Aren't these Easter and Christmas traditions pagan?

[Marie214]

My husband who is a non-Catholic Christian recently came to me recently with an article he read in a Evangelical magazine stating that Easter and Christmas should not be celebrated because they are based on pagan rituals and worship. He says that Easter began with worship of the for the goddess of Spring and that we should not have a Christmas tree because the Bible prohibits the worship of trees adorned with silver and gold. Please could you clarify these for me so that I can assure my husband that these holiday’s are certainly worth celebrating and that we are celebrating only the birth and the ressurection of our Lord.

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

First of all, who do you know that worships Christmas trees? Nobody that I know; that’s for sure!

Just as people can be Christianized, so can their customs and celebrations. Christianity is a powerful thing because it is the power of God on earth. Catholic Christians have always believed this. So they Christianized trees at Christmas and eggs at Easter. Who can remember the Christmas tree or Easter as pagan things? One has to dig deep to find pagan worship in them. Better to rejoice that they have become vehicles for celebrating the love of Christ.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.