About Christmas trees…

Originally posted on December 19, 2007 – by Andre Piet

You probably know that Jesus was not born “in the middle of the winter night.” And perhaps you also know that just about all well-known Christmas elements do not come from the Bible but are made up. Whether it concerns the stable and the straw, the ox and the donkey, or the three kings, etc.—you will search the Bible in vain for any of this in connection with the birth of Jesus. Our Christmas celebration is a Christianized version of the older Germanic Midwinter Festival, in which the winter solstice was celebrated. It may surprise many, but when looked at closely, this much older festival had better credentials (read: Biblical legitimacy) than our sweet-sounding Christmas story.

Take the Christmas tree. This tree is an emblem of light and life. Just think about it. While death reigns in nature and all trees have shed their leaves, there is one type of tree that remains green at all times: the evergreen. This tree, therefore, symbolizes life that is stronger than death. Precisely in the darkest days of the year, when the light begins to return and the days (slowly but surely) begin to lengthen! Combine these two concepts of light and life, and there you have it: an evergreen tree, bathed in light! Richly adorned with fruit (symbolized by the ornaments) and crowned at the top with a glorious peak…

Can you imagine that for the ancient Germanic people, the celebration of the solstice was nothing less than a sign of hope? Hope in the victory of Light and Life! Since the days of Adam, humanity has preserved the memory of God’s promise—that one day “the seed of the woman” (also think of the sign of ‘the Virgin’ in the night sky!) would achieve the great victory. And however much this worldwide memory may have been clouded over the course of thousands of years, it has never disappeared. The tree that is found in nearly every home around this time speaks of that memory. The only difference seems to be that the ancient Germanic peoples were more aware of this than their Christianized descendants…

Delen: