Are Christmas trees pagan? Should Christians refrain from putting one up?
While most Christians are OK with celebrating Christmas in honor of Jesus and putting up their tree, some say that it’s evil.
They say there is a dark truth about Christmas trees—that they stem from paganism.
Not only that, but some use Jeremiah 10:1-5 to preach against Christmas trees.
I actually went to a church for years that taught this stuff about Christmas trees, so I’ve studied it extensively.
Now, most Christians have already refuted the Jeremiah argument. (We’ll briefly look into it)
But even though it’s been debunked, there is one main reason why some believers still say that Christmas trees are wrong. Keep reading to find out.
This reason is often overlooked and ignored by almost everyone.
Let’s take a look.
Are Christmas Trees Pagan?
Sure, some sources point to a Christmas tree’s pagan background.
You don’t have to look very far to find information that hints at pagan origins.
For example, the Norse Christmas trees' pagan background is usually discussed around Christmas.
Some also point to ancient winter solstice celebrations, usually rooted in pagan worship, when evergreens symbolized growth or fertility during non-growth seasons.
The Christmas Trees’ Pagan Meaning: Is It Really Pagan?
But here’s the BIG question: Who really knows if this stuff is true or not?
How do we know? Who said?
As I stated in my Halloween article, when believers present “evidence” of a holiday’s pagan origins, they usually do so without primary sources.
This means they’re simply getting this information from online sources like Google, ChatGPT, social media channels, or other random websites.
They do not get their information from ancient sources, which would clearly say how Christmas trees were used in their day.
So, basically, we just don’t know if the information about Christmas trees being pagan is accurate or not.
Are Christmas trees pagan or Christian?
They very well could have pagan origins.
But here’s why it doesn’t matter:
1. Everything is pagan.
I mean that a lot of things that are part of our everyday American culture have pagan backgrounds.
I heard that the Statue of Liberty was modeled, in part, after Libertas, the Roman goddess representing liberty.
"Sunday" comes from the Old English word Sunnandæg, which translates to "day of the sun," which can be traced back to the worship of the Sun god.
Also, “Monday” traces back to the Moon-god.
But here’s the kicker (and why none of these origins really matter)…
2. No one is setting up Christmas trees for pagan purposes.
No one dresses their kid in a bear costume to get candy on October 31, goes to work on a Monday, likes the Statue of Liberty, or puts up a Christmas tree for paganism.
Normal things could have been taken for something evil in the past, but who cares?
If you think about it, a Christmas tree doesn’t have much to do with Christ. This is more of the fun, family-oriented, light-hearted part of Christmas.
But the holiday itself revolves (or should revolve) around Jesus today.
What Does the Christmas Tree Symbolize?
Today, it just symbolizes the Christmas holiday.
There are many answers. It represents family, tradition, and the coming new year.
In ancient times, it could have symbolized something pagan. But no one knows for certain.
Who Started the Christmas Tree Tradition?
No one knows who started the tradition, but most people believe it started in Germany in the 1500s.
In fact, a lot of people credit Martin Luther for popularizing it.
It’s said that Luther was looking at the many stars in the sky and was inspired. He thought about the light of Christ.
He brought an evergreen tree into his house and decorated it with candles.
The tradition spread to England and later to America.
So, there actually could be Christian origins to a Christmas tree, and they could also symbolize the light of Christ.
Does Jeremiah 10:1-5 Speak Against Christmas Trees?
Here is the famous scripture used to speak against Christmas trees:
Jeremiah 10:2-5 ESV
2 Thus says the Lord: “Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, 3 for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. 4 They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. 5 Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.”
Doesn’t this sound like a Christmas tree? Absolutely!
I was a part of a church that used this scripture to teach against Christmas trees.
We didn’t celebrate Christmas. We had church on Christmas day if it fell on a Sunday.
All because of this scripture.
But is Jeremiah really talking about a Christmas tree?
Again, other Christians have already done a good job debunking this foolish argument.
This scripture does not talk about Christmas trees. It is clearly about the heathens in Jeremiah’s day who cut down trees and carved the wood into idols.
Check out this quick 3-minute video of a great guy debunking this old argument:
I’m pretty surprised by Robert Breaker in this video (the man the YouTuber is debunking).
Robert is big on teaching the Bible. He usually uses that whiteboard to map out his teachings.
So, it is beyond me why any sound Biblical teacher would still say Jeremiah is talking about a Christmas tree. It’s just so Biblically unsound.
But here’s the truth:
Robert didn’t say that the scripture was talking about a Christmas tree.
He said that it “sounded” like a Christmas tree.
This might seem like nothing to most, but to me, it’s very telling because this is what many Bible readers do with Scripture.
Robert knows that the scripture does not explicitly refer to Christmas trees. However, he probably believes that it has an allegorical meaning.
And the allegorical meaning is that no one should put up Christmas trees today.
To some, if a scripture sounds like something familiar to them (not to the original readers in Jeremiah’s day), it is that something.
We would ask them, “How so?”
Because to them, Jeremiah 10 could have two meanings—the literal one and the spiritual one.
The literal meaning is the meaning in context—it was simply referring to people carving idols from the wood of a tree.
The spiritual meaning refers to how we want to apply it in our day—it’s a Christmas tree.
It is the same way some teach tithing.
Although many scriptures from the law say that tithing only consisted of agricultural products and not money, when some people read them, they still metaphorically and “spiritually” take them to be talking about money anyway.
When they read, “You Israelites need to tithe your crops,” they see, “You Christians need to tithe your money.”
Why? Because they believe that it is Biblically OK, at least in some instances, to see spiritual, modern applications of the scripture so they can apply them to their life.
How else will we apply Scripture to our lives since Scripture applies to all people at all times?
It kind of makes you think, right?
Some would probably even contend that “God showed them” that Jeremiah 10 is about Christmas trees.
This is why some believers still say that Christmas trees are wrong.
Somehow, everything seems to always go back to Bible interpretation. That’s where the answer usually is.
Personally, I think we should just leave Jeremiah 10 in its place and context. That’s where it belongs.
We should not let our allegorical meanings go too far. Some things just mean what they mean.
Conclusion
Are Christmas trees pagan? No, they are not inherently pagan.
Jeremiah 10 is not talking about Christmas trees.
But I would like to know what you think.
Comment below and tell me why you think some are still using Jeremiah 10 to teach against Christmas trees.
