Question by God’s Canvas: What is the meaning of using a CHRISTmas tree for CHRISTmas?
I wanted to replace the tree with a manger scene, so as to place our gifts before Christ symbolically… or a cross to demonstrate that we life Him up… Whatcha think? ;0)
*lift* Him up…
Best answer:
Answer by J C
Knock y’self out
Give your answer to this question below!
Whatever rings your BELLness!
I think that’s great
I never quite grasped the idea of killing a tree for Christmas
A cross doesn’t seem to be an item of “Christmas Mood”
Come on man, it’s almost Christmas, don’t ruin the mood.
Plus, I don’t think Santa is gonna put my presents under a cross.
thou shalt not bear false image, and thall shalt not bear any graven image of me…. you are breaking your gods law… thats wrong..
your home, your decorations, your beliefs. I think your idea is a bit more boring than a nicely lit Christmas tree, but it’s your choice, and I don’t see anything wrong. Well, except maybe with putting gifts in front of a manger scene. Somehow that seems like you’re symbolically offering gifts to Jesus then keeping them for yourselves. I don’t see the same problem with the cross, though it’s usally associated with Jesus’ death, not his birth.
If you want to place your gifts before Christ… give them to the poor, homeless people who have lost everything due to the economy.
A manger scene (creche) is nice and fits the religious aspect of the holiday, but I think people read into the origins of Christmas trees too much. At present are they anything more than a pretty seasonal decoration, a variant, really, of a vase of flowers or a bouquet like the ubiquitous poinsettias (which have nothing to do with the Christ-Child either).
I’ve looked into this is some depth a nd discovered that, despite what people say on many web sites, there is no evidence that any pagans have ever had anything like a Christmas tree. It appears to be a particularly Christian custom.
Unfortunately the reasons why people started using a tree are not recorded but there are clues. The first trees seem to have been put up in a public place and decorated with fruit and nuts on Christmas Eve. The fruit and nuts would be given to children. The have also been called “paradise” trees.
Christ is known in scripture as the new or second Adam.
I found a very early Christian text (3rd century) which makes a link between Christ and the Tree of Life mentioned in Genesis. “The fruit of righteousness and the tree of life is Christ.” The Tree of LIfe gave Adam and Eve eternal life. Christ gives us the promise of eternal life. This idea is echoed in an ancient prayer used by the Greek Orthodox church just before Christmas “For the tree of life blossoms forth from the Virgin in the cave”.
Medieval mystery plays performed at Christmas started with the story of Adam and Eve and finished with the birth of Christ and coming of the Magi.
I conclude that Christmas Trees started as a representation of the Tree of Life from Genesis and, metaphorically, of Christ himself. Hence the candles and decoration in honour of Christ, the light of the world and our King. I have both a tree and a mager scene (a crib).
You can, of course, do whatever is meaningful to you. Many worldly traditions began as Spiritually meaningful ones that have lost their meaning over the years. They all started somewhere so there is nothing to say you can’t start your own.
I learned that many celebrations like xmas and symbols connected to it like tree,star,bells, santaclaus
are adopted from other traditions and beliefs in some later period. They are not christian origin and no such celebrations in the apostolic time.
I would do both. I can’t imagine Christ mas without the tree :)) but that’s me. To each his own.
I think it would be just fine. Sounds beautiful actually :))
God bless you
Love
Hope
Christ…..The Messiah.
Mass…..A gathering for religious worship.
Christ Mass……A gathering to worship and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ the greatest gift ever given to man kind.
The Christmas tree is an evergreen tree it represents eternal life. We decorate it with things that remind us of loved ones and days gone by. Put your manger scene under the tree and let the kids play with it they will learn about the Christmas story through the manger scene.