The Symbols of Christmas

-

Have you ever wondered why people hang tinsel on Christmas trees, or how candy canes became synonymous with the winter holiday? While these holiday decorations may seem commonplace, most of these traditional decorations have a special meaning to us as Christians.


The green evergreen or fir tree signifies the everlasting light and life. Romans decorated their houses with evergreen branches during the New Year, and the fir tree symbolized life during the winter.

The branches of the fir tree points upward toward the heavens. Reminding us to reflect on everything God has given us and for the things to come.

The Christmas star and twinkling lights symbolizes the star of Bethlehem, which according to the Biblical story, guided the three wise men to the baby Jesus. A star is also the heavenly sign of prophecy fulfilled long ago and the shining hope for humanity.

We give gifts to loved ones in honor of the birth of Jesus, which inspired the concept of giving gifts during the holiday. According to the New Testament, the wise men brought gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh to the newborn.

A ribbon is tied around a gift to represent how we should all be tied together in bonds of unity and goodwill during the holiday season.

The color red represents the blood of Jesus when he died on the cross. Blue and white represent snow and winter. And green is for everlasting life.

Bells are rung during Christmas to proclaim the arrival of the season and to announce the birth of Christ.

 It is said that in Ancient Rome, wreaths were hung on doors to represent victory. In Christianity, we use the Christmas wreath to symbolize victory in Jesus Christ. The Christmas wreath is a circular, never-ending symbol of eternal love and rebirth. Holly also stands for immortality and cedar for strength. Today the wreath symbolizes generosity, giving, and the gathering of family.

Tinsel was used to represent the starry sky over a Nativity scene.

The Candy Cane represents a "J" for the name Jesus, and the shape a shepherd's staff. Jesus, often referred to as the Good Shepherd, was born on Christmas. His birth was God's way to bring lost lambs back to the fold. The red stripe represents blood Jesus shed on the cross for our sins -His sacrifice. The white stands for the virgin birth, and the purity of Jesus, for He had no sin. The peppermint flavor can represent the hyssop plant that was used for purifying in the Bible. And hard candy to symbolize the solid rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God.

The Christmas pickle is a Christmas tradition for some people. A decoration in the shape of a pickle is hidden on a Christmas tree, with the finder receiving good fortune for the following year.

Comments

Post a Comment

I'd love to hear your comments:

Popular posts from this blog

Shaklee Basic H - 1001 uses

-
Image
A List of Uses for Shaklee Basic-H  Since there are over 1,001 uses it has been difficult to compile a complete list. So, here are a few to start! First, how should Basic-H generally be used? The genius of Basic-H is that it makes water, the “universal solvent,” penetrate dirt and grime more quickly while then rinsing away easily and leaving no toxic residue. Intensely concentrated, Basic-H’s cleaning power is unleashed when it is diluted in water to the strength required for the cleaning job at hand (spot-test first). GENERAL USES FOR BASIC-H2 and Basic H the Classic  CLEANING JOBS: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon to a quart of warm water WINDOWS, MIRRORS: 2 to 4 drops to a pint of water FLOORS: 2 tablespoons to 1 gallon of water BASIC-G AND BASIC-H CONCENTRATE: 3 Cups H to 1 Cup G (this mix will be diluted in water as needed) OTHER USES FOR BASIC-H Some of these uses are not approved by Shaklee. You can see their official ways to use Bas...
Read more

Crochet Pattern for Christmas Tree Skirt

-
Image
Materials:  (1) 16 oz Yarn (color of your choice) *You can use different colors of yarn. I wanted mine to match my Christmas stockings so I made it all soft white. Crochet Hook (I used size H) *You can use any type of yarn or any size hook.... (The smaller the hook, the tighter the stitches. The bigger the hook, the more yarn you will need.) Glossery: (ch = chain, sc = single crochet, dc = double crochet, st = stitch)                                Directions: Row 1: Ch 22, dc in fourth ch from hook, dc in each ch across, turn. Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), 2 dc in each st across to last st, dc in last st, turn.  Row 3: Ch 3, dc in each st across, turn. Row 4: Ch 3, 2 dc in each st across to last st, dc in last st, turn.  Row 5 - 6: Ch 3, dc in each st across, turn. Row 7: Ch 3, 2 dc in next st, (dc in next st, 2 dc in next st) across,...
Read more

Shaklee Basic H for Agriculture Use

-
Image
Agriculture Use of Shaklee Basic H Classic Nature has put everything in your soil that is necessary to grow abundant healthy plants. The most economic way to manage your soil is to add an igniter to the soil and thus begin inner action never before possible. This is where Basic H classic, a Shaklee product, comes in. Basic H is not a plant food as such, but helps get action in the soil that builds soil health. Basic H can improve water infiltration, or penetration, up to 300%. Many farmers who uses Basic H have experienced how Basic H makes “water wetter than wet.” Holding water at the root level longer will help your plants in drought or extreme conditions. Advantages of Using Basic H as a Soil Conditioner  Increases water penetration  Reduces some forms of water repellency  Reduces rain run-off and loss by evaporation Aids in eliminating standing water  Promotes uniform water penetration Advantages of Using Basic H as a Surfactant ...
Read more