Why Do We Put up a Christmas Tree?

By | December 22, 2025

[December 22, 2025]  To answer the question, why do we put up a Christmas tree, we might say that everyone does it.   We know others who do it, our family and friends, and we see it in stores and on television.  The tree is beautiful and part of a long-standing tradition.  But, we might not really know why.

The Christmas tree is where the light that shines in the darkest darkness at the darkest time of year – the Winter Solstice as the shortest day of the year.  And that light signifies, in the Christian tradition, it signifies the birth of Christ and his gift to the world.  The life of Christ is about selflessness, humility, bringing light into the world, and thus giving us the divine awakening.

Bella guarding our Christmas Tree

Our yellow Labrador Retriever, Bella, guarding our Christmas Tree

So, there are truly moral reasons for putting up the lighted tree.  It signifies the service of the highest to the lowest. We are acting that out with the tree, but you don’t know it.

Perhaps those of us in the Western tradition wonder where the real meaning of the Christmas tree originates.  Much of the original reasons may have long disappeared from our consciousness.  Deep down we know that there is meaning to the tree, the tree of light and life, the birth of Christ and his rise from the lowly manger to be the savior.

The Christmas tree in our modern world is a reflection of the tree in the Garden of Eden, the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life. The tree for Christmas is mostly the tree of life. And the tree also reflects the structure that unites Heaven and Earth.

”Caesar could not take the world from an infant.” — Dr. Jordan Peterson

The light of the Christmas tree is also an old mythological idea, in that this is where the Hero springs forth.  It is the darkness that calls forth the Hero so that he shows us the way to the light.  In that myth, Christ is the hero who comes to save us.

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Author: Douglas R. Satterfield

Hello. I provide one article every day. My writings are influenced by great thinkers such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Jung, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Jean Piaget, Erich Neumann, and Jordan Peterson, whose insight and brilliance have gotten millions worldwide to think about improving ourselves. Thank you for reading my blog.

13 thoughts on “Why Do We Put up a Christmas Tree?

  1. Eye Cat

    Sir, thanks for putting into words what many of us were thinking or at least feeling about the Christmas Tree. Beyond being a family tradition, it tells us of the story of what Christmas is all about.

    Reply
  2. Susie Q.

    Let us never forget what Christmas is about, the birth of Christ. And, also learn more about Christ and why he came to us.

    Reply
  3. Crazy

    Sir, hey thanks for a picture of your dog, Bella, the yellow lab who stands guard at your Christmas Tree. I love her. Crazy as it may seem, she is a beautiful dog and lives with you,, ha ha ha. I plan to enjoy this Christmas time because I’m finally having over family members who are good folks. I had to work hard to make that happen. That is why I also follow Dr. Jordan Peterson. We being with making sure the small things are taken care of, and then we gradually expand our responsibilities outward from cleaning our room, to caring for ourselves and then family, and then beyond. For my family, Christmas is the time of year we celebrate all our successes and achievements. That is how we operate and it works. MERRY CHRISTMAS 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

    Reply
  4. Bernie

    Sir, thanks for a couple of articles about Christmas, Santa Claus, and putting up a Christmas tree. I’ve always insisted to my family that we put up a live tree. The smell is part of our memory as we grow and a real tree (grown specifically to be used as a Christmas tree is best) and will be part of a family tradition. I know that as my grandparents got older, that they used an artificial tree because it was too hard to put up and maintain a real tree. That’s okay. And we loved being at their home anyway. We all used the Christmas tree as a central gathering place for the many family members, uncles, cousins, aunts, children of all sorts, and sometimes our dogs (many dogs) and a cat or two. Let’s never forget, however, what Christmas is all about and that is the birth of Jesus.

    Reply
    1. Pastor John 🙏

      🙏 Bernie, excellent comment and, yes, let us never forget that Jesus come to us to forgive us of our sins. That means we much honor Him and his sacrifice for us. We are forgiven, but we must work hard to be good Christians and not let our emotions take over (just as the Devil would want). Have a great Merry Christmas to all. 🙏

      Reply
  5. Melissa Jackson

    Great article, thanks!!!!!! I enjoyed it. Short but spot on!!!!!

    Reply
  6. Frank Graham

    Really a good story to go with yesterday’s article “Santa Claus is Not a Lie” https://www.theleadermaker.com/santa-claus-is-not-a-lie/ Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus Christ and about his life and devotion to us. Thank you, Gen. Satterfield for giving us some words to help us say why Santa is not a lie and why we put up Christmas trees. This is a speical season, and too often we are met by folks who would do anything to degrade our celebration of Christ. 🎅 🎄 🎁 ✨

    Reply
    1. Bryan Z. Lee

      ….. and happy days are ahead, as we rightly celebrate the birth of CHRIST and our love of Him. Thanks all who are Christian and who have set their goals in life based on “pursuing truth and responsibility.”

      Reply
  7. Wellington 🕷️

    What a BEAUtIFUL Bella dog. Thank you, Gen. Satterfield for sharing the pix. I think it right to say that most of us here love dogs (some love cats too). 👀

    Reply

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