What’s Wrong With My Christmas Tree?
Their Pagan Roots (No Pun Intended)Are Ok With Me.
This time last year, any visitor to our home would find the coffee table littered with dreidels & chocolate coins (called “Gelt”), our dining room table covered with a Star of David cloth, a menorah resting in our front room window, a nativity scene embellishing the top of our bookshelf and a Christmas tree trimmed with mish-mash of ornaments that reflected the “Reason for the Season”. No, we’re not confused. No, we’re not Jewish. Rather, we are a family of Christians who have found that the extensive Hebrew Roots of our Christian faith are rather exciting to celebrate along side our Protestant traditions.
Our journey of rediscovering Judaism does not reflect the characteristic response of abandonment found among many families in the Hebrew Roots movement. Many followers, including several of our friends & family members, celebrate Hannukah instead of Christmas, Purim instead of Halloween, and so forth. For Christmas Trees in particular, Jeremiah 10:1-4 is often quoted to support their decision:
Learn not the way of the nations,nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move.
At first glance, I saw how this might be interpreted as Christmas Tree prohibition. However, I wanted to dig a little deeper and in doing so, I found out why I will still have my tree up this year.
The Name Sake
First, Christmas Trees are named after the holiday of Christmas. I realize you know that, but hear me out. Christmas is named after the birth of Christ. This passage of scripture pre-dates Christ by close to 600 years. There is no way that the author intended this to refer to our modern tradition of decorating a Christmas Tree.
Idolatrous Intent
If Jeremiah was not referring to Christmas Trees, then what was he referring to? The answer picks up in verse 5:
Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried,for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.
This passage is actually dealing with a pagan practice of cutting down trees and making them into idols. Jeremiah’s description is similar to the Isaiah’s sarcastic description:
He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!” (Isaiah 44:14-19)
Both prophets are most likely referring to the Canaanite worship of the goddess Asherah who appears in numerous Semitic writings. (Incidentally, she is briefly mentioned in Exodus 34). Her followers would often use poles or trees they cut down and moved to their site of worship.
Pagan Roots
The tradition of worshipping around trees eventually permeated cultures and become a society norm. Throughout Northern Europe, Celts would would worship the Norse God “Jule” (pronounce Yule, yep where te logs come from!) during the Winter Solstice. In Norse mythology, the Oak was though of as a symbol of the God, Odin. There is a legend that St. Bonafice actually stumbled upon followers worshipping such an Oak, wherein he chopped down the tree and converted them to Christianity.
The earliest documented tree was in Latvia in 1510 AD. Historic records also point to the celebration of Prince Albert of Germany’s marriage to Princess Victory of England, where in a tree was brought into Windsor Palace fully decorated. These traditions were evenutally assimilated by culture with various adaptations. Germanic traditions for example would hide baked goods in trees for children to find during their celebrations. Over the years, society adapted and became more elaborate with their decorations.
Naturally, when early settlers migrated to the New World, these traditions were brought with them.
Bottom Line
A case can be made that Paul was dealing with a similar underlying issue when the early Church experienced for the first time the influx of Gentiles into their Judaeo-Christian faith. It was customary for vendors to ask the blessings of their dieties for the sale of their goods, including meat. Paul found the Church in Corinth (particular the converted Jews) struggling to come to terms with the Gentiles who had no qualms buying “tainted” meat. In fact, most of the Gentiles came from pagan backgrounds who understandable did not obey strict food laws and buying food was the same as buying a roll of toilet paper. The Jews, however, were offended and Paul addresses them in 1 Corinthians 8:
Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
Essentially, it is our obligation as Christians to look to the best interest of our brothers & sister’s in Christ. (It is always a heart issue with God!) The idolutrous worship of pagan traditions has no bearing on why I have my tree up. Yet, I will not judge those who feel convicted to take their trees down. In doing so, we are able to love each other and respect the direction God is pulling their hearts.
