The Truth About the Christmas Tree

Excerpt from "Dispelling Christmas Myths: The Orthodox Perspective" by Fr. Peter Heers

---
SIGN UP FOR OUR YOUTUBE MEMBERSHIP:

Youtube members have access to all exclusive Q&A's and livestreams, discount codes for books from Uncut Mountain Press, members-only videos and more!

- - - - -
Share and Subscribe to the OE YOUTUBE CHANNEL:

OE WEBSITE:

UNCUT MOUNTAIN PRESS (UMP) Website - NEW BOOKS:

[Barreta]

There is nothing wrong with the Christmas tree it doesn't symbolize anything bad. To me, when you light the lights, it is a symbol of light. It is beauty and light giving. It brings peace and tranquility, and anything that brings peace and love, there is nothing wrong with it. No one worshiped the tree, unlike Santa Claus. Goodness is always goodness. The Christmas tree is one of God's beauty we all love in nature.

[ariversideview]

German tradition because of Saint Boniface felling an oak some Germans were worshiping and using the sapling of a fir tree which is evergreen to speak of eternal life in Christ. This was in the 8th century. Saint Boniface is an Orthodox saint.

[WORKOUTSOLUTIONS]

✝️ ХРИСТОС ВОСКРЕС ❤

✝️🎄⛪️ БОГ ДАЁТ НАМ СИЛУ ✝🙏🌟🕊️

[oveylia]

I am actually using a palm tree that I have already in my home. First money is really tight, and I don't have a car to get one. I do not want plastic. The palm tree is beautiful and it reminds me of the triumphal entry. For me it is only for decoration. I will put my little nativity underneath and the presents for the children. What I look forward to the most is the Holy Communion and thanking the Lord. The tree reminds me of the tree in the garden of eden. This is where everything began. My parents put little apples on the tree with beeswax candles when I grew up, it was very beautiful.

[RealPigeonTalk]

I feel like this isn't something that needs to be over analyzed. A a Westerner, it just feels right. The lights, the tree, gathering together to celebrate the birth of Christ as a family and as a parish. Giving icons and holy things as gifts. If we are blessed, snow, with flakes that radiate like lights in the dark sky. All of the traditions, when oriented properly cry out "Glory to God" and radiate "peace on earth and good will to all men".

[chrissamavs]

When I was a young child in Greece I don’t remember having a tree, neither did my young friends, we did have a lit boat though

[ranojutro]

In Serbia we are Christian Orthodox.
We decorate tree for new year but for our Christmas January 7 we still keep old tradition bringing home Oak tree branches. Putting dry straws under table.
Oak tree represents new birth because old one from last year we burn in the fire.
Fire is also very important represents something old is gone and new light is coming like Jesus.
For Saint Nikolas which is Dec.19 we are giving kids some small presents like walnuts

[johnsambo]

The ROCOR Church in my town celebrates Christmas with a Father Frost gathering for kids. There is nothing wrong enjoying Christmas with some secular things.

[gobucs]

St Anthony’s monastery has a Christmas Tree in the bookstore.

[stylist]

This is clarifying a lot of questions I had
I usually just do a nativity
Great history Father🥰🙏there is a verse in the Old testament that says not to decorate trees trees and bring them in the house
I forgot where

[vladvlad]

The Christmas Tree has been integrated into Orthodoxy to the point where even if it was a bad thing we could just give up on it. The church that I go to has a Christmas Tree inside next to the Altar, went to other churches and saw something similar. In Romania for example most houses have a Christmas Tree, some of them are big and complex, others are really simolistic like a small tree next to the entrace on the house or smtg.

[SirAdrian]

The Christmas tree represents the garden of Eden

[Alf_The_Gr]

I think its objectivly evident theyre okay for use. Put it this way, the light bulb was invented in the west, by a westerner and yet it is used in our eastern churches. The same way the christmas tree tradition is a product of the west in which we incorporate to our tradition. All my argument here is saying is just because something is from the west, doesnt mean its bad or against the orthodox faith simoly because its western. The tree is a product of nature which is a product of God and is beautiful. No one worships nor venerates the tree, its just there completely idle. I see no problem with this. Feel free to correct me if you beleive im wrong.

[isaiahkerstetter]

Christ, the God-man, Himself is the fulfillment of all the good hopes and aspirations of the Celts and Teutons. They knew that trees were indicative of something higher and considered some to be sacred, albeit with a perspective warped by demons. Christ Himself is the Truth who despells all falsehood and showes Himself to be the Tree of Life.

[bityou]

The Christmas tree is a mixture of Germanic folklore, Norse mythology and Christianity. To Christianize the Germanic people in North-Western and Northern Europe they exchanged and mixed their beliefs. In Norse mythology there is the Yggdrasil, a central and sacred tree, after which the first created human called Askr (ash tree) was named according to Norse mythology (which was probably already borrowed/exchanged from Christian missionaries). The first humans according to “their” mythology are Askr and Embla, which is clearly borrowed from Adam and Eve. The Christmas tree should be seen by us as a type of “Tree of Life” from the Garden of Eden which is Christ Himself, the Bread of Life, the vine, and we are the branches. Any branch which is not in Him is thrown into the fire.

[bryanhoffmann]

The Greek East and the Slav-Nordic-Russian East kinda divided on this one.

[kyriakosathanasiadis]

Can I ask of other pagan traditions that have been "baptised" orthodox?

The reality is that in Greece which is a cradle orthodox nation the trees were absent until the 60s/70s. The house was decorated at its best on Easter and Christmas with flowers best chinas, cutleries but our icons are the center.

[xHannaHx]

Tbh u being ok with the Christmas tree given it’s Catholic roots (that u r so clearly uncomfortable with) just because (1) a monk thought it beautiful (2) u went to Greece and it’s used there…. Makes no sense

u called the Holy Family icon “heretical” based on your scrupulous thoughts which goes against your statement about the disposition of the person matters.
If u also consider that most Greeks r using the Holy Family Icon and many monks will call it beautiful will u be ok with it then? It just seems u used more mental gymnastics to be fine with a tree than an innocent icon.


I say this with charity as a Catholic Christian