Which one is father Christmas?

Pagan?

my thoughts exactly

Jesus was not born in December. Besides, the only day that Jesus wanted us to remember was that of his death.

jesus was not born in december. no one really knows the exact day, but i think it's estimated to be around march-april.

the reason christmas and easter are on the days they are, is because rome was converted to christianity by caesar augustus. so therefore he wanted to observe christ's birth and death. instead of making brand new holidays, he just converted the people's pagan holidays into christian holidays. so like if they celebrated zeus on the winter solstice (december 25) he simply changed the official celebration to christmas to make the conversion easier. they could still party on the same dates, just for different purposes. hope that helps.

Saint Nickolas was a priest who delivered Holy Communion to Christians hiding in the Catacombs and hiding from the Jews and the Romans. That's where St.Nicolas came in.
Santa Claus was a fictional creation by merchandisers.
Get a brain!!

Fun xmas info:

Werner Keller writes in The Bible as History:
December 25 is referred to in documents as Christmas day in A.D. 324 for the first time. Under the Roman emperor Justinian [in the 500's] it was recognized as an official holiday. An old Roman festival played a major part in the choice of this particular day. December 25 in ancient Rome was the ‘Dies Natali Invictus,’ ‘the birthday of the unconquered,’ the day of the winter solstice and at the same time, in Rome, the last day of the Saturnalia, which had long since degenerated into a week of unbridled carnival... P 331.

...In the Roman world, the Saturnalia was a time of merrymaking and exchanging of gifts. December 25th was also regarded as the birth date of the Iranian Mystery god, Mithra, the Sun of Righteousness. On the Roman New Year houses were decorated with greenery and lights and gifts were given to children. To these observances were added the German and Celtic Yule rites...Food and good fellowship, the Yule log and Yule cakes, greenery and fir tree, gifts and greetings all commemorated different aspects of this festive season. Fires and lights, symbols of warmth and lasting life have always been associated with the winter festival, both pagan and Christian. (Vol. II, 1973)

Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it... From Egypt came the idea of a divine trinity... [and] the adoration of the Mother and Child... From Phrygia came the worship of the Great Mother... The Mithraic ritual so closely resembled the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Mass that Christian fathers charged the Devil with inventing these similarities to mislead frail minds. [Modern day] Christianity was the last great creation of the ancient pagan world. (Will Durant, The Story of Civilization, p. 595)

Charles Guignebert, in his 1927 book, The Early History of Christianity, gave the following explanation:
Now at the beginning of the fifth century, the ignorant and the semi-Christians thronged into the church in numbers... They had forgotten none of their pagan customs... The bishops of that period had to content themselves with redressing, as best they could, and in experimental fashion, the shocking malformations of the Christian faith which they perceived around them... [To properly teach new converts] was out of the question; they had to be content with teaching them no more than the symbol of baptism and then baptizing them en masse, postponing until a later date the task of eradicating their superstitions, which they preserved intact... This "later date" never arrived, and the church adapted to herself, as well as she could, them and their customs and beliefs. On their side, [converts] were content to dress their paganism in a Christian cloak. (pp. 208-210)

The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge:

The pagan Saturnalia and Brumailia were too deeply entrenched in popular custom to be set aside by Christian influence...
The pagan festival with its riot and merrymaking was so popular that Christians were glad of an excuse to continue its celebration with little change in the spirit and in manner. Christian preachers of the West and the Near East protested against the unseemly frivolity with which Christ’s birthday was celebrated, while Christians of Mesopotamia accused their Western brethren of idolatry and sun worship for adopting as Christian this pagan festival.

Art

The second Vatican council formally stated that while there was a Roman Catholic bishop named Nicholas, they acknowledged that many concepts associated with him actually came from pagan sources. William Walsh wrote:

Santa Claus comes form Saint Nicholas, the saint whose festival was celebrated in December and the one who in other respects was most nearly in accord with the dim traditions of Saturn as the hero of the Saturnalia. (The Story of Santa Klaus, p.70)

Tony Van Renterghem writes the following in his book, When Santa Was a Shaman: The Ancient Origins of Santa Claus & the Christmas Tree:

In the newly Christianized areas where the pagan Celtic and Germanic cults remained strong, legends of the god Wodan were blended with those of various Christian saints; Saint Nicholas was one of these. There were Christian areas where Saint Nicholas ruled alone; in other locations, he was assisted by the pagan Dark Helper. In other remote areas... ancient pockets of the Olde Religion controlled traditions.

Here the Dark Helper ruled alone. Sometimes in a most confusing manner, using the cover name of Saint Nicholas or ‘Klaus,’ without in any way changing his threatening, Herne/Pan, fur-clad appearance.

By absorbing such pagan feasts and traditions, the Christian Church turned Herne into Saint Nicholas’ captive, chained Dark Helper; none other than Satan the Dark One, symbolic of all evil...

In Holland and several other European countries, the Saint Nicholas figure is still highly esteemed. He appears as a tall, dignified, bearded, white-haired old man, dressed as a Catholic bishop, complete with a bizarre, quite un-saintly habit of riding through the skies on a white horse, followed by his Dark Helper. It seems that our Catholic saint inherited some of these customs from the pagan god Wodan, who has also been a bearded, white haired old man, also dressed in a hat and cloak, carried a staff, rode a white horse, and dragged along the same dark slave/helper on a chain. (pp. 96-97)

Renterghem continues to explain that in Holland, "Sinterklaas" was believed to reward good children with gifts, while "Zwarte Pier" carried a sinister rod and punished bad children. Renterghem stated that in Germany, Saint Nicholas’ Dark Helper was a frightening, horned little man brandishing a besom (broom).
The Worldbook Encyclopedia provides some interesting insights into some of the traditions regarding Santa Claus.

Some of Santa Claus’s characteristics date back many centuries. For example, the belief that Santa enters the house through the chimney developed from an old Norse legend. The Norse believed that the goddess Hertha appeared in the fireplace and brought good luck to the home.

Other traditions from the Druidic time suggest that Santa’s red suit is a leftover from the times when ancient peoples worshiped the god of fire.
Tradition has it that this fire god came down the chimney. Consider too, that in ancient times, Druid homeowners would leave a treat consisting of milk and pastries to appease this god who came down the chimney into their fireplace. This is how the tradition of leaving milk and cookies out for Santa began. The idea of placing stockings on the fireplace mantel also comes from this legendary pagan practice.
It is clear that the modern Santa traces his origins back to ancient pagan traditions.

Art

For fun consider that Jesus started His ministry when he was "about thirty" Further, His ministry was 3 1/2 years long. He died on the 14th day of the first month--Passover.

Therefore, he was 33 1/2 yrs old in march or april, thus he would have been born about six months before march or april. That puts in him Sept or Oct for being born It would be about the 7th month in the Hebrew calendar and probably on Trumpets or Tabernacles.

When Was Jesus Born?
Was Jesus actually born in the fall (autumn) of the year? The Bible strongly indicates this is true. The scriptures provide benchmarks that can assist in determining when Jesus was conceived as well as the general time of His birth. The gospel of Luke (Lk. 1:5-17) records an event in which the angel Gabriel visited a priest named Zacharias and informed him that his wife Elizabeth would give birth to a son (John the Baptist).
Gabriel made this announcement while Zacharias was serving in the temple. Luke indicates that Zacharias performed this service during "the course of Abia" (or Abijah). According to First Chronicles, Abijah served during "the eighth course" (1Chron. 24:10). The great Jewish historian Josephus wrote that each course was one week long with priests rotating so that each would serve twice during the year. In this case, Zacharias would have served from Iyar 27 through Sivan 5. This period would coincide with late May or early June.
Luke’s gospel goes on to state that Zacharias returned home immediately after his days of service were complete (Lk. 1:23). Shortly after his return, his wife Elizabeth conceived. This would mean her conception would have taken place during June or perhaps July at the latest. The birth of John the Baptist would therefore have taken place in the spring (March - April), probably during the time of the Days of Unleavened Bread.
But what does this have to do with the birth of Jesus? Luke’s gospel indicates that Gabriel also spoke to Mary and informed her that she would give birth to the Messiah (Lk. 1:26-36). When Mary asked how she would know this was true, Gabriel explained that her cousin Elizabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy.

And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. (Luke 1:36)

Mary then left her home to seek Elizabeth. When she arrived, Elizabeth confirmed that Christ had already been conceived in Mary (Lk 1:39-42). The time of this visit was during the winter, probably December or January. This being the case, Jesus would have been born nine months later – in other words, in the fall.
It is interesting to note that Jewish tradition believes the world was created on the first day of the civil year, the Feast of Trumpets, which occurs in mid-September or early October. Although the Bible does not specifically identify the exact date of Jesus’ birth, some authorities have suggested that He, too, was born on this day. Clearly, however, Jesus was not born on or near December 25 and any representation to the contrary is completely false. (The truth About Christmas)

art

nice dreamer. thanks for correcting me. you are very learned.

Dreamer
i like your facts. Here is another one for you to consider.

1..Matt 2:1-2
:1 After Yahshua was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
NIV

you mentioned Mithra. Mithra's priests were called Magi.

Also a king is born to the Jews. May be tell telling

2..Matt 21 Kings 1:38-40

38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and put Solomon on King David's mule and escorted him to Gihon. 39 Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!" 40 And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.
NIV

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
NIV
The Magi believed Yahshua was a king.

3..Luke 2:1-5
:1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child
NIV
And all the people went up after him, playing flutes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.
The Angels and the heavenly host did this. For what?

39 Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!"
When a King is made they annoint him with oil. ( the magi brought oil) and Blow the trumpet blast and it is a joyous occasion. As the shepards ran out to spread the word. It is believed the Romans collected taxes and took censuses during the 7th month. This being everyone comming for the fall feasts.
5...Luke 2:8-15

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of Yahweh appeared to them, and the glory of Yahweh shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Messiah the Messiah. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising Yahweh and saying,

14 "Glory to Elohim in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which Yahweh has told us about."
NIV


Several things happened here.

1 The shepards were in the fields.

2.. The Angels of Heaven were rejoicing.

4....Num 10:8-10
"The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come. 9 When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by Yahweh your Elohim and rescued from your enemies. 10 Also at your times of rejoicing — your appointed feasts and New Moon festivals — you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your Elohim. I am Yahweh your Elohim
."
NIV

Notice that We are told to sound the trumpet when an enimy is oppressing you. Then you will be rescued from your enemy?

What was our enemy? Death the curse of the law.
What did Yahshua do on his death? Took away the curse of the law giving us now eternal life.

No wonder Herod wanted him dead.


5....Ps 150

Praise Elohim in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet ,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise Yahweh.
NIV

The angels did this as they told the shepards of Yahshua's birth.

6.....Lev 23:23-25
3 Yahweh said to Moses, 24 "Say to the Israelites: 'On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts. 25 Do no regular work, but present an offering made to Yahweh by fire.'"
NIV

Yahshua was given offerings on the day the Angels rejoiced.

7....Ps 81:1-8

Sing aloud unto Elohim our strength: make a joyful noise unto the Elohim of Jacob.

2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

4 For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the Elohim of Jacob.

5 This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.

6 I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

7 Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.

8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
KJV


This is speaking of the Day of Trumpets. A anual Holy day in the 7th month on the 1st day as soon as you see the new moon. You blow the trumpet.


What did Yahweh mean by this?

This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.

One thing Yahshua's parents were told my an Angel to take the child and go to eygpt. a language he understood not.

Thier is more to Josephs testimony. What was special about Joseph? he adhered to Yahweh's laws saving the tribes of Israel. Even though he had been done wrong.

Is thier a parellel with Yahshua?

Rev 19:10
Worship Yahweh! For the testimony of Yahshua is the spirit of prophecy."
NKJV


Joseph's brothers hated him for his dreams he had.

So what does all this come down to? IMO

That Yahshua was born on the 7th month and the 1st day. The day of memorial of trumpets.

Kings are annointed and the trumpets sounds.

Thier is rejoicing on that day not only the shepards but the Hosts of Heaven.

The trumpet also sounds to anounce that the people are ready to take back the land from the oppressor.

Yahshua came to set us free. To suffer on a tree.

Deut 21:22-23

22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree :

23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of Yahweh;) that thy land be not defiled, which Yahweh thy Elohim giveth thee for an inheritance.
KJV



Yahshua did both. He hung on a tree for our sins.
He was buried the same day.
But why is he accursed?

This answers another thread also.

Ps 22:1-8

My El, my El, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

2 O my El, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head saying,

8 He trusted on Elohim that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
KJV


These verses are very true. This they did to Yahshua.But remember after he said.. My El, My El, why have you forsaken me.

Matt 27:46-50
And about the ninth hour Yahshua cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My El, my El, why hast thou forsaken me?

47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
Matt 27:50
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
KJV

This is key to understanding why he said this because after he said it he gave up the Ghost.


They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

Yahshua was crying out for deliverance.

He hung on a tree accrused for our sins

He was taken down that day from the tree.

The Angels annouced Royalty and Rejoiced.

The Maji brough annointing oil. To anoint a King.

All the major events in the bible took place on Yahweh's Holy Days. Why should this be any different.

Yahshua died on passover. Put in a tomb as the days of unleavened bread started. Unleavened signifying people looking at them self and being humble and not puffed up. and thier sin to reflect on.


The day of Pentecost the Holy spirit was given the day that the Temple of Yahweh made without hands started.

The annoucing of a King on the Day Of Trumpets.


May Yahweh Bless our Understanding......Miles

50 Yahshua, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
KJV

Remember in the psalm what it said about deliverance?

REGARDING THE MAGI GIFTS

It is important to understand that the wise men did not give gifts to each other. Additionally, the gifts they brought to Christ were not birthday presents. Jesus did not receive toys from these visitors, but rather unusual offerings that many believe carry great significance.
IIt has been suggested that gold was is a gift given to a king, frankincense a gift given to a priest and myrrh—a spice used in preparing a body for burial—was a gift that was given to a condemned man. It is clear that the wise men presented gifts to Jesus because they understood Him to be a great King. The protocol at that time was to never approach the presence of kings or dignitaries without bearing a gift. Adam Clark’s commentary expresses it this way:

"The people of the east never approach the presence of kings and great personages without a present in their hands." (Vol. 5, p. 46)

The truth is that gift giving at this time of year is not scriptural and has no basis in the story of the wise men. The giving of gifts at this time of year came from the practice of the ancient Saturnalia. Today, this worship of Saturn has merged with the worship of Mammon, the god of money.

REGARDING HIS BIRTH ON TRUMPETS.

i have often wordered about this. If his birth was on trumpets, then the shepherds would not be in the fields. They would be observing the holy day, not working.

On another level, the calendar has gone through some evolutions from the beginning. For example Abib is the name of the first month in the Canaanite calendar. Nisan is the first month in the Babylonian calendar. Is it possible that the calendar is off in Christ's day, He was born on Trumpets, but they were not celebrating it, because of their calculations. For example, if you mark the actual beginning of the month with the feint crescent, then the moon is not actually full on the holy days that take place on the 15, like ULB and FoT.

It is just a point of interest that I have not ever reconciled.

REGARDING THE MAGI

There are some who believe that these men were not astrologers or worshipers of Mithra, but instead were remnants of the ancient Israelites who after captivity were removed to Peria and the Persians removed to Israel becoming the hated Samaritans. There were priests among those who were taken, and that is why the Samaritans asked the Assyrians to send them one to stop the plague.

CONSIDER THE STAR:

I don't think they were following a star that was astronomical or astrological. Rather, the star moved. It led them to the very house. Therefore, because stars are angels in the Bible, it might well have been Christ's angel who led these ancient Israelites, wise men who had been displace by Assyria into Peria to the very place where Christ was born.

food for thought, but no xmas trees for you ok?

Art

No art no xmas for me Jer. 10 is pretty clear on the subject. Shalom...Miles

I don't believe Jeremiah is referring to Christmas trees.

See Isaiah 40:18-20 "To whom, then, will you compare him to? As for an idol, a craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. A man too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot. He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple."

Also, Isaiah 44:14-15 "He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cyprus or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow. It is man's fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it."

Isaiah 30:22 "Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold."

The people made idols of wood, covered with gold and silver, and they stood them up to worship as people worship before a statue of Buddah. But they were not gods, only manmade things.

I know of no one who worships their Christmas tree.

billings i would of never guessed you would leave

christ

out of

christmas

not that there is anything wrong with that

just from some of your past posts

it surprises me

Absolutely true! Jeremiah is not speaking of a Christmas tree.
Jeremiah is speaking of an idol, and of course the Christmas tree is an idol! It is a man made object that represents or pictures a god. But---what God? Does it picture Jesus?

The Christmas tree is arguably the most prominent symbol of this season. Millions of people bring an evergreen tree into their homes and decorate it with beautiful glass balls, tinsel, and lights. These same millions would never think of the Christmas tree as an idol which God abhors.
The tradition of bringing a tree into the home and decorating it came from a fable regarding Saint Boniface. According to tradition, Saint Boniface cut down the "great oak of Jupiter," a tree worshiped by pagan Teutons in Germany.
The story is that Saint Boniface came upon a band of heathens who were worshiping a huge oak tree. This band was about to offer a human sacrifice. Boniface intervened, stopping the sacrifice. He then ordered the tree cut down. Legend has it that a small fir tree sprang up in it’s place. Boniface proclaimed that this tree was the tree of life and represented Christ.
Careful examination of this story reveals striking similarities to the story of Nimrod and Semeramis. After the death of Nimrod, his mother Semeramis declared that Nimrod was reincarnated in the form of an evergreen tree which sprung up overnight. History reveals that the worship of trees and nature was a common practice among pagans and continues to this very day.
Many people in the New Age movement believe that trees actually have feelings. Some even believe that trees have the ability to reason. This belief is not new at all. Socrates and Plato are both credited with embracing the same beliefs.
The presence of tree worship is woven throughout history. The ancient people of Palestine practiced tree worship. They often tied the tops of the trees together in groves and made a sort of shrine of the trees. On certain occasions, they would cut an image such as a phallic symbol in the tree and worship before it.
It is important to understand that such practices are abhorrent to God. The tenth chapter of the book of Jeremiah illustrates this point. Here, God commands his people to "learn not the way of the heathen." He then goes into great detail describing a tradition in which the heathen cut a tree out of the forest and decorate it. God goes on to characterize this tree as a graven image.
Although many argue that Jeremiah is not referring to the Christmas tree, that argument misses the point. What God revealed through Jeremiah is that His children are to avoid practices that resemble those embraced by the pagan world. He did not say that it was appropriate to modify their practices and call them Christian. The Christmas tree is clearly a symbol of a faith that was vastly different from anything advocated by the scriptures.
The Christmas tree’s origin in paganism is thoroughly supported by the testimony of history. Consider the words of Alexander Hislop.

The Christmas tree, now so common among us, was equally common in Pagan Rome and Pagan Egypt. In Egypt that tree was the palm tree; in Rome it was the fir; the palm tree denoting the Pagan Messiah, as Baal-Tamar, the fir referring to him as Baal-Berith.

The mother of Adonis, the Sun-God and great mediatorial divinity, was mystically said to have been changed into a tree, the son must have been recognized as the ‘Man the Branch.’ (The Two Babylons, p. 97)

Other credible works on the tradition of Christmas dramatically declare that the Christmas tree is intimately connected to faiths practiced by the pagan world. The book Christmas Folklore reveals the following:

Most people have heard that the Christmas tree originates in the tannenbaum and is some sort of vestige of Teutonic vegetation worship. This is partially true. However, the custom of using pine and other evergreens ceremonially was well established at the Roman Saturnalia, even earlier in Egypt. (p. 209)

The book Festivals, Holy Days, and Saints’ Days confirms that the origin of the Christmas tree can be traced to people who knew absolutely nothing about the Bible.

The Christmas tree... recapitulates the idea of tree worship...gilded nuts and balls symbolizing the sun...all the festivities of the winter solstice have been absorbed into Christmas day...the use of holly and mistletoe to the Druidic ceremonies; the Christmas tree [today reflects] the honors paid to Odin’s sacred fir... (p. 236)

It is clear that the Christmas tree is a powerful symbol and conjures many images concerning the celebration it pictures. However, there is one thing the Christmas tree is NOT – it is not Christian. Everything about the Christmas tree can be traced to beliefs that are strongly condemned in scripture. There is no connection between the Christmas tree and the birth of Christ. It is a pagan symbol that God condemns.
In 1974, United Press International, one of the world’s leading press agencies, carried an article regarding the origin of the Christmas tree. This article spoke volumes about this symbol that has come to be strongly embraced by the Christian world.

Toward the middle of winter, as the sun began setting further in the south, and the nights grew longer, ancient pagan priests put candles which they called fairy lights on trees in an attempt to lure the sun back toward the north. (December 17)

Today, millions of Christian homes around the world are adorned with evergreen trees every Christmas. Tragically, people fail to understand what these trees picture because they simply don’t ask. Ancient Israel was once indicted for engaging in practices that included the veneration of trees.

And the children of Israel did secretly [those] things that [were] not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as [did] the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger: For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. (2Kings 17:9-12)

So, Jeremiah was speaking of an idol, not the the Christmas tree we have today. However, the tree was a central part of the worship in the Saturnalia, an idol to worship Saturn (Santa Clause) and these things are an abomination to God.

Why defend it? Why use it? Why not jettison everything that opposes God and His way?

Art

all holidays dont mean crap anymore we change the meaning to suit youeselves

fyi christmas was a germany holiday

I don't understand?

Jesus was never ever ever in Christmas. He condemned it and other false forms of worship when He was the Word, before His human incarnation.

On earth, He said in order to enter life, keep the commandments. The first, second, and third commandments are broken by the observance of Christmas.

No other god's. Santa is another god, Saturn.
No idols. The xmas tree is an idol.
Don't take His name in vain. We put Christ's name on the celebration of a holiday dedicated to another god.

Game over! Christmas does not work for God, and Christ is not it it.

Art

christmas was a pagan holiday

very good i got to remember that one

insert thumbs up emoticon here