The deeper meaning behind Christmas symbols

Christmas would be incomplete without Christmas symbols, many are unaware of the symbolism of the below Christmas symbols.

Holly is an extremely hardy shrub that can be grown in all fifty states of the United States. Holly plants are noted for their attractive red berries and glossy, sharp-toothed evergreen leaves. The holly bush represents immorality, a trait that God has given to each human being. The sharp-toothed edge of the holly leaf reminds Christians of the crown of thorns with which the soldiers pierced through Jesus head. The red holly berry represents Christ’s blood shed for all man kind.

The Christmas Tree. The true origin of the Christmas Tree is a mystery, judging from the many, many theories, ranging from the Druids to one of England’s 19th century kings. The evergreen is an ancient symbol of eternal life, which we have through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Christmas lights and candles signify hope, happiness and safety. They represent the fact that Jesus is the Light of the World in the midst of profound darkness. When we see Christmas lights on buildings and Christmas trees, and lit candles, we’re reminded of Jesus, the Light of the World.

Gifts. For many people, gifts define Christmas. Focus I placed on the giving and receiving of gifts. One of the greatest gifts received was Jesus who gave himself to us at Christmas. The wise men brought their gifts of gold to honor the infant king in Bethlehem’s manger have inspired the concept of gift giving at Christmas.

Mistletoe is a parasite that has no roots of its own. It lives off the tree to which it attaches itself and, without that tree, it would die. Mistletoe is a Christmas symbol of love, which derives from and exists only because God loves us. God, Who is Love, created us in love and caused us to be able to love. Christians are humbled in love during Christmas.

Tinsel are the thin, metallic strands that are used in Christmas decorations. A legend tells of a poor, faithful family who wished to decorate a Christmas tree in honor of baby Jesus but who had no money for decorations. In the night, spiders came and spun webs across the tree. Jesus honored the family’s faith, and turned the threads into silver.

The candy cane is shaped like a shepherd’s crook, reminding us that Jesus, the Shepherd, came into our world at Christmas. The red stripe symbolizes Christ’s sacrifice and the white backgrounds his purity.

The gingerbread man does not create himself but rather is created. Gingerbread men remind us of God’s creation of Adam in the Garden of Eden, and God’s creation of humans. Like us, gingerbread people are not immortal. They are destined to be eaten and that way, unite with their creators. God does not eat us (rather we consume his body and blood in the Eucharist), God created us for eternal union with Him after we die.

The sweets we consume at Christmas remind us of the sweetness of God’s Presence, come into the world on Christmas.

Christmas Red and Green. Red traditionally represents the sacrifice of blood that Jesus shed while hanging on the cross. Green represents the evergreen, ie. eternal life. Holly is included with the evergreens, and even had special significance because of the red berries it has. At one time holly was considered a holy plant: green for eternal life, and red for the blood of Christ.

Candy Canes. There’s a story that candy canes were invented by a Christian candy maker to represent the life of Christ. White represents His purity, the red stripe His blood, 3 stripes to represent the Trinity, etc.

Bells. In the days before people had phones and wrist watches, the church, which was the center of the community, would ring its bell(s) to call people to church services, or in some cases toll someone’s death, etc. The bells were (and still are, in some places) rung to announce the anniversary of Christ’s birth. When we see Christmas bells, we are reminded of the joyful announcement of Jesus’ birth.

Stars are one of the most well known symbols of Christmas. Stars at Christmas time represent the biblical Star of Bethlehem, which was a beacon of reckoning for the wise men to follow, in order to come worship the child Jesus, the little King of the Jews. When we see stars at Christmas time, they remind us of that special star that showed foreign dignitaries where Jesus was.

Gifts. One of the best things about Christmas for most people, is getting and receiving gifts. Giving one another presents is a ritual straight from the Bible. Salvation is called in the New Testament ‘A free gift’. Jesus is God’s gift to human beings. We give each other gifts because God set the precedent by giving so much to us, in the form of His creation, His Son, and Himself. When we see Christmas presents they remind us of the most precious gift God gave us– the way to Heaven through Jesus.

Angels. The word ‘angel’ means messenger. The Bible says that God dispatches angels to relay messages to humans. An angel told Mary she would have a baby and call him Jesus. Some angels were seen by shepherds singing in Heaven. They told the shepherds that Jesus was born, and where to find Him. Throughout history and to this day, all over the world, in every culture and every religion, reports of angel-sightings abound. When we see angel decorations during the Christmas season, we think of the ones who told the shepherds where to find and worship Jesus.

The Poinsettia, a plant native to Mexico, became a Christmas symbol because it was said to represent the blood Jesus shed on the cross, as well as the star of Bethlehem. Mexican legend tells of a poor girl who could only offer the Baby Jesus a handful of weeds, but when she gave them to Him they blossomed into lush red plants.