: fir tree : Christmas tree.

Frau rhymes with brow as in eyebrow. German “f” is the same as in English.

Ernst Anschütz

Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood was scarce.

2 Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

Then legend has it that a fir tree grew out of the fallen oak. “That became a symbol of Christ — being triangular in shape it represents the trinity — and from there came the idea that the tree should be a symbol of Christ and new life,” Dr Wilson said.

Because of this pagan history, some Muslims have sought to avoid having a Christmas tree in their home for fear of deifying anything other than God. This, coupled with anxieties around maintaining their heritage in a non-Muslim society, means that it is still rare to find Muslims who will put up a Christmas tree.

It’s forbidden for Muslims to say Merry Christmas for zillions of reasons. Committing any of the above sins may very well amount to infidelity and you may not remain a Muslim anymore. You may only utter the words Merry Christmas if there is a possibility that Christians will hate you for not saying it.

In Islamic tradition, cats are admired for their cleanliness. They are thought to be ritually clean, and are thus allowed to enter homes and even mosques, including Masjid al-Haram. But if the cats are ordinary cats and are not causing a nuisance, perhaps it is better to leave them alone to reproduce.