> Christmas - there is some evidence that Jesus was born in early June or
late
> Spring - somewhere in there. The 25th of December was a Holy Day in the
OT.
> There might have been some carryover to why we have a celebration in the
> winter.
Actually, the Winter Solstice is a holiday in most cultures that are far
enough from the Equator to rejoice that the days are getting longer and that
Spridget-driving weather might therefore eventually return. I believe the
reason that the 25th is in use is not that they were not accurate in their
calculations of the solsticeAs far as the Christmas connection is concerned,
the early Christians were in no position to create holidays, nor were they
inclined to join in on the pagan celebrations, but they were not above
re-directing a pagan holiday to their own ends.
> And the tree in the livingroom? What a hassle I had with the tree stand
this
> year to get the thing to stand straigbt! It is just unbelievable that I
haul
> a big tree into the house once a year.
I am thinking that somebody could make a lot of money by designing a really
nice artificial tree that only amounted to half of a tree vertically. Think
about it, a lot less floor space, still plenty of room for presents and
ornaments... pre-lit and so forth... could make a killing if it were done
well and marketed correctly. Sort of like the trees in English gardens that
are trained to the side of a wall and only grow out on one side. Heck, we
could do it with real trees, too!
David Lieb
|