G
GQ
Guest
On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 15:05:57 -0600, OmManiPadmeOmelet
<[email protected]> wrote:
>In article <[email protected]>,
> Pan Ohco <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 00:33:57 GMT, GQ wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> >>>The facts are that Pagans were using the Yule tree long before your
>> >>>religion took it over.
>>
>> >>Gq that was a Yule and was burned. There is some debate ,as to when
>> >>(before A.D. or not) this practice started. And in some scandinavian
>> >>countries a fir tree was brought into the home as a symbol of
>> >>continuing life, again debate as to when this practice started.
>> >>I never heard the story about Martin Luther starting the Christmas
>> >>tree custom, a germanic custom.
>> >
>> >What you are thinking about is the Yle Log and not the tree and the
>> >Yule tree still came from the Pagans and not Martin Luther at all.
>>
>> GQ Please reread my above message.
>> Notice that I agree with you about the Martin Luther statement.
>> Also notice that there,I said there is some debate about the timing of
>> the beginning of the pagan yule tradition.
>> I believe that there is a similarities in the celebrations.
>>
>> Now as to your definite statement that the custom of Christmas tree
>> absolutely comes from a Pagan ritual, prove it.
>
>Here's a start:
>
>http://www.christmas-tree.com/where.html
>
>Google for "origins of the Christmas tree".
>
>It sure as heck isn't from any "Christian" origin. ;-)
>
>Cheers!
Thanks. I hadn't had a chance to get back to this post.
The first retail Christmas stand was set up by Mark Carr in New York
City in 1851;
Franklin Pierce was the first president to introduce the Christmas
tree to the White House in 1856 for a group of Washington Sunday
School children;
The first lighted Christmas tree in public was in Boston in 1912;19;
The first national Christmas Tree was lighted in the year 1923 on the
White House lawn by President Calvin Coolidge.
The exact origin of the Christmas tree seems under debate, but it is
safe to say that this symbol evolved from Pagan tradition.
The Norse pagans and Celtic Druids revered evergreens as
manifestations of deity because they did not "die" from year to year
but stayed green and alive when other plants appeared dead and bare.
The trees represented everlasting life and hope for the return of
spring.
The druids decorated their trees with symbols of prosperity -- a
fruitful harvest, coins for wealth and various charms such as those
for love or fertility. Scandinavian Pagans are thought to be the first
to bring their decorated trees indoors as this provided a warm and
welcoming environment for the native fairy folk and tree elementals to
join in the festivities. The Saxons, a Germanic pagan tribe, were the
first to place lights on the their trees in the form of candles.
Ancient Romans decorated their homes with greens at the Festival of
Saturnalia, their New Year and exchanged evergreen branches with
friends as a sign of good luck.
The first Christian use of the Christmas tree symbol is credited to
16th century when devout Christians also brought decorated trees into
their homes. German born Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, is
credited with starting the trend in England in 1841 when he brought
the first Christmas Tree to Windsor Castle.
While Europe had already been celebrating Christmas for some time, the
first recorded sighting of a Christmas tree in America came in 1830's
Pennsylvania. It seems a local church erected the tree as a
fundraising effort. Christmas trees were generally not thought kindly
of in early America, as many people saw them as Pagan symbols, which
is in fact, their origin. By the 1890's, however, Christmas ornaments
were being imported from Germany and Christmas trees were in high
fashion.
While Europeans generally favored smaller trees about three to four
feet in height, Americans, as usual, liked to do things big. Their
trees proudly stretched from floor to ceiling. Popular ornaments with
the German-Americans were natural items like apples, nuts, berries,
marzipan and cookies. Popcorn, an American addition, eventually was
added to the mix.
With the advent of electricity, Christmas trees began to appear in
town squares across America and the traditional "lighting of the tree"
quickly became the official symbols of the beginning of the holiday
season.
<[email protected]> wrote:
>In article <[email protected]>,
> Pan Ohco <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 00:33:57 GMT, GQ wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> >>>The facts are that Pagans were using the Yule tree long before your
>> >>>religion took it over.
>>
>> >>Gq that was a Yule and was burned. There is some debate ,as to when
>> >>(before A.D. or not) this practice started. And in some scandinavian
>> >>countries a fir tree was brought into the home as a symbol of
>> >>continuing life, again debate as to when this practice started.
>> >>I never heard the story about Martin Luther starting the Christmas
>> >>tree custom, a germanic custom.
>> >
>> >What you are thinking about is the Yle Log and not the tree and the
>> >Yule tree still came from the Pagans and not Martin Luther at all.
>>
>> GQ Please reread my above message.
>> Notice that I agree with you about the Martin Luther statement.
>> Also notice that there,I said there is some debate about the timing of
>> the beginning of the pagan yule tradition.
>> I believe that there is a similarities in the celebrations.
>>
>> Now as to your definite statement that the custom of Christmas tree
>> absolutely comes from a Pagan ritual, prove it.
>
>Here's a start:
>
>http://www.christmas-tree.com/where.html
>
>Google for "origins of the Christmas tree".
>
>It sure as heck isn't from any "Christian" origin. ;-)
>
>Cheers!
Thanks. I hadn't had a chance to get back to this post.
The first retail Christmas stand was set up by Mark Carr in New York
City in 1851;
Franklin Pierce was the first president to introduce the Christmas
tree to the White House in 1856 for a group of Washington Sunday
School children;
The first lighted Christmas tree in public was in Boston in 1912;19;
The first national Christmas Tree was lighted in the year 1923 on the
White House lawn by President Calvin Coolidge.
The exact origin of the Christmas tree seems under debate, but it is
safe to say that this symbol evolved from Pagan tradition.
The Norse pagans and Celtic Druids revered evergreens as
manifestations of deity because they did not "die" from year to year
but stayed green and alive when other plants appeared dead and bare.
The trees represented everlasting life and hope for the return of
spring.
The druids decorated their trees with symbols of prosperity -- a
fruitful harvest, coins for wealth and various charms such as those
for love or fertility. Scandinavian Pagans are thought to be the first
to bring their decorated trees indoors as this provided a warm and
welcoming environment for the native fairy folk and tree elementals to
join in the festivities. The Saxons, a Germanic pagan tribe, were the
first to place lights on the their trees in the form of candles.
Ancient Romans decorated their homes with greens at the Festival of
Saturnalia, their New Year and exchanged evergreen branches with
friends as a sign of good luck.
The first Christian use of the Christmas tree symbol is credited to
16th century when devout Christians also brought decorated trees into
their homes. German born Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, is
credited with starting the trend in England in 1841 when he brought
the first Christmas Tree to Windsor Castle.
While Europe had already been celebrating Christmas for some time, the
first recorded sighting of a Christmas tree in America came in 1830's
Pennsylvania. It seems a local church erected the tree as a
fundraising effort. Christmas trees were generally not thought kindly
of in early America, as many people saw them as Pagan symbols, which
is in fact, their origin. By the 1890's, however, Christmas ornaments
were being imported from Germany and Christmas trees were in high
fashion.
While Europeans generally favored smaller trees about three to four
feet in height, Americans, as usual, liked to do things big. Their
trees proudly stretched from floor to ceiling. Popular ornaments with
the German-Americans were natural items like apples, nuts, berries,
marzipan and cookies. Popcorn, an American addition, eventually was
added to the mix.
With the advent of electricity, Christmas trees began to appear in
town squares across America and the traditional "lighting of the tree"
quickly became the official symbols of the beginning of the holiday
season.