Why do we have a christmas tree?
Despite Christians coming up with around 6-8 different stories based on Christian legends, the Christmas tree is a pagan symbol. In Europe, the practise of setting up evergreen trees originated in pagan times, the practice was associated with the Winter Solstice, around December 21. Tree decoration was later adopted into Christian practise after the Church set December 25 as the birth of Christ, thereby supplanting the pagan celebration of the solstice. Traditionally, Christmas trees were not brought in and decorated until 24 December, then removed the day after twelfth night (6 January); to have a tree up before or after these dates was considered bad luck. The Yule Log is part of the same tradition. A Yule log is a large wooden log which is burned in the hearth as a part of traditional Yule celebrations in several European cultures. It can be a part of the Winter Solstice festival or Twelfth Night. This ties in nicely with the further hijacking of the ancient Twelfth Night traditions
