Santa Brought The Tree

Read on December 13

Story provided by Barbara

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” —Isaiah 7:14

Barbara’s grandfather immigrated to America from Germany at the age of eighteen and eventually married. Barbara’s dad was the youngest of nine children, and he always loved everything about Christmas. 

Barbara’s family embraced their new country but celebrated Christmas with their early traditions. Their home was fully decorated, inside and out. One of their German traditions was to have Santa Claus bring the tree and all the gifts on the night of Christmas Eve.

Barbara’s father raised his children with those traditions. He loved Christmas, but he taught his children that the most important tradition of the holiday was the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Barbara and her siblings never saw what “Santa brought” on Christmas morning until after they got home from church. She remembers it was hard to sit still for those early Christmas services, but the “magic” of Christmas was never confused with the miracle of Jesus’ birth.

It has always been difficult to balance the world’s celebration of Christmas with the deeper, true meaning of the biblical story. One of the best ways to help children and others focus the holiday on Christ is to dig into the historical background of our traditions.

Most of us have a Christmas wreath. Traditionally, it is made of evergreen branches in a circular shape to celebrate eternal life. Its candles signify that Jesus is the light of the world. 

Holly was used to remind us of the crown of thorns worn by Jesus. Jesus was born at Christmas to become our Savior on Easter.

Mistletoe was an ancient Roman tradition. The Romans believed that broken relationships could be restored while standing underneath mistletoe. Christians adopted the same tradition to teach that Jesus had been born to restore us to a right relationship with God.

The world puts a different slant on most of our traditions, taking the emphasis away from the true symbolism. Knowing the history can help us refocus those traditions on Christ.

The first Christmas wasn’t about traditions, decorations, and gifts. It was really only about one thing: the birth of a baby who came to save the world. Every other celebration should help others understand that. 

The magic of Christmas is the miracle of Christmas.