Significance Of Christmas Tree
But what is the religious significance.
Significance of christmas tree. Christmas trees can be fresh cut potted or artificial and are used as both indoor and outdoor decorations. The most traditional though are angels which are traditionally placed atop the christmas tree to symbolize the angels who announced jesus s birth. The history of christmas trees the evergreen fir tree has traditionally been used to celebrate winter festivals pagan and christian for thousands of years. Some believe the protestant revolutionary started lighting candles in trees after walking through the woods on a snowy night.
23 december the first day of christmas or 24 december christmas eve respectively 5 january twelfth night. Another legend of the christmas tree stems from martin luther. While there is no overt reference to an evergreen treen in relation to the actual birth story of christ believers have attached religious meaning to the once pagan symbol. Similarly some people may choose to put a star at the top of their tree to symbolize the star of bethlehem.
While the trees are traditionally associated with christian symbolism their modern use is largely secular. Pagans used branches of it to decorate their homes during the winter solstice as it made them think of the spring to come. When you think of christmas day one of the first images that comes to mind is the christmas tree. According to the legend a fir tree grew from the fallen oak.
The christmas tree is actually much older than christianity only in the old days it wasn t called a christmas tree obviously and people didn t usually put the whole tree in their homes. The christmas tree is an evergreen tree usually decorated at christmas with ornaments and lights. But evergreen trees were a powerful symbol of survival as the only thing that remained green through the cold winter people believed that evergreens could ward off the evils of those long freezing nights. The evergreen represented the image of god and new life in christ.
Decorating the christmas tree is one of the most enjoyable traditions associated with christmas and both the setting up and taking down of the tree have their specific dates.