O, Christmas Tree

[Lunar]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]The other day, as my family and I were decorating the tree, I thought about something. We all know the song O, Christmas Tree and as I was playing it the other day while reading the lyrics, it seemed as if it were being worshipped. I know this is strange, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to know. I mean, why is it that we decorate the tree? Why is it a tradition? And why does it have to be that kind of tree?
So, what do you think?[/COLOR]

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[quote name='Lunar'][COLOR="DarkOrange"]The other day, as my family and I were decorating the tree, I thought about something. We all know the song O, Christmas Tree and as I was playing it the other day while reading the lyrics, it seemed as if it were being worshipped. I know this is strange, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to know. I mean, why is it that we decorate the tree? Why is it a tradition? And why does it have to be that kind of tree?
So, what do you think?[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[color=#9933ff]Well I could just recite crap off of Wikipedia or I could envy the fact that you don't have a child begging her pop to go get the fake tree but I won't. And yes [I][B][SIZE="3"]fake tree[/SIZE][/B][/I]. My parents both drive compact cars now so we can't go and get a real tree anymore- way to bring my childhood memories to a screeching halt! :animecry:

The tree decorating was brought to America by German immigrants in the mid nineteenth century. The tree itsself dates further back.

The evergreen is used because of older pagan religions that have something to do with... damn I forget. BUt there are traditions. And reasons. Like why we celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December even though it doesn't make much sense because the Bible says that 'Shepards were watching their flocks by night' and why would they be out in the winter? That I can tell you- it's because during the birth of Christianity when Christians were trying to peacefully convert the Pagans. You see in many Pagan traditions you have the Winter Solstice which is celebrated on the 21st of December and represents the rebirth of the sun. Some early Christians decided to tell some early Pagans that they were celebrating wrong. At least this conversion was peaceful.

And I'm tired and lazy so I can't look up anything else now. Ciao![/color]

[Lunar]

[quote name='ChibiHorsewoman'][color=#9933ff]Well I could just recite crap off of Wikipedia or I could envy the fact that you don't have a child begging her pop to go get the fake tree but I won't. And yes [I][B][SIZE="3"]fake tree[/SIZE][/B][/I]. [/color][/QUOTE]

[COLOR="DarkOrange"]So? I have a fake tree, too. To tell you the truth, I rather like fake trees better than the traditional ones. That is all. :catgirl:
[/COLOR]

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[quote name='Lunar'][COLOR="DarkOrange"]So? I have a fake tree, too. To tell you the truth, I rather like fake trees better than the traditional ones. That is all. :catgirl:
[/COLOR][/QUOTE]

[color=#9933ff]Yes economically it's a great investment. Also it's nice that you don't have to poke yourself in the eye with a needle every time you go to plug in the lights and you can adjust the branches.

But I miss going out to find a tree (even in the snow and cold of upstate New York) and that fresh pine smell. It's almost as bad as when I lived in Texas and didn't even get a tree![/color]

[The Spectacular Professor]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]It's a pagan symbol of male fertility, if I remember correctly. As is the Yule Log.

I find he fact that it's become a staple of a holiday so closely associated to Christianity hilarious, by the way. Doesn't stop my family from getting one every year, but still.[/FONT]

[DeLarge]

[QUOTE=Ace][FONT=Comic Sans MS]It's a pagan symbol of male fertility, if I remember correctly. As is the Yule Log.

I find he fact that it's become a staple of a holiday so closely associated to Christianity hilarious, by the way. Doesn't stop my family from getting one every year, but still.[/FONT] [/QUOTE]

[SIZE=1]Hilarious? But there are so many traditionally pagan things that Christianity have stolen. Hell, Easter and Christmas both fall on the same dates as major pagan festivals - there is reasonable evidence to prove that Jesus wasn't even born on the 25th December, but for centuries pagans have been celebrating the god Mithras on the same date.

Even the pentagram that Christians have snapped up as a symbol for the Devil is actually a pagan symbol for fertility, or a powerful symbol for magic depending on who you believe.

Early Christians simply tried to overshadow these pagan festivals by having much bigger events and celebrations on the same days.

Sorry to bring the discussion down to a lecture on religion.
[/SIZE]

[The Spectacular Professor]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"]^I know all that, though.

Just a fun thing to remember when I see my fellow Christians taking themselves too seriously, I figure.[/FONT]

[Zombie_Nosh]

[quote name='DeLarge'][SIZE=1]
Early Christians simply tried to overshadow these pagan festivals by having much bigger events and celebrations on the same days.
[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

It was a method of making the transition from Paganism to Christianity easier. Christian explanations were tacked onto traditional Pagan customs, so as not to disrupt them completely. And I think, but I'm not sure, Jesus was born in early to mid-January.

Also, real trees win out my lovelies.

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][FONT="Arial"]Google and Wiki are your best friends Lunar. =P

Forgetting the main question and delving into having a tree... as much as I think they're pretty, my allergies do not like them [I]at all.[/I] I can tolerate flocked ones but straight green ones do nothing but give me grief.

Net result, it's either flocked of fake when it comes to having a tree. We currently have a flocked one at our apartment. It's pretty enough, but I'm fine without one. Perhaps if they didn't set my allergies off I'd like them more, but since they do... meh. [/FONT][/COLOR]