We are in the midst of the Christmas season. As a culture, we cherish our traditions, handed down from generation to generation, country to country, and community to community. Have you ever wondered why we celebrate the way we do? The following are some seasonal items we use at this time of year and why we use them.
Star
Readers of their Bibles should know this. Symbolizing the star the wise men followed to find the Christ child, the star represents the star they followed. Matthew 2 contains this information. It is usually placed on top of the tree to draw attention to the real reason for the celebration.
Candles
The star of Bethlehem is also symbolized by a candle, which is a mirror of starlight. In the days before electric Christmas tree lights were invented, families lit their trees with candles. Our longing for light increases during the darkest period of the year. We light our tree in memory of Baby Jesus, who came as the Light of the World.
Gift Giving
No, it is not simply commercialism. God gave His son, Jesus, as a gift to us. The wise men gave gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We mimic their giving to those we love.
Red And Green
At Christmas, red represents the blood of Jesus when he died on the cross. It’s also reflected in the color of holly berries.
Green symbolizes everlasting life and light. Fir trees represent life during the winter because of their green color. According to a legend, all the trees worldwide shook off the snow when Jesus was born in the dead of winter.
Candy Canes
Candy canes represent the shepherd’s crook. Jesus, often called the Good Shepherd, was born on Christmas. The birth of Jesus was God’s way of bringing lost lambs back to the fold. A red stripe symbolizes Christ’s blood and a white stripe symbolizes his purity.
Wreath
Wreaths are a symbol of eternal love. Holly and cedar stand for strength.
We have many unknown meanings in our Christmas decorations. Now we knwo how we got a few of them.
