Do you have a real tree this year? or do you have an artificial, pre-lit tree? We think today of the tree as the primary symbol of Christmas. We put them up and decorate them with great care, often ooh-ing and ahh-ing as we relive vivid memories of Christmas’ s past. But the Christmas tree was not always appreciated in our country. I have copied a quote from a website about the tree’s history. I think you will find it enlightening.
“Most 19th-century Americans found Christmas trees an oddity. The first record of one being on display was in the 1830s by the German settlers of Pennsylvania, although trees had been a tradition in many German homes much earlier. The Pennsylvania German settlements had community trees as early as 1747. But, as late as the 1840s Christmas trees were seen as pagan symbols and not accepted by most Americans.
Do you have a real tree, or an artificial Christmas Tree? The tree has become an important part of our Christmas celebration, but it was not always so. I have quoted a website on the history of the Christmas tree. You may find it interesting.
“It is not surprising that, like many other festive Christmas customs, the tree was adopted so late in America. To the New England Puritans, Christmas was sacred. The pilgrims‘s second governor, William Bradford, wrote that he tried hard to stamp out “pagan mockery” of the observance, penalizing any frivolity. The influential Oliver Cromwell preached against “the heathen traditions” of Christmas carols, decorated trees, and any joyful expression that desecrated “that sacred event.” In 1659, the General Court of Massachusetts enacted a law making any observance of December 25 (other than a church service) a penal offense; people were fined for hanging decorations. That stern solemnity continued until the 19th century, when the influx of German and Irish immigrants undermined the Puritan legacy.”
http://www.history.com/topics/history-of-christmas-tree
Remember, the tree is pretty and sparkly. But the real meaning of Christmas is Jesus.