At this time of year, we must listen to people argue over silly things like whether a decorated evergreen should be called a Christmas tree or a holiday tree.
The premise of the conflict is silly, because there is nothing religious whatsoever about a decorated tree. It’s simply a tradition that has come to us through our primarily European ancestry. People who celebrate Christmas generally have them in their homes and businesses, so they’ve become associated with Christianity. But…so what?
Traditions are important. Consider the places we get our traditions:
–The Bible or other authoritative book of our chosen religion.
–Our particular denomination.
–Our ethnic heritage.
–The region of the country we live in or come from.
–Our extended family.
–Our immediate family.
–Our community.
Now think of all the ways these influences can be combined, and we end up with an infinite variety of ways people can celebrate a holiday. Lots of people like Christmas trees because the decorated tree symbolizes connections to many things, people, and events that are important to us.
Does it really matter what we call it? I don’t think so. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, go to church, read the Bible, or have European people in your ancestry, just enjoy the sight of a pretty decorative item. If you don’t enjoy it, let others enjoy it in peace. That’s my suggestion to those who would get all worked up about the phrase “Christmas tree.”