Christmas Symbols

It has recently occurred to me that Christmas is endowed with more universally recognized symbols than any other holiday. Considering the fact that Christmas is the holiday that is celebrated by more people in many more parts of the world than any other Christian holiday, one should not be surprised with the wealth of easily recognizable icons that represent it.

Below you will find a list of Christmas symbols that any child will recognize along with a brief narrative of their origins or meanings:

The Wreath: The wreath is traditionally hung on the front door of homes during the winter festivities and it has pagan significance as well as Christian.

During the Middle Ages the red berries of hollies were thought to have the power of keeping witches away from homes and the evergreen boughs were thought to chase away evil spirits. Furthermore, the wreath was used to celebrate the god Bacchus who wore a circular ivy crown.

The wreath is typically laced with red ribbons which express festivity and the evergreen leaves represent the everlasting life promised to those who are faithful to Jesus Christ. The circular shape of the wreath symbolizes the crown of thorns that was places on His head by the Romans who ridiculed him for claiming to be the “King of Jews.”

The Bells. It is claimed that bells were rung for a full hour to ward off evil spirits on the eve of Christ’s birth and at midnight their pitch changed to joyous. Traditionally, bells were tolled to announce a death and these Christmas bells announce the death of the Devil and all evil spirits who are repelled by the noise.

The Nativity Scene. The Nativity scene represents the manger in which Baby Jesus was laid after his birth in a stable in Bethlehem. After receiving permission from the Pope, Francis of Assisi built the first Nativity scene for Christmas of 1224 in a cave outside the town of Greccio in Italy. This Nativity was a live scene that retold the story of the original Nativity as Francis recited the Gospel and delivered a sermon.

The Holly. The evergreen leaves of the holly symbolize eternal life while the red berries represent drops of His blood on the cross. Its thorny leaves bring to mind the crown of thorns places on His head by the Roman soldiers who tormented Him.

The Poinsettia. Poinsettias are indigenous to Mexico and legend has it that it became the Mexican Christmas flower when a poor peasant girl wanted to bring a gift to the Virgin Mary on Christmas Eve. As this girl had nothing to give, an angel told her to pick some weeds but those weeds that she picked turned miraculously to bright scarlet flowers.

Poinsettias got their name from Joel R. Poinsett who, from 1825 to 1829, was the first US ambassador to Mexico and sent specimens of this plant back to the United States where they thrived.

The Yule Log. One legend says that Yule logs served as fuel for the sun; therefore they symbolized the sun’s light, warmth and revitalizing power. Another legend claims that “Yule” refers to the ale drunk a long time ago.

Yule logs were put into fireplaces to burn for at least twelve hours but there were strict rules about their use. They could not be purchased but must have been received as gifts; they must come from a tree that was grown on one’s own property; they must be kindled with fragments of previous year’s logs and their fire must never be allowed to go out on its own.

Christmas Gifts. The exchanging of gifts dates back to an ancient Roman custom of celebrating Saturnalia, their pagan festivity. When Christians adopted that gift-giving custom, they claimed that it represents the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh that the Magi carried from the East when they came to pay homage to the newborn Jesus Christ.

The Christmas Rose. The Christmas Rose is native to the mountains of Central Europe and is also grown in England. Unlike most other roses which bloom in the summer, the Christmas Rose blooms only in the winter.

A legend tells about a shepherdess who saw the three wise men bearing gifts for the New Born King and she broke down in tears because she had nothing to give Him. An angel took pity on her and turned the snow at her feel to lovely white flowers tipped with pink which were ultimately named the Christmas Rose.

The Christmas Colors. There are many colors associated with Christmas but the most prevalent among them are red, green, white and gold.

* Red symbolizes festivity and excitement as well as fire, blood and charity.
* Green symbolizes nature, youth and the hope for eternal life.
* White symbolizes light, purity, joy and glory.
* Gold symbolizes sunlight and radiance.