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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Christmas trees are completely pagan in origin, just like Easter eggs.  You can feel perfectly fine having them.  [/quote]

Well, not really, seeing as the Torah prohibits worshiping any pagan or foreign gods. Christian, pagan, whatever -- not acceptable from a religious or traditional standpoint for Jews.

Which isn't to say people don't do it anyway, of course.[/quote]

They are pagan in origin - that doesn't make them "worship."  By the same standard, you'd have to give up those Hannukah gifts (just a concession to Christmas) and a surprising number of other things, like Valentines Day cards, bridesmaids, birthday cakes, and much much more.  Good luck with that![/quote]

Giving money or candy ("gelt") is a tradition, but I sure am happy to avoid Christmas style gifts on Hannukah.   Ditto Vday cards.  Already married so bridesmaids are not an issue anymore, but could live without that. And giving up Bday cake would make things easier for our gluten free friends.  :P

Anyway, trees are A. Pagan in origin  B. Completely appropriated to Christian traditions   C.   Essentially rejected (unlike bridesmaids and birthday cakes) by the folk wisdom of the (american) Jewish people, as early as the 1960s.  Again, the only Jews I  know who do trees are ones where someone in the household grew up non Jewish, OR where they are very assimilated in every other way.    [/quote]

I just think it's very dependent on how someone grew up. DH and I both grew up Jewish, but we are each half Catholic, from a family history standpoint (my mom is Catholic and his dad is Catholic). As a result, we both celebrated Christmas as kids. We're not very religious, but plan to have DD go to Hebrew school through Bat Mitzvah. We'll do Christmas and Hanukkah because it's family tradition.

[/quote]

That's exactly what PP is saying. If you grow up with a non-Jewish family member, you probably grew up with a tree or at least with greater comfort with Christian or secular Christmas traditions. If you grow up with only Jews who regard themselves as having a distinctive Jewish heritage -- even if not necessarily very religious -- having a tree is practically anathema. Maybe less so these days, but I am 38 and have many Jewish friends and family, and the only ones I know who have Christmas trees are those in which some member of the family is not Jewish (even if they are raising the kids Jewish). That's quite a lot of people, actually -- my BIL among them -- but the dividing line is pretty clear.[/quote]

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