Christmas Trees and Gifts by Jonathan Hoffman

I wrote this report to discover the origin of both Christmas trees and gifts. I hope that this is not only helpful, but also interesting.

The Christmas tree

Throughout history, there have been numerous stories about how the Christmas tree was begun. I discovered that the custom of the Christmas tree came from Germany.[1] Actually, before Christ was born, ancient people brought evergreens inside. This was not for a celebration, but for bringing nature indoors. These where the first trees that where brought indoors.

The Romans hung masks of one of their gods on all sides of a tree, so that whichever way the wind blew, his face was in the wind. However, this also was not for a holiday, but done year-round. So then, where then did the Christmas tree come from? Well here are two legends.

This is what Henry van dyke wrote about St. Winfried in his book The First Christmas Tree. St. Winfried was a missionary to the Druids. He and some of his friends went to a Druid town to evangelize. When they got there, the Druids where out in the dark forest at the great oak tree, about to sacrifice a young prince! They got there just in time to save his life. St. Winfried told them the Christmas story, and begged them not to worship their false gods with bloody sacrifices in the dark forest. He pointed to an evergreen, and asked them to take it into their homes, and with singing and rejoicing, celebrate the birth of Jesus.[2] There is another story like this about St. Bartholomew that is almost the same as St. Winfried’s story, but a little different.[3]

Another legend is about Martin Luther. He was walking home one wintry night, and he was deeply impressed with the starry sky above the stately evergreens. When he got home, he tried to explain it to his family, but words escaped him. To express his feelings fully, he went outside, cut down an evergreen, brought it inside his house, and placed candles on it. He said it represented the starry sky above the stable in Bethlehem the night Jesus was born. One of Luther’s chief desires was to make ordinary people understand and appreciate Christmas time joy.[4]

For a time, the church frowned on the tree, because they thought that people spent too much time on a silly tree. But eventually, the church spread the rumor that a tree flowered on the first Noel. They said later that certain, very special evergreens bloomed, and so on Christmas Eve, people would go out to look for them. This seemed to encourage them to bring trees into their houses. In 1605, everyone in Europe started to have trees in their houses. The Europeans also turned the evergreen from the ancient symbol of fertility (the Romans and Druids) to the Christian symbol of rebirth.

This ends my Christmas tree segment of my report. My family decided that, of all the legends and stories, the Martin Luther story was the most likely to be true.

It has been the practice of people throughout the ages to set aside certain periods of the year in which, through the giving of gifts, they may share the good things of life with each other, particularly with those less fortunate.

One example is the Romans (before Christ was born). They gave gifts to their Emperor and to each other during Saturnalia (a wintertime holiday for their god, Saturn), winter solstice, and New Years. The gifts to the Emperor started out as a gift that usually symbolized health, happiness, and affection. However, after a time, the Emperors demanded larger and more extravagant gifts, so it was like a tax that they had to pay, instead of a gift. After Rome became Christian, they, instead of giving gifts for Saturnalia and the other holidays, gave gifts in Christ’s name.[5]

What of the Magi? Didn’t they start the Christmastime gift giving? No. They did not give the first Christmas gifts. The first person to give a Christmas gift was God. God gave his Son, Jesus. That was the first and greatest Christmas gift of all. After the nativity, the Magi responded in kind, and the gifts they laid at the Christ Child’s crib remains a model for Christian gift giving at Christmas time to this day.[6]

“Christmas gift giving was set by example, first by God, then by the Magi, who brought unusually precious gifts to the manger. Perhaps it was the cost of these first gifts of Christmas that inspires us today to give to the poor, to strangers and friends alike, the best we have to offer. The goal remains the same. That is to bring joy and good will to those less fortunate or too young to do for themselves.”[7]

Well, what about gift giving now? The early Christians didn’t give gifts, because it reminded them of Saturnalia. Nevertheless, they embraced it after a time.

The giving of gifts has been done throughout the centuries. People gave gifts to their monarchs, to the church and to the poor. The monarchs also gave gifts to the poor and to the church.[8] A Greek named Libanis wrote, “The spirit at this time, for then, everyone gives lavished gifts of what he haves, and makes others happy. This is a good thing indeed, and this serves as an antidote against the individual hoarding wealth.”[9] However, the modern tradition of gift giving at Christmas time to each other came from Germany.[10]

“In spite of the fact that there is some selfishness in our gift giving, Christ’s birth seems to bring out the best qualities in countless people. Philanthropic citizens plan gifts for shut ins, for patients of hospitals and other institutions, and for service men far from home. This Yuletide consideration for others is a tribute to the Founder of Christmas day. For the spirit that moves others to give liberally, even when it means sacrifices, is an attribute of the ‘Giver of perfect gifts.”[11]

To end my report I would like to say that in my family, we are not giving gifts to each other this year (and last year). We’re going to give the money that we would have spent on ourselves to needy people. I don’t think that it’s wrong to give gifts, but I think that giving money to those in need is a better way to go about it. I also think that it’s a better example of the first Christmas. The Wise Men gave their gifts to Jesus, not to each other. And Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus needed that money to get to Egypt. In addition to this, the Wise Men didn’t get anything in return. But more importantly, God gave His gift of Jesus to us, and are we needy! And does God get very much in return? So, we are giving to people who are needy, and who cannot give us anything in return. Just like God and the Wise Men. In addition to this, we are also giving to God.

“The king will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these my brothers of mine you did for me.”’

[2] Maymie R. Krythe, All about Christmas (New York: Harper, 1954) and Penne L. Restad, Christmas in America: a history (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995).

[4] Maymie R. Krythe, All about Christmas (New York: Harper, 1954), “Christmas,” Microsoft® Encarta®2000 (Microsoft Corporation, ©1993-1999), and Clement A. Miles, Christmas Customs and Traditions, their history and significance (New York: Dover Publications, 1976).

[5] Maymie R. Krythe, All about Christmas (New York: Harper, 1954) and Penne L. Restad, Christmas in America: a history (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995).

[6] Clement A. Miles, Christmas Customs and Traditions, their history and significance (New York: Dover Publications, 1976).

[7] Clement A. Miles, Christmas Customs and Traditions, their history and significance (New York: Dover Publications, 1976).

[8] Maymie R. Krythe, All about Christmas (New York: Harper, 1954) and Penne L. Restad, Christmas in America: a history (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995).

[9] Maymie R. Krythe, All about Christmas (New York: Harper, 1954) and Penne L. Restad, Christmas in America: a history (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995).

[11] Clement A. Miles, Christmas Customs and Traditions, their history and significance.