Christmas tree

ZX7R

I have been pondering this for a while and can not get a straight answer ,so I will ask here.
After a family death in Ireland it was tradition for the family not to put up a Christmas tree the first Christmas after the death.it seems it was only practiced. In Ireland , but why was this done,I understand ti morn the person, but it does not seem to be a law of the church and seems to be just a way too show you were still in morn there death
So whow did this tradition originate and why is not practice by practicing Catholics any more.

looksee

It is possible to have local customs without them being a law of the Church.

Why would the Church need to make rules about what is essentially a pagan tradition - or even if you don't accept that it is pagan, there is nothing remotely religious about a Christmast tree. There are no Church rules dictating that one should have a Christmas tree either.

In the same way many people do not send Christmas cards the year of a death in the family, and there are no actual rules about that either.

Effects

looksee wrote: »

There are no Church rules dictating that one should have a Christmas tree either.

Christmas trees have nothing to do with Christ or the church, why would they have rules about having one? If anything, they wouldn't be happy about having to share the holiday.

ZX7R

Ok I a not looking at this as where the Christmas tree came from and what pagan practices were robed.
I am taking about the practice of not putting up a Christmas tree by Irish Roman Catholics in the past after the death of a family member.
I just want to know why was it done and why did it stop even among practicing members now.
Rules of the church I may be wrong in wording it that way

eviltwin

ZX7R wrote: »

Ok I a not looking at this as where the Christmas tree came from and what pagan practices were robed.
I am taking about the practice of not putting up a Christmas tree by Irish Roman Catholics in the past after the death of a family member.
I just want to know why was it done and why did it stop even among practicing members now.
Rules of the church I may be wrong in wording it that way

It's not just Catholics who do this but it's probably more to do with not being in the mood. The year my dad died I didn't have a tree. I'm not Catholic so it wasn't for religious reasons, I just felt really down and not in the head space for celebrations

Effects

ZX7R wrote: »

I just want to know why was it done and why did it stop even among practicing members now.

It was to show you were in mourning for the loss of a loved one. To not take joy in life, while remembering the loss of someone close to you.
A lot of practising members have now taken back control of their lives from the church, and don't feel they need to bow down to tradition as they once did.

ZX7R

Effects wrote: »

It was to show you were in mourning for the loss of a loved one. To not take joy in life, while remembering the loss of someone close to you.
A lot of practising members have now taken back control of their lives from the church, and don't feel they need to bow down to tradition as they once did.

Thank you for the information
So it was tradition and there for not cannon law.
Would the tradition have been for lack of a better word enforced in the past or frowned upon if you didn't practice it.

Jellybaby1

What makes you think this has anything to do with canon law? There was no enforcement of any kind to have a tree or not to have a tree. Irish people see Christmas decorations as part of the celebration of Christmas. When a family member has died, the family does not feel like celebrating so decorations and trees would not be put up and Christmas cards would not be sent by the family, also other people would not usually send cards to a bereaved family because how could you say 'happy Christmas' to a bereaved family anyway? In recent years it would not be frowned upon at all but I'd say maybe 50 or more years ago people might have found it strange if you showed all the signs of celebration after a death mainly because it would have been seen as improper.

looksee

ZX7R wrote: »

Thank you for the information
So it was tradition and there for not cannon law.
Would the tradition have been for lack of a better word enforced in the past or frowned upon if you didn't practice it.

This is one of the biggest societal changes of the last few decades. Yes there was a time when custom was followed as firmly as law; now most people accept that custom is not regulation and you follow it or not as you please.

Some customs are there to oil the wheels of life - courtesy is one - but many are just something that has become 'set in stone' when there is no real need for anyone to feel obliged to follow it. One that comes to mind is the 'giving away' of a bride by her father. It has no meaning now and there is absolutely no need for it - though the bride may decide she likes this gesture and goes with it.

Winning_Stroke

So whow did this tradition originate and why is not practice by practicing Catholics any more.

I don't think it had anything specifically to do with Catholics but we still observe it and wouldn't send a card either to someone who had a loss during the year.