Mass. Since all pagan Masses are commemorating “death”, the name, “Christmas” literally means the “death of Christ”. A deeper meaning lies in the mention of “Christ” without specifying Jesus. Thus, Antichrist is in view here; the pagans celebrate “Christmas” as a celebration of their coming Antichrist, who will deal a death blow to the Jesus Christ of Christianity.
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/cienciareal/cienciareal20.htm
You are either very dishonest or you are deliberately misleading people by use of the word ‘Pagan’ meaning of the country, of the land, (therefore earth worship, earth spirits worship) making it sound more benign than the truth, which is….
Christmas trees are not Pagan, but they are the symbol of Satan reborn in his everlasting never-to-die child saviour-impostor figure, the Anti-Christ as you as a Christian would call him.
Christmas tree represents the God Sol Invictus, who everyone knows is the God against IAUE, and against Yahushua, (who never wanted us to celebrate his birth, only to commemorate his death on our behalf, yet do we do this? No, as Christians, of course not, it is in the bible, so – do as all Satanists are wont to and neglect or refuse to do it as is written there in that book)
Your deceptive tactic may be just what lukewarm fence-straddling Christians want to hear, but many of us are not that stupid or hypocritical.
Go then now and play with your Christmas tree…No, rather, go get an encyclopedia and a bible and compare how they both agree.
That’s my sister, Wretched Infidel.
Her work will abide and survive the flames.
Ever see what happens when you stuff a tanenbaum into the iron furnace?
The Almighty says not to do it. He then describes something EERILY SIMILAR to the Christmas tree in the Book of Jeremiah, which He elsewhere plainly calls an ABOMINATION.
And rather than take Him at His word, traditional Christians warp the fabric of logic and reason in an effort to prove to themselves, and to anyone who cares to listen, that the Most High Creator of the Heavens and the Earth is none offended by the Pagan practice of idol-making and idol-worship.
“It’s to honor Him” says the Christian.
Do you honor Him by doing that which He has said not to do?
“That’s NOT a Christmas tree He’s describing in Jeremiah.”
Is it not? And if it is not, why then is the similarity ALONE not enough to make you shun with fear a practice which is similar if not identical to one He has told us all in plain language that HE HATES.
It is vanity. More, it is insanity.
He who observes Christmas and Easter, and maintains that the Most High will take no offense at the observance of these Festivals of the Ba’alim, will be at a loss for words on the day when they look Him in the eye and He says to them: “Explain.”
Wretched Infidel
In Europe, Pagans in the past did not cut down whole evergreen trees, bring them into their homes and decorate them. That would have been far too destructive of nature. But during the Roman celebration of the feast of Saturnalia, Pagans did decorate their houses with clippings of evergreen shrubs. They also decorated living trees with bits of metal and replicas of their God, Bacchus.
Pagan traditions: Many Pagan cultures used to cut boughs of evergreen trees in December, move them into the home or temple, and decorate them. 7 Modern-day Pagans still do. This was to recognize 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; most often, it is DEC-21. As the solstice approached, they noticed that the days were gradually getting shorter; many feared that the sun would eventually disappear forever, and everyone would freeze in the dark. But, even though deciduous trees, bushes, and crops died or hibernated for the winter, the evergreen trees remained green. They seemed to have magical powers that enabled them to withstand the rigors of winter.
Not having evergreen trees, the ancient Egyptians considered the palm tree to symbolize resurrection. They decorated their homes with its branches during the winter solstice.
“The first decorating of an evergreen tree began with the heathen Greeks and their worship of their god Adonia, who allegedly was brought back to life by the serpent Aessulapius after having been slain.”
The ancient Pagan Romans decorated their “trees with bits of metal and replicas of their god, Bacchus [a fertility god]. They also placed 12 candles on the tree in honor of their sun god” Their mid-winter festival of Saturnalia started on DEC-17 and often lasted until a few days after the Solstice.
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. This is the deity after which Wednesday (Wodensday) was named. The trees joined holly, mistletoe, the wassail bowl and the Yule log as symbols of the season. All predated Christianity.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/xmas_tree.htm