Many decorations are synonymous with Christmas. Have you ever wondered if there is a reason why you hang an evergreen wreath on your door? Many decorations have a tradition that goes back for hundreds of years. Many are symbolic of things that are related to the celebration of Christmas.
The first decoration that many people see during the Christmas season is the Advent Wreath. It has four candles, one for each week in Advent. It is usually decorated with greens which are a symbol of life and the candles are usually either all purple or three purples and one pink with the pink candle being lit during the third week of Advent. Some people also have a fifth candle in the middle which is lit on Christmas Eve to symbolize the birth of Jesus. If the wreath is in the home, usually the candle is lit and a prayer is said before the evening meal.
The evergreen wreath is a symbol of continuity, the wreath has no beginning and no end. The evergreens are a symbol of life in the midst of winter and have their roots in pagan traditions. It may be combined with holly, mistletoe and even bells.
Holly is a common decoration during Christmas time. It is thought that the traditional colors of Christmas red and green may be a tribute to the beautiful colors of holly. Holly was sacred to the ancient Druids and it is a common part of English holiday decorating traditions. It was believed that holly placed on a door would keep evil spirits out. It came across the Atlantic with the English colonists and became part of traditional American Christmas decorations.
The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is an ancient one that goes back as far as the Greeks and their celebration of Saturnalia. Mistletoe was considered to have mystic properties both in Celtic and Scandinavian pagan traditions. These have transitioned to Christianity and have been incorporated into decorations all over the world.
Bells are traditionally rung when major events occur, they can be happy such as weddings and they can be sad such as funerals. Like many other traditions, the ringing of bells has its roots in pagan rituals. Christmas is one of the most joyous times of the year and it no surprise that bells would also be part of the celebration and the décor. It can be real bells such as sleigh bells or it can be bells that are strictly decorative but they are often found on the door of homes to welcome guests.
There is little doubt that the origins of the Christmas tree are German but there is some
disagreement about how long it was used as a decoration and when it started. There are some people who believe that Martin Luther was the first one to bring an evergreen into the house and decorate it with candles.
By the early 17th century, it was a common feature in German homes. It came to the United States with the Hessian soldiers but was not found in most homes until the 19th century. The evergreen tree is a symbol of life and the candles are the light that welcomes the Christ child.
Angels are common decorations at Christmas time and it was angels that heralded the birth of Christ. There is hardly a Christmas tree to be found without either an angel ornament or an angel tree topper.
The Star symbolizes the star that led the wise men to the place where the baby lay in the manger. The crèche is the modern representation of that manger and all the figures represent those who came to worship the newborn king and of course baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
These are some of the decorations that are symbols of the amazing event that took place over 2000 years ago in Bethlehem.
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