Keeping Christ in Christmas
By
Mary Ellen Wood
If we walk through a mall or any shopping store in early to mid December, we see bright red and green colors everywhere and mobs of people trying to find a good deal. As we prepare for Christmas, it is very easy to get caught up in the shopping and the anticipation. We don’t think of a Christmas tree, a wreath, holly leaves, or the Candy Cane as something that has to do with Christ. We forget what these simple things represent.
During this season we often place a pine tree in our home and call it a Christmas tree. A Christmas tree is meant to remind us of Christ. It is evergreen to remind us of God’s endless love and the gift of eternal life. Its shape points toward heaven, our true home. Since it is a symbol of Christ, we place our gifts beneath the tree asking for Him to bless them and accept them because the gifts we give to others are the gifts we give to Him.
We place wreathes on our doors or on our walls because a wreath symbolizes the real nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is a continuous round of affection. Some wreathes are made out of holly leaves. Holly leaves represent immortality. They represent the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent the blood shed by him.
The Candy Cane is one of the most popular Christmas candies. The candy cane represents the shepherds’ crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring back strayed sheep to the flock. It is shaped like the letter “J†in Jesus’ name. It is a hard candy, solid like a “rock,†the foundation of the Church. The flavor of peppermint is similar to another member of the mint family, hyssop. In the Old Testament hyssop was used for purification and sacrifice, and this is said to symbolize the purity of Jesus and the sacrifice he made.
Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, who is not only God’s only begotten Son but also God Himself, in the flesh. Giving gifts during this celebration of Christ’s birth is supposed to remind us of God’s generosity, not make us selfish and ungrateful. Therefore, in the midst of everything that goes on during Christmas, we must always remember what the simple symbols of Christmas mean, and keep Christ in Christmas.
