The custom of decorating a tree to celebrate Christmas, or Christ’s Mass, as it was originally called, is believed to have originated in 16th Century Germany. Church records from 1539 in the Cathedral of Strasbourg contain the earliest known account of a tree being erected to commemorate the birth of Jesus.
The use of decorated trees in religious rituals, however, according to the Old Testament of the Bible, predates Jesus’ arrival on Earth by at least 600 years.The prophet Jeremiah, in condemning the practice, offered this message to his followers:
"Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not." (Jeremiah 10:2-4, KJV).
As the tradition of celebrating the “return of the sun,” or winter solstice, with feasts, festivals, and decorated trees spread to pre-Christian Europe, the evergreen tree became the tree of choice to mark such an important event.
Pagan worshipers believed that evergreen trees possessed supernatural powers because they did not die during winter like other trees and plants. And they believed that if they adorned an evergreen with precious metals and images of their gods, they could absorb the magical life force of the tree.
With the emergence of Christianity, and the absolute failure of its leaders to deter converts from participating in certain winter solstice rituals, tree decoration eventually merged with Christian practice after the Church proclaimed December 25th as the birth date of Christ.
This year, as we prepare to celebrate another “return of the sun” with elaborate feasts and wild parties, Americans will cut down millions of perfectly healthy evergreens to help keep the customs of our pagan ancestors alive.
The following “Parable of the Christmas Tree” is dedicated to a better understanding of what we’re actually doing.
On a cold, windy December morning, a man set out to find the perfect Christmas tree for his family.Trudging through the snow near his new mountain cabin, the man spotted a magnificent Douglas Fir, standing about seven feet tall, in a group of lesser trees.
With a well-practiced smile, the man approached the trees, and made a proposition to the Douglas Fir.
“I’ve come to take you away from such a boring life and make you a star.” said the man.“You will dwell comfortably for the remainder of your days in my home, adorned with the finest decorations. And you will be cherished by my family.”
The smaller, scrawnier trees looked on with suspicion.
“And why would you do such a thing for me?” asked the curios Douglas Fir, its branches swaying away from the man in a sudden gust of wind.
The man knew exactly what to say:“Because any family would be honored to welcome a beautiful tree like you into their home. Here…” he continued, retrieving a glossy magazine from his jacket pocket, “take a look.”
Standing next to the tall tree, the man flipped through the magazine’s Holiday issue filled with beautifully lighted trees in well-appointed homes.
“But how would I live if I am separated from my roots?” inquired the Douglas Fir, obviously impressed by the healthy looking, gorgeously adorned trees in the photos, many of them standing over brightly wrapped packages, in the company of adoring men, women, and children.
“Take a good look,” responded the man.“Do these trees seem to be deprived of anything? We have watering and nutrition systems that can provide you with everything you need.”
“Don’t do it, Doug!” one of the smaller trees blurted out. “It doesn’t sound right!”
The man shot a menacing glare in the direction of the other trees, but quickly regained his composure. He turned to a marked page in the magazine.
“Look at this one.This is a picture of America’s First Family with their tree,” he said, holding the magazine up to the big tree.“Now you’re not quite as big as your cousin here, but then again, I’m not the President of the United States. You would be perfect for my home.”
The Douglas Fir felt a flush of excitement as he pictured himself surrounded by adoring fans, living a glamorous new life.
“Snap out of it, Doug!” another little tree yelled. “There’s something wrong with this man’s story. We need our roots to live.”
The man moved in to close the deal. “Are you going to listen to these losers, and miss out on the chance of a lifetime? Look at your so-called friends. Who would want to take pictures with them? They’re jealous! Can’t you see what they’re doing?”
Folding the magazine and stuffing it back into his pocket, the man started to walk away, but stopped after a few steps.
“If you’re not interested, I’m sure there’s another tree around here that will be happy to accept my offer.”
The man turned away from the trees and started walking again.
“Wait!”shouted the Douglas Fir over the roar of the wind. “I’ll go with you!”
“That’s better,” the man replied. He hastily pulled a wood saw from its sheath and started to cut the tree away from its base.
The tingle of the saw blade as it sliced through his skin, awakened something in the Douglas Fir that made him wonder it he had made the right decision.
Of course, we all know the ending of this fable.The man, true to his word, did present this beautiful tree to his ecstatic family. And together they did adorn and adore the tree, and place treasures at its feet.
But what the tree didn’t know, and what the man failed to tell him, was that the tree, like all living things, would grow weaker by the day after being disconnected from its source of life, and that, following a brief period of being worshiped, the once magnificent Douglas Fir would be unceremoniously discarded as a needle-shedding nuisance and a dead pile of trash.
With the world losing trees at an unsustainable rate, and considering the enormous strides human beings have made in overcoming the spiritual misguidance of our pagan ancestors, perhaps the time has come for an honest evaluation of whether the preservation of an ancient tradition, based on a belief in magical evergreens, is more important than the health of our planet, and our freedom from superstition.
© 2006 Paul Howard Nicholas
