Christmas Treasures (5): Christmas Tree Decorations
Written by Margaret Ikladious, Member of the American Press (USPA)
In continuation of the last parts of Christmas Treasures, today we will talk about some other symbols in the Christmas celebrations that spread around the world:
Christmas tree decorations (Part 1):
1+star:
The star is placed in the houses at the top of the tree or decorated on the roof of the houses, and it is the sacred symbol of the promise (God sent a savior to the world) and a sign of the birth of Christ and the light of Christ incarnate. It is also a symbol of the star that guided the Magi to Christ and led them to the place of Christ's birth.
2+ The bells:
It symbolizes its use to find the lost sheep, guidance and returns to God, and a guide to God's care and cares for us. The bell will also ring for each person to find their way to the Father, indicating that all of us are dear in the eyes of God.
3+ The dove:
It symbolizes humility and love, representing praise and a song of love (love never fails).
4+ Red Socks:
It symbolizes giving and love, as children used to fill socks with carrots to feed the animals "Santa Claus" so that this would come to their homes, where Santa Claus would sneak through the opening of the fireplace so that children would not see him at night in the fireplace and put gifts and toys in return for that and surprise them in the morning They get happier and happier.
It was mentioned that Santa Claus used to put gifts for the poor in large socks so that no one would see him and leave them and leave.
5+ The Snow:
It symbolizes purity and purification within the children, who are represented by the child Jesus.
Snowballs and units exist in the form of crystals called very small snowflakes, and it is almost impossible for any snowflake to match another snowflake like a fingerprint due to the different temperatures, humidity, and different precipitation conditions.
6+ Christmas Tree Gifts:
Gifts hanging from the tree or placed under it. As is customary, people give various gifts to each other at Christmas.
These customs were widespread during the Roman celebrations, but exchanging gifts at Christmas became a permanent habit in the seventeenth century.
They symbolize the Lord Jesus Christ, "God's gift to man."
It also symbolizes the gifts the Magi gave to the child Jesus, who was the first to give gifts in the Christian era.
It is also a symbol of the Lord who gives us the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit to follow His direction: Wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, piety, steadfastness, and fear of the Lord.
7 + The bow:
It symbolizes interdependence, is placed on gifts, and reminds us of brotherhood and interdependence.
The bow tie or the pampa developed many years ago to become an integral part of fashion as a necktie, and its colors and sizes differed according to each outfit.
And the most famous thing that has reached us so far is the bibion, which is now used in elegant occasions and celebrations.
The bow is present in the tree in the favorite colors of Christmas, such as gold, silver, red, and green, and it is available in all sizes.
8+ The Crutches:
It represents the shepherd's stick that collects the sheep, and the wrapped and twisted part was used to fetch the lost sheep. The spiral-colored ribbons of red, green, and the rest of the colors carefully and accurately wrapped around the crutch indicate that we are well wrapped around the prodigal son to take care of him after his return.
Cane sticks have been around for centuries but weren't decorated with red stripes or bent into the shape of a cane until about 1900 and were sometimes handed out during church services to keep children calm.
There is one story that is usually told about the origin of the sweet tooth and tells the story:
In the late 1800s, a candy maker in Indiana wanted to express the meaning of Christmas through a symbol made of candy. He came up with the idea of bending one of the white candy canes to take the shape of a candy cane and incorporating many symbols of Christ's love and sacrifice into the candy cane. A white peppermint candy without decoration as the color white symbolizes the purity and infallible nature of Jesus Christ. Then he added three small red lines to indicate the pains that Jesus endured before his death on the cross, three of which represent the Holy Trinity, and he said a clear line that represents the blood that Jesus shed for the sake of humanity.
And when we look at the candy cane and its curved part at the top, it looks like a shepherd's stick because Jesus Christ is the shepherd of humanity. If we turn it upside down, it becomes the letter "J" in Latin, which symbolizes the first letter in the name of Jesus "Jesus". .!!!!
The candy maker created this candy cane for Christmas so we can all remember what Christmas means.
9 + corona, wreath, or collar:
It may have started in the Roman era when wreaths were hung on their doors to signify victory, honor, and status..!!
Rich Roman women also wore head coverings on special occasions such as weddings to show that they lived a luxurious life.
They were also worn by Roman emperors and given the names of the winners of the original Olympic Games in Greece.
Placing a wreath of flowers on the house's front door at the start of Christmas is part of the celebration decorations and the joy of Christmas.
But in fact, the roots of this custom go back a long time. For many centuries, wreaths represented an endless cycle of life, symbolizing victory and honor and the eternal nature of love that does not end and does not stop.
The Druids, the Celts, and the Romans used evergreen branches made in the form of wreaths in their solstice celebrations.
Wreaths were used as early as 1444 for the first time as part of Christmas decorations in London.
In the sixteenth century in Germany, the evergreen branches intertwined in the form of circles to symbolize the love of the One and Only Creator, who has no limit or end and is the real and true reason for the birth of Christ and represents honor (Proverbs 12: 4) and victory (Lamentations 5: 16) and eternal life and the glory (1 Peter 5:4).
Christians believe these wreaths represent the thorns worn by Jesus and the small red berries represent drops of his blood.
10+ candles:
Candles symbolize Christ, and one of his titles in the New Testament is "the light of the world."
It is used to appreciate the star and to teach us to be lit candles amid the dark world.
They were replaced in modern times by light tapes, colored bulbs, and industrial candles.
The idea of tying the Christmas tree with lights and candles goes back to the burning bush that the prophet Moses saw in the wilderness while it was on fire and did not burn.
It is widely believed that Protestant reformer Martin Luther was the first to add a lit candle to the Christmas tree around the year 1525 A.D. The candle was lit on Christmas Day itself to symbolize the arrival of Christ as the "light of the world."
Of course, great care was needed to prevent the candle from setting fire to the tree, especially as the tree dries up during the holiday season.
For this reason, the branches above the candle had to be carefully cut back.
Candles are usually mounted on holders with a foil plate to catch any hot wax before it drips and causes trouble.!!!
Candles were expensive at the time, so the candle on the tree remained the preserve of the wealthier German Protestants for many years. ..
It was in the mid-1800s that cheap candles and great wealth combined to make a candle on the tree a standard part of the holiday season for middle-class families.
By the 1860s, it was common practice to have more than one candle with some or more trees lit on Christmas Day.
The first use of electric lights instead of candles came in 1882 as part of a marketing campaign by the Edison Electric Light Company of New York.
The cost of light bulbs meant that these fairy lights became popular in the 1930s when prices fell.
In the 21st century, LED lights have replaced electric lights on Christmas trees…
11+ colored balls or apples:
People initially decorated their trees with various ornaments, including red apples.
Apples already have a deeply religious symbol, and in the ancient calendar of the saints, Adam and Eve were celebrated on December 24, and symbolically, as there was a tree covered with red apples, so they were perfect and symbolized life that never dies, and the paradise of Adam and Eve, where the tree of knowledge of good and evil is!!
However, they stopped using natural apples after the harsh winter of 1858, when apple trees became dependent, and they replaced them with colored balls, and with time, artificial apples were made and spread with colored balls...
And the glass artisans in (eastern France) had a wonderful idea to create colored glass balls to replace them, and they excelled in forming colored balls of different sizes, colors, and discussions.
Since then, Germany and the countries of Eastern Europe have become specialists in decorative glass and molded metal, wax, or wood.
12+ Cotton:
It symbolizes Snow, so the artificial cotton (Snow) used in ceremonies for beliefs symbolizes purity and purity of souls. Christ brought his righteousness and holiness along with abundance and fruits.
The purpose of the presence of cotton is the popular belief in the birth of Christ in the winter, just as the Bethlehem region is a mountainous region and snowfall is a natural thing in it.
Continued
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