On the meaning of the Christmas tree: My wife and I have been putting up a Christmas tree of the twenty years we have been married. She is a devout Christian. I am not. Neither of of, however, celebrate Christmas as a Christian holiday. Her denomination doesn't recognize December 25 as the real birth day of Christ. I don't recognized Christ as a devine. We celebrate the holiday as part of the Winter Soltice, putting up the tree as a symbol of renewal. A devout Christian once challenged me on this practice and, after I explained our philosophy, she said that we could not then, give gifts. When I asked why, she said that gift-giving was a Christian practice, beginning with the wise men! Needless to say, I did not carry on that conversation. The point is that the tree or any other gesture during the mid-winter (or mid-summer, as one noted) holiday perioed, can be symbols of any kind of renewal, or re-birth to which one wishes to attribute them. May I suggest to the Christians out there that the symbolism of Christ has very much to do with re-birth? ------ Robert Handy Brazoria County Historical Museum 100 East Cedar Angleton, Texas 77515 (409) 864-1208 museum_bob [log in to unmask] http://www.bchm.org ---------- From: Ross Weeks Jr.[SMTP:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Monday, August 24, 1998 9:14 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: CHRISTMAS SYMBOLS (was "The Holidays") And this means that museums must ignore our culture? -----Original Message----- From: Allison Weiss <[log in to unmask]> Newsgroups: bit.listserv.museum-l To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Sunday, August 23, 1998 5:30 PM Subject: Re: CHRISTMAS SYMBOLS (was "The Holidays") > >_____________________________________________________________________ >You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. >Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com >Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]