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Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watrose.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!watnot!watrose!chmorris
From: chmorris@watrose.UUCP (chmorris)
Newsgroups: net.nlang.celts
Subject: Re: A Question about Celtic matters
Message-ID: <7751@watrose.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 13-Jan-86 11:39:43 EST
Article-I.D.: watrose.7751
Posted: Mon Jan 13 11:39:43 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 14-Jan-86 04:44:49 EST
References: <620@sftig.UUCP> <726@othervax.UUCP> <524@cheviot.uucp> <3549@pur-ee.UUCP> <3717@ut-sally.UUCP> <27@fai.UUCP>
Reply-To: chmorris@watrose.UUCP ()
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 13
Keywords: Druids Stonehenge
Summary: 

>I have heard that our present day Christmas tree tradition dates back 
>to Druidic traditions concerning the worship of nature and oak trees in
>particular. Can any one comment or otherwise shed light upon this ?

The Christmas tree tradition is German in origin, from what I've heard;
it came to England about the time of the King Georges (I-III).
The story goes that a Christian missionary came along to convert the
people to Christianity.  Their religion involved a sacred tree (Woden's ?)
and the saint-to-be took an axe and chopped it down.  When he wasn't struck
by lightning, the natives were very impressed and decided his God was more
powerful than theirs.  As an alternate symbol, he gave them the Christmas
tree.  I've forgotten some of the details and the saint's name, and whether
the original tree was an oak or not.