The Christmas Tree Story

I love the holidays.  I know it sounds cliche but it is the most wonderful time of the year. 

My favorite part is decorating our Christmas trees with Noah and Abram.  They look forward to this time all year long. 

It is difficult to keep children grounded on the meaning behind the holidays during this day and age.  On Thanksgiving, we are not celebrating turkeys.  And Christmas is not about presents and toys. 

So, while we are putting up our Christmas trees, one way that I attempt to help my children understand why Christmas time is so important is the story of the Christmas tree.

This is how I usually try to tell it:

Thousands of years ago, there were many people who did not believe in Jesus and His Father.  These people are called pagans and at that time, they were worshipping something very silly...an oak tree.

A man named St. Boniface was outraged by this ideal.  He took matters into his own hands and cut down their oak tree.

Time passed and another tree sprouted in its place.  A fir tree. 

The Christians took this as a sign of Christian Faith believing that the fir tree was a sign of the Holy Trinity.

I know that it sounds like a simple, maybe even juvenile, way to explain a small part of Christmas tradition.  But I think that it is important that children have roots, and they understand where things come from.  And, our plastic, pre-lit Christmas trees in our home are not just there to look pretty.  They have a very important meaning behind them.

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. (10) And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (12) And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  Luke 2:9-12