The Tree vs. The Manger

 

A few years ago, I got into an argument with a Jewish coworker over Christmas Trees. For the record, I have nothing against Christmas Trees, as long as you don’t worship them. This argument was over what the tree represents. I see the tree as a festive decoration, rising in some cases to the level of art, and I love seeing the creativity that some people put into getting their Christmas Tree just right. But what I didn’t see back then was something symbolic of Christianity and it was this viewpoint that was the basis of the argument.

The argument started after I commented on a news article which described how a local high school rejected a request by students to set up a manger scene. The school allowed all religions (and non-religions) to set up holiday decorations representing their various points of view. A group of Christians wanted a manger scene but were told they could not have it because Christianity was already represented by the school’s Christmas Tree. In response the students asked if they could replace the tree and were told that this was not possible. I made a comment about the article, stating my belief that the tree was not a Christian symbol, to which my coworker informed me that I was wrong.

Well, I’ve done some research since that argument, and I see why my coworker disagreed with me. While the tree was originally used in pagan rituals, history shows that the church has embraced it with descriptions of how the tree and its decorations represent Jesus and the life He brings as well as the fact that He is light in the darkness. So, I will concede that there is a strong argument for the tree being a Christian symbol. However, I think that in arguing against this I missed the opportunity to point out to my coworker the most important issue at hand.

While one might argue that the Christmas Tree represents Christ, the manger scene, representing Jesus’ birth in very humble surroundings, does a better job of telling the real story. By choosing the tree over the manger, that high school chose a symbol with both Christian and secular meanings over what Christians truly believe, rejecting a true representation of what Christians celebrate on December 25^th (or January 6^th or 7^th for many Orthodox Christians). So even while understanding how the Christmas Tree might be a Christian symbol, the manger is the more important symbol, and I hope that one day it becomes what people think of first when they think of Christmas.