THE ORIGIN OF THE CHRISTMAS SYMBOLS
WHY WE DECORATE
Isaiah 9:6
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and
the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”.
CRECHE: The first crèche, or manger scene, was
created by St. Francis of Assisi in 1224.
He used live animals and people in his scene. Today, many manger scenes are smaller models
of wood or china or other materials.
CANDLES: The custom of putting candles in windows on
Christmas Eve is used by several countries, but always as a guide to the Christ
Child, the Light of the World. It was
first brought to America by the Irish.
BELLS: The custom of bell ringing at Christmas time
is a symbol of the happy news of Christ’s birth.
STARS: The stars are the symbols of the beautiful
star of Bethlehem that led the Wise Men to the Christ Child.
POINSETTIA: In 1828, Dr. Joel Roberts Poinsett brought
the first poinsettias to America from Mexico.
He was serving as our first ambassador to that country. The legend is that a Mexican boy had no gift
for the Christ Child. As he knelt to
pray, a beautiful flower appeared at his feet.
This flowering plant, the poinsettia, became his present.
HOLLY & EVERGREENS: In ancient
days some people believed that holly would ward off evil spirits. Christians believe that the berries stood for
the blood Christ shed. The leaves stood
for His crown of thorns. Evergreens stay
green all year and bear fruit in the winter.
For this reason, they are a symbol of eternal life.
ORNAMENTS: The first Christmas trees were decorated with
real fruit, flowers and lighted candles.
These ornaments were too heavy and dangerous. German glass blowers started making lighter
glass balls as decorations.
CANDY CANES: The candy cane has a long history dating back
to the 15th century. It has
changed over the years from a white straight stick candy used to decorate
Christmas trees to the current day shape of the Shepherd’s staff, or the letter
“J” for Jesus. The red stripes were
added to represent the blood Christ shed for us and the white for His purity.
EMPTY BOX: The story of the “Empty Box” reminds us that
it is not the gift that is given, but the giving with love. Giving gifts symbolizes the greatest gift of
all, God’s gift of Christ Jesus.
May these symbols be a
reminder of God’s peace and love that He offers to each of us at Christmas time
and throughout the year.
Merry CHRISTmas
to each of you. Remember, JESUS is the REASON for the SEASON!
Ron Hodge
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