Why We Gather Around the Christmas Tree

As you gather around the Christmas tree with family and loved ones, remember that this significant symbol is the product of at least two miracles: The felling of Thor's Oak, and of course, the coming of Jesus Christ.

After reading this story, I hope that you never view your Christmas tree the same again.

Let me introduce you to a great hero of the faith whom God used to give us the tradition of the Christmas tree.

His name is Boniface.

Boniface was one of the great missionaries of Church history. This great missionary to Germany was born in Wessex, England, around 680 AD. When he was small, some missionaries stayed a while at his home. They told the boy all about their work. They were so happy and excited about bringing the Good News to people. Boniface decided in his heart that he would be just like them when he grew up.

While still young, he went to a monastery school to be educated. Some years later, he became a popular teacher. When he was ordained a priest, he was a powerful preacher because he was so full of enthusiasm.

But his heart was in missions and would ultimately be linked to the origin of the Christmas tree.

Following a trip to Rome to see Pope Gregory II, Boniface returned to England with a commission to do missionary work in the heathen lands of the Frankish Empire. He argued and pestered his abbot into letting him go immediately because he wanted to serve God in foreign lands.

He abandoned a successful, safe life in his mid-forties to win souls for God.

He decided that his first mission would be to work alongside the famous missionary Willibrord in Friesland, but from the moment he stepped off the ship in 716, the trip was a disaster. Boniface and his companions had landed to discover that the ruler of Friesland had declared war on Christians, and was destroying churches and monasteries, driving Willibrord into exile, and sending what was left of the Church into hiding. He had no choice but to return to England a few short months later in defeat.

He kept his enthusiasm but now directed his zeal into organizing and preparing for a return journey to the unchurched regions of Hessia where he arrived in 722. Immediately he began evangelizing and establishing churches, but Boniface found it difficult.  People were attracted by Christianity but unable to give up their old religion and superstitions, perhaps out of fear of being different or of how the old Viking "gods" would react.

Much of the pagan worship was centered around sacred trees at which they practiced sacrifices—including human sacrifice--and made offerings to the gods. In 723 AD, some of the Hessians had acknowledged the Christian faith as confirmed by the grace of the Holy Spirit and received the laying-on of hands.

But others, not yet strong in the Spirit, refused to accept the teachings of the Church in their entirety. Moreover, some continued secretly, others openly, to offer sacrifices to trees and springs, to practice divination and incantations, and others still practiced sacrificial rites, including human sacrifice.

Knowing that the people needed a reason to let go of their false gods, in 723, Boniface called the tribes to a test of power—similar to the test of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. After preaching about the nativity under a large oak tree, Boniface, attempted to cut down this oak of extraordinary size called by the pagans of olden times the Oak of Thor (Donar). It was located in an area called Geismar.

Taking great courage in his hands (for a great crowd of pagans stood by watching and bitterly cursing in their hearts the enemy of the gods), he cut the first notch. But when he had made a superficial cut, suddenly the oak's vast bulk, shaken by a mighty blast of wind from above, crashed to the ground shattering its topmost branches into fragments in its fall.

As if by the express will of God, the oak split into four parts in the shape of a cross, each section having a trunk of equal length. They crushed all the trees around except a single small fir tree. There stood Boniface, axe in hand, unharmed by their old gods, strong in the power of the one God. When Thor did not strike him down, the people converted to Christianity.

The felling of Thor's Oak is commonly regarded as the beginning of German Christianity north and east of the old borders of the Roman Empire.He built a chapel from its wood at the site dedicated to the Apostle Peter where today stands the cathedral of Fritzlar.

Boniface later explained to the people that small triangular evergreen fir tree which remained untouched, its branches reaching up to heaven, is an illustration of the nativity and the Trinity, telling the story of how the One God had sent his Son to save the world from sin and pagan gods. He said, "This humble tree's wood is used to build your homes: let Christ be at the centre of your households. Its leaves remain evergreen in the darkest days: let Christ be your constant light. Its boughs reach out to embrace and its top points to heaven: let Christ be your Comfort and Guide"
 
Over time, small fir trees became used as a symbol of the coming of the Christian faith. They later came to be decorated with apples and sweets, and tradition has it that Martin Luther put candles on a tree for his children. Whereas in former times, offerings were made to the gods and goddesses at sacred trees, Boniface stressed that the gifts now tied to the trees represented the gift of God to man in Jesus Christ. 
 
Another pagan solstice custom was the fire wreath. Great wreaths of evergreens were set on fire and rolled down the hills on Winter Solstice (December 21st) to call the light back to overcome the darkness. Boniface took the wreaths and used their ring shape to represent the eternity and mercy of God and the evergreens, His everlastingness. He placed candles on the wreath to represent penance, sorrow, desire for God, hope and joy.

The Christmas tree and Advent wreath were traditions that would become beloved of the German peoples and German immigrants would bring them to America.

                                                  Merry Christmas from Youth With A Mission!