When it comes to Christmas, certain symbols pop up over and over again, like stars, bells, mistletoe, Christmas trees and more.
And while Christmas is an event with religious origins that celebrates the birth of Jesus, there is also the secular celebration of Christmas, where wreaths are hung on doors, Christmas trees, Christmas carols, candy canes, stockings on the mantle.
No matter how the secular world tries to remove Christ from Christmas the decor that fills our homes has deep roots. Believe it or not, there is a special meaning behind traditional Christmas decorations and rituals.
The trees we decorate each December with tinsel, bright lights, and festive ornaments are typically evergreen varieties like spruce, fir, or pine trees that retain their lush green foliage year-round. Evergreens have been used in winter festivals for centuries by Christians and pagans, with Christians believing the trees represent the birth and resurrection of Jesus and their everlasting life with God, That belief is further carried out by the tress triangular shape symbolizing the Holy Trinity (God, Jesus and Holy Spirit).
One of the holiday’s more religious symbols, the Christmas star represents the bright star the shone brightly over the town of Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born. The Christmas star had also come to represent hope and peace.
A light candle during Christmastime also traditionally represents the Star of Bethlehem, which guided the three wise men to Baby Jesus. Before electricity or Christmas tree lights families would decorate the branches of their Christmas trees with candles. Candles are also a significant part of Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.
Tinsel though not used much anymore, is derived from the Old French word which means sparkle. It was used in the trimming of trees to enhance the flickering candlelight. The light reflected off the tinsel reminded people of the brightness and warmth of the Christmas season, and how Jesus was a guiding light to the world.
Over time, the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree with candles was replaced with other things, like paper roses, fruits and nuts. In the mid-1800s, German glassmaker Hand Greiner began manufacturing hand-blown glass Christmas baubles, in the shape for fruits and nuts that typically decorated Christmas trees at that time. Eventually the trend spread across Europe and them America, giving birth to our modern tradition of decorating Christmas trees.
A ringing of a bekk during the Christmas season represents the proclamation of joy and happiness for Jesus’s birth. It was also like the ringing of the bell used to herd errant sheep back into the fold, the Christmas bell signifies that Jesus is always looking out for us and protecting us. The presence of bells can also be traced back to pagan winter celebrations, where they were rung to drive away evil spirits.
Candy canes shaped like a shepherd’s staff, represent the shepherds who searched for Jesus on the night He was born. Another meaning behind the hook-shaped can’t is that Jesus called Himself “The Good Shepherd” and His disciples His flock of devoted followers (the sheep).
The wreath, a circle with no beginning and no end, a wreath symbolizes the strength of Jesus’s love for all. It also reminds us of the circle of life, love, and rebirth, and Christians believe that a wreath represents the crown of thorns with by Jesus as He hung on the cross as well.
Gingerbread men, represent God’s creation on Adam, the first man, and therefore the rest of us.
The red and green colors are not arbitrary. The crimson shade of red associated with Christmas symbolizes the blood that was shed by Jesus during His crucifixion. The color green is the hue of the evergreen plants like pine trees, holly and mistletoe that retain their leaves throughout the winter represents Jesus’s everlasting life.
Mistletoe because mistletoe blossoms even in cold winter. It a believed that people back in the 1st century AD viewed mistletoe as a symbol of vivacity and fertility. It’s not wonder that it became known as a romantic part of Christmas fittingly taken on the life of it’s own when it comes to Christmas tradition.
The Christmas bow on top of gifts that we bestow on our loved ones honors the three wise men (Magi) who visited baby Jesus in Bethlehem, bringing Him gold, frankincense and myrrh. A gift bow that sits on top of a wrapped present symbolizes unity among mankind and how we all should be tied together in goodwill.
Angels. There is a good reason why angels, like stars, are traditional Christmas tree toppers, and that is because these messengers of God played prominent roles in the Nativity of Jesus. Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary, delivering the message from God that she would bear His son. Another angel visited Joseph in a dream that He should trust Mary. Later the three angels appeared in the sky over Bethlehem to announce the birth of Jesus to the shepherds
Stockings on the fireplace filled with goodies are believed to be the story of Santa Claus. Back in the 4th century, somewhere around what is modern-day Turkey, there was a poor widower who couldn’t afford a dowry for his three daughters and thought that selling them into servitude. A local bishop, St Nicholas was known for his charity, but the father refused to accept any gifts from the monk. As the legend goes, Nicolas secretly tossed bags of gold into the many house, and the pouches landed in the stockings that were hanging to dry over the fireplace.
The Poinsettia plant can be kept alive all year long, while the shape of the petals resembles a star. The colors of the Christmas plants are symbolic as well. The bold red reminds us of the blood of Jesus on the cross, the white poinsettia is a symbol of purity, good cheer, and happiness.
Holly was dark green leaves and bright red berries, another evergreen shrub that is synonymous with Christmas. The pointed leaves represent the crown of thorns placed upon Jesus’s head at His crucifixion while the berries remind of us if His blood shed for us.
The dove represents peace, freedom, purity, and love. It is a symbol of the Holy Spirit and represents forgiveness.
When people says Happy Holidays, Holidays stand for Holy Days. So they are saying have Happy Holy days.
All these Christmas traditions are connected to Jesus’s birth and death at the cross. There is no way you can take Christ out of Christmas.
From Pity to Praise 