*JimH* wrote:
Damn it, we got it in the house and it looks just like a Christmas tree.

I always laugh my arse off at the very notion of a "Christmas tree."

I've even seen "Christmas Trees" set up in churches. Wow. Talk about
confused........

The decorated tree in your living room is a "pagan" symbol of the first
order. The ancient Celts and the Germanic tribes had a solstice
tradition where a small tree would be brought into the home and
showered with offerings (tinsel, jewelry, "ornaments") to honor the
Spirit of the Forest. The tree serves as a sort of altar.

As one of my friends, (a devout Christian but not a member of a
mainstream sect), points out, there is nothing in the Bible that
commands anybody to celebrate Christmas or even Easter. In fact, two of
the four New Testament gospels don't even mention The Natvity, and you
would think that hosts of angels descending from heaven wouldn't be
such a trivial detail that it was accidentally overlooked.

Is there a religious passage somewhere that says, "Go thou, chop down
a tree, bring it into your home, and make offereings unto it?" Nah,
probably not. In fact, I sort of recall that Jehovah was might upset
when some of his followers were venerating a golden calf.
It ain't that far from a calf to a tree.

Oh, and take a good close look at that holly and mistletoe while you're
at it. :-)

Can anybody who considers Christmas a Christian and religious holiday
offer a good explanation for the inculsion of a venerated tree? I'd be
fascinated to see it attempted.