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Two factors must be discussed concerning whether the Christmas tree is a religious symbol.

1. Though ancient religions did worship trees the specific tree we're discussing is the Christmas tree. Since the celebration of Christmas is a Christian holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, the truly potent question is whether the Christmas tree is a "Christian religious symbol."

To that the answer is no. There are not enough facts to support that it ever was a Christian symbol or what it may have meant to the church.

2. As with everything else in life, time takes its toll. Language is manipulated by time. Landscape is raped by time. History is even shaded by time. So too are items related to religion. Take the word "icon" for example. What was once a word used to describe religious artifacts is now used most commonly for the G.U.I. markers on your computer screen. The Christmas tree, along with the Christmas season, has not escaped the effects of time either. Mankind as a whole has replaced Christ with Santa, or peace on Earth, or goodwill, or what-have-you. The Tannenbaum's needles no longer (if they ever did) carry any significant religious connotation.

I conducted a survey of professing Christians about the matter. 97% of them saw no symbolism associated with the tree. Two percent thought there may be some meaning but couldn't remember what it was, and the remaining one percent believed it to be symbolic but differed on the specific connotation. One, Dr. Greg Mazak (a teacher of psychology at Bob Jones University in South Carolina) made it perfectly clear that the Christmas tree is "pagan in origin."

"O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, thy leaves are not symbolic."

Learn more about this author, Kevin Olsen.
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