Martin Luther encouraged using trees to symbolize the ever presence of God and the lights of the stars.
Christianity has always incorporated pagan elements so as to make it easier for non-jews to convert to Christianity. It makes sense if you consider that Christianity and Judaism were competing for converts in the first few centuries after Christianity arose.
Christmas trees are not really pagan any more. They have become a Christian symbol due to association.
At Christmas Kenyan churches are often decorated by missionaries. Typical Christmas decor may include plants, Christmas trees, flowers, balloons, and ribbons.
wreaths and bells
At Christmas Kenyan churches are often decorated by missionaries. Typical Christmas decor may include plants, Christmas trees, flowers, balloons, and ribbons.
The Pagan Christmas tree is special because the evergreen tree represents Christian winter rites. It was adopted by Europeans and these trees soon were decorated with ornaments as well.
Before the coming of Christianity, pagan places of worship were marked by Yew trees. Christianity frequently 'took over' these sites and built churches on them. As a result yew trees are frequently present in cemeteries round churches and tradition means they are also planted in 'extension' graveyards.
The tradition of the Christmas Tree came from Germany and probably derives from pagan worship of certain trees in the area of the Black Forest.
We most certainly do! With the start of the Advent Season, Christmas is one of the busiest times in the Methodist year.
The Christmas tree first came about after the Reformation and Germany is given as the first use of the Christmas tree, but before then churches and houses were decorated with any thing green.
Christmas comes to us from the middle ages. The Catholic church wanted to replace the pagan celebrations with Christian ones so they used the days that the pagans were all ready using and made them into Christian holidays. December 25th was a pagan holiday of the Winter solace. The word "Christmas" is really Christ Mass, and the people had 3 masses a day on Christmas Day. There were no gifts nor decorated trees. Evergreens were brought in, even by the pagans, but they weren't used as Christmas trees.
Christmas trees are real trees.
No president had a Christmas tree in the White House for about the first 100 years. The English did not put up Christmas trees and many considered them to be a pagan custom. Christmas trees only gradually became popular in the US. However, Theodore Roosevelt, an early environmentalist, may have refused to put up a Christmas tree even though his children wanted one. The related link gives more .
Nothing, really, if by Christmas you mean Christ's birth. The tree is a pagan tradition, appropriated by the Church in Europe and brought to North America.