M. JL Esq. wrote:
> Krypsis wrote:
>
>> The Christmas tree is a cultural phenomenon of America? Who are you
>> trying to kid?
>
> No one has commercialized christmas and made its assorted rituals (tree,
> fat man in a red suit) as popular as America,

American secular culture contains stuff that had religious origins, but
at this point people of plenty of religions have a Yule tree and secular
gift exchanges. That transition from religious to secular is an
American attribute.

>> Ergo, you slavishly adopted a European
>> tradition that had been in place for more than 400 years prior.
>
> The Germanic traditions go back even further than that.

Decorating a tree is supposed to predate the conversion. At some point
it was banned so the families who had not yet converted brought their
tree inside to decorate it. Fast forward a bunch of centuries and it
was the Christian families who were bringing the trees inside.
Assimilating the heathen ways is part of the directions by Pope Gregory
to the missionaries.

I rather like that the Christians started celebrating the Wild Hunt of
Odin and Holda at the turn of the year and adopted it as their way. I
also rather like that it pervaded Amercian secular society enough that
people who aren't Christians have started doing it all over the world.
I figure Odin finds the entire process delightful.