The history of pagan Christmas tree is remarkable. Paganism is the worship of traditional deities. The Greeks, Romans and the Egyptians all had their own deities and forms of worship. Decorating the evergreen boughs was considered a pagan ritual and the early records of the church shows that they were strongly against this custom. Till this day there are two streams
of thought regarding the opposition to Christmas trees. One stream opposes it on the belief that it is a pagan ritual and the other stream believes that it is a Christian symbol.
History of pagan Christmas tree throws light on some of the rituals of those practicing paganism. Evergreen boughs or trees give a ray of hope in the brutally cold, dark winter, the hope of resurgence of life in spite of tremendous adverse circumstances. The people were scared of the short days and freezing nights and mistakenly believed that the Sun might disappear altogether. The evergreen boughs in the house were vastly welcomed.
It is said that St. Boniface had first cut down an oak tree. The tree, sacred to the pagans split into four pieces. The newly baptized Christians who were present at that time were stunned to see an evergreen tree in the center of the stump of the oak tree. This is considered symbolic – the death of paganism and establishment of Christianity in the world. From Germany's upper Rhine region the Christmas tree has made a long journey shedding its pagan taboo. History of pagan Christmas tree shows how the people adhered to a ritual because of the harshness of the environment. Gradually the trees were decorated with various ornaments making it a pretty sight. Log on to Christmas Carnivals for more information on Christmas Celebrations worldwide. |
