Christians, tell your children there is no Santa Claus

[Vickilynn]

These verses are pertaining to people setting up trees with the actual intention of creating idols.

Our Christmas tree is a decoration. If this verse is pertaining to simple decoration, then all decorating is evil. I do not believe my tree has any special powers and I dont believe my tree is a God and that is totally not the intention behind it at all and is entirely a different thing than what is being spoken of in these verses.

Shalom Emily Anne,

Exactly. It's amazing how many people will take those verses in Jeremiah *out of context* and apply them where they do not apply.

We certainly don't make an IDOL our of our Christmas tree, in fact, we use an evergreen to symbolize that Yeshua brought us eternal life.

And we place lights on the tree to symbolize that Yeshua is the Light of the World.

And we give gifts to each other because the wise men brought gifts to the King.

[ColleenLovesMischief]

The Christmas tree

The decorated pine tree stems directly from the Mystery cults and the worship of the god Attis. He is held to have been a man who became a tree and, hence, is the embodiment of the ancient tree-spirit we meet in ancient Indian or Indus mythology from as early as Harappa and Mohenjo Daro. He is clearly a fertility god of corn and wears a Phrygian cap like Mithras (from the statue in the Lateran; Frazer, v, p. 279).

The bringing in of the pine tree decked in violets and woollen bands is like bringing in the May-tree or Summer-tree in modern folk custom. The effigy, which was attached to the tree was a duplicate representative of the god Attis. This was traditionally kept until the next year when it was burnt (Firmicus Maternus De errore profanarum religionum; cf. Frazer, v, p. 277 and n. 2).

The original intent of this custom was to maintain the spirit of vegetation intact throughout the coming year. The Phrygians worshipped the pine tree above all others and it is from this area that we derive the Mysteries and the Mithras system. It is probably sacred to the cults in that it is an evergreen lasting through the solstice period over a large area, when other trees are bare. Remember also that pine resin was burnt at the solstice festivals. The origins are lost in the antiquity of the Assyro-Babylonian system.

The resemblance of the god Attis was changed to the Sun symbol as a monstrance on the top and then to angels and other types of decorations. The decorations are easily identifiable as the Sun, Moon, and stars of the Triune system of the Babylonians as Sin Ishtar and Shamash or Isis, Osirus and Horus of the Egyptians (see the paper The Golden Calf (No. 222)).

Ivy was also sacred to Attis and his eunuch priests were tattooed with the symbol of the ivy leaf (Frazer, v, p. 278).

Pine nuts were used to produce a wine used in the orgiastic rites of Cybele which were in effect counterparts of the Dionysian orgies and Strabo compared them (Strabo, x, 3. 12 ff).

At the festival of Thesmophoria, they were thrown along with pigs and other agents or emblems of fertility into the sacred vaults of Demeter for the purpose of increasing the fertility of the earth and of women (Frazer, v, p. 278). Thus, we are back again to the Demeter festivals and the aspects that have kept on and which are associated with Christmas in Europe generally as we have already seen.

http://www.ccg.org/english/s/p235.html

[Emily~Anne]

Others may have worshipped the pine tree, but GOD created the pine tree.

[Smalcald]

Okay I suppose I will add my 2 cents.

As children my brother and I believed in Santa, but it wasn't this overwhelming thing that my parents encouraged or anything like that. It was just a fun thing that we talked about, and sure enough, every year until I think we were 18, a present from santa would be under the tree.

I think for the most part, we knew Santa wasn't real. But it was FUN.

We also did all the other Christian activities that went along with Christmas...but having the element of the illusive santa, made the season just a little bit more magical. I know that y'all will probably attack that statement, but being a child is all about fun, fantasy, and imagination. As long as it doesn't get out of hand, I don't think theres anything wrong with it.

Yup I agree.

Lewis called it a sense of the "numinous" which fantasy touches upon. I would argue that having a rich life of wonder and beauty and mystery actually helps our faith.

Most Christians today are indeed ex-pagans and we can thank Christ our Lord that He has used Pagans to spread His Word around the globe fitting nicely with each culture while still standing as unique. People say Pagan as if it is some sort of horrible thing I don't think it is and if many of our Christmas traditions originated in some sort of Pagan culture so what, good for the Pagans.

I certainly don

[tah]

I can remember growing up that our denomination was so paranoid about appearing to promote Christmas, that if December 25 fell on a Sunday, worship services would be cancelled in order not to give anyone the idea that we were celebrating December 25 as Jesus' birthday.

That said, I doubt that for very many Christians, whether or not to tell their children about Santa isn't much of a dilemma because they will pick it up on their own! The key is managing their expectations and having the answers ready when they start asking questions; my parents did a wonderful job. At our house, we played "Santa Claus." My brother and I knew that Santa was make-believe; at the same time, Santa was never a lie. Santa was the one who left the cool stuff under the tree (the Hot Wheels racetrack, the electric train set, etc.) Mom and Dad gave us sweaters. But every year, my parents used the hype surrounding the season as a springboard to teach us the reasons behind it.

As for celebrating December 25 as Jesus' birthday, why not? It's as good a date as any. It doesn't matter whether Jesus was born on that date or in the springtime, because we're not celebrating just the fact of His birth; we're celebrating what Joseph Mohr described in the third verse of "Silent Night" as "the dawn of redeeming grace." That's worth having a party over.

Yet, at the same time, I'm aware that there are those Christians for whom any hint of frivolity for any reason is an affront to their dignity, smacks of irreverance and may just be a little bit blasphemous. Well, there is a Christmas carol for folks like that, too. Goes like this:

You're a mean one

Mr Grinch

Your heart is full of holes

You're as cuddly as a cactus

You've got garlic in your soul,

Mr Gri-inch!

From me and mine to you and yours, Merry Christmas.

cute... my family loves the grinch movie...

[ColleenLovesMischief]

And for the record. Yes I celebrate Christmas, tree and all. My son believes in Santa, my daughter is too young yet. No I do not plan on changing it. I am bringing up things my non celebratory friends show me to get you guys thinking as well. These friends only celebrate the original festivals that God ordained.

[Vickilynn]

Others may have worshipped the pine tree, but GOD created the pine tree.

Shalom Emily Anne,

This is something the anti-tree people forget.

G-d CREATED the tree.

Just because people take something of G-d and use it for evil purposes does not make the THING evil!

http://www.christmas-tree.com/where.html

CHRISTMAS TREE HISTORY

Did a celebration around a Christmas tree on a bitter cold Christmas Eve at Trenton, New Jersey, turn the tide for Colonial forces in 1776? According to legend, Hessian mercenaries were so reminded of home by a candlelit evergreen tree that they abandoned their guardposts to eat, drink and be merry. Washington attached that night and defeated them.

The Christmas tree has gone through a long process of development rich in many legends, says David Robson, Extension Educator, Horticulture, with the Springfield Extension Center.

Some historians trace the lighted Christmas tree to Martin Luther. He attached lighted candles to a small evergreen tree, trying to simulate the reflections of the starlit heaven -- the heaven that looked down over Bethlehem on the first Christmas Eve.

Until about 1700, the use of Christmas trees appears to have been confined to the Rhine River District. From 1700 on, when lights were accepted as part of the decorations, the Christmas tree was well on its way to becoming a tradition in Germany. Then the tradition crossed the Atlantic with the Hessian soldiers.

Some people trace the origin of the Christmas tree to an earlier period. Even before the Christian era, trees and boughs were used for ceremonials. Egyptians, in celebrating the winter solstice -- the shortest day of the year -- brought green date palms into their homes as a symbol of "life triumphant over death". When the Romans observed the feast of saturn, part of the ceremony was the raising of an evergreen bough. The early Scandinavians were said to have paid homage to the fir tree.

To the Druids, sprigs of evergreen holly in the house meant eternal life; while to the Norsemen, they symbolized the revival of the sun god Balder. To those inclined toward superstition, branches of evergreens placed over the door kept out witches, ghosts, evil spirits and the like.

This use does not mean that our Christmas tree custom evolved solely from paganism, any more than did some of the present-day use of sighed in various religious rituals.

Trees and branches can be made purposeful as well as symbolic. The Christmas tree is a symbol of a living Christmas spirit and brings into our lives a pleasant aroma of the forest. The fact that balsam fir twigs, more than any other evergreen twigs, resemble crosses may have had much to do with the early popularity of balsam fir used as Christmas trees.

Written by: David Robson Extension Educator, Horticulture Springfield Extension Center.

[Vickilynn]

QUOTE(Rufus of Cyrene @ Nov 29 2007, 02:47 PM)

As for celebrating December 25 as Jesus' birthday, why not? It's as good a date as any. It doesn't matter whether Jesus was born on that date or in the springtime, because we're not celebrating just the fact of His birth; we're celebrating what Joseph Mohr described in the third verse of "Silent Night" as "the dawn of redeeming grace." That's worth having a party over.

Shalom Rufus,

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Emily~Anne]

*edit*

The fact that balsam fir twigs, more than any other evergreen twigs, resemble crosses may have had much to do with the early popularity of balsam fir used as Christmas trees.

Written by: David Robson Extension Educator, Horticulture Springfield Extension Center.

Yep, that was the first thing I noticed about our Balsam Fir tree before we picked it!

[LossForWords]

Hmmmm...

Whenever people get into such a riot over whether we are allowed to tell our children a story about Santa or not, I often wonder if the people who say we shouldn't tell them about Santa because it's a lie ever read their children any fictional stories at all. What must a bedtime story be like if it's all nonfiction? Tonight dear child, we are going to read Chapter 3 in our science textbook about the life cycle of the frog..."a frog starts out as an egg, a tadpole comes out of the egg, it eats and grow legs and loses it's tail and then becomes a frog."

Because if we want to look at everything we say and do as being literal, then reading your child a fictional story would very well be telling your child a lie.

Now, I don't believe telling your child about Santa is a lie. It's a story...a really fun story that alot of kids get to partake in during the Christmas season. Sometimes the story only lasts for 5 years (my case), but sometimes we can keep the story going until the child is unimaginably old (in the case of my brother...and believe me the man has an imagination like no other!) I love the story of Santa, and I don't feel the slightest bit guilty about wanting to keep the story going for my children. I can't wait to tell them about the jolly fat man who rides a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer, the man who creeps down your chimney at night and leaves a present under your tree, the one that eats the Christmas cookies and drinks the milk and leaves you a note about how he can't wait to see how you turn out next year.

I found out that Santa wasn't a real character when I was in kindergarten. I was too smart for my own good, and when a child at church asked me how in the world Santa was supposed to travel the entire world in one night, when in reality half the world was actually in daylight during this time, I has to go home and ask my mom about this inconsistency...and my mom and dad decided together that they would tell me that Santa was a fictional character. I was lucky though because I had two younger brothers that I could play along with...so I got to keep the story going for them.

My brother was in the 7th grade when my parents finally had to sit him down and let him know that Santa was just a story. That pre-teen kid was so disappointed (ha, ha). I had rigged a camera up one night when he was small, it showed no present under the tree (then I stopped the camera and we stocked the tree)...and when the camera came back on all the presents were there. In the blink of an eye Santa had deposited his gifts. Every child that tried to tell my brother that Santa was not real was brought home and shown the proof via VCR.

Telling Christians not to tell their children about Santa is like telling them never to read a fairy tale to their child, or never encourage a child that enjoys writing to become a fictional author.