Christmas Tree Significance In Christianity
In the bible the cross upon which jesus was crucified is often referred to as a tree.
Christmas tree significance in christianity. The christmas tree symbolizes the spirit of the christmas season and to christians the everlasting life and sacrifice of jesus christ. Still the custom of decorating a christmas tree was established in the 18 th century being more common in france austria and germany. The romans used fir trees to decorate their temples at the festival of saturnalia. Legend credits the protestant reformer martin.
Nobody is really sure when fir trees were first used as christmas trees. Christians use it as a sign of everlasting life with god. Updated may 22 2020 today christmas trees are treated as a secular element of the holiday but they actually started with pagan ceremonies that were changed by christians to celebrate the birth of jesus christ. The lights and decorations on the tree represent the wonder and glory associated with the birth and resurrection of jesus.
The christmas tree being in the shape of a triangle was thought to represent the holy trinity of the father son and holy spirit. It probably began about 1000 years ago in northern europe. Not until the renaissance are there clear records of trees being used as a symbol of christmas beginning in latvia in 1510 and strasbourg in 1521. Simply put the history of our salvation is intimately linked to the existence.
Because the evergreen flourishes all year round it came to symbolize eternal lifethrough christ s birth death and resurrection.