Source: Pixabay
Christmas, a holiday that celebrates the day on which Jesus Christ was born, is the time of the year that fills people with excitement and jolliness. The happiness of being with loved ones beside the hearth and warmth on a winter’s day makes one nostalgic and leaves them eagerly waiting for this day. Besides the anticipation of opening ‘Presents’, there is also a zeal for buying the essentials for decorating their house. And almost every decor has a traditional symbolism attached to it.
Let’s look at these decors and find out what it represents. Here’s presenting our list.
Trees
Source: Pixabay
Celebration of Christmas at a time when the outdoors swelled with snow, and chilly air makes the possibility of a living life difficult. The Christmas tree signifies life in the withering wintry days. Long before the birth of Christ, trees gave people hope of something like an everlasting life, and they associated it with God. It also reminded them of spring.
Among the various reasons, the prevalent one in the modern era of decorating a tree inside a house was inspired by a German preacher of 16th century ‘Martin Luther.’ He was walking in a forest on Christmas Eve and was awed by the beautiful stars flickering through the trees. He cut and took a tree to his home and decorated it with candles to show his children and how it reminded him of Jesus. Since then, the trees are a special and significant part of the day.
Bells
Source: Pixabay
All the songs and melodies of Christmas are filled with the sounds of jingling bells. This significance of bells are associated with the arrival of this holy season and the birth of Jesus Christ. Bells in the Middle Ages were used to gather audiences at church for various kinds of services. It was also used to communicate with the people who were far away from the church. As midnight marks the beginning of Christmas and the birth of Jesus, the church rings the bells in order to celebrate his birth. The symbolic attachment of the bells is that it represents harmony among the humankind.
Christmas’ bells have become an extraordinary part of the holiday. Going by ancient rituals it is also associated with warding the evil and all the unearthly spirits away for this joyous day. People use Sleigh bells for decoration at their homes that puts an aesthetic touch to their living room.
Stars
Source: Pixabay
Stars are one of the main attractions of the day. Star carries symbolism which associates it with the Star Of Bethlehem. According to the biblical story the star led the three wise men to the place where Jesus was born, and they showered him with gifts. The star also represents a prophecy by Samuel the Lamanite, that a bright new star would appear when a savior will be born. That bright new star came to be known as the Star of Bethlehem. In the Bible the celestial objects like stars, galaxies, comets are interpreted as signs of an omnipotent being.
People decorate their trees with shining stars in order to mark the day of Christ Nativity. Even though small stars are used to decorate a Christmas tree, a big star goes as a tree-topper. The holiday is considered incomplete without this major symbol used at Christmas.
Stockings
Source: Pixabay
As the legend goes, the associations of stockings on Christmas are related to the acts of St. Nicolas. A poor man could not get his three daughters married off because of the incapability to provide dowry. A bishop named St. Nicholas heard his plight and wanted to help the man, but he refused. Then St. Nicholas at night without their knowledge secretly put gold in the stocking of his daughter, the hearth hung that to dry. Upon waking up, the girls found gold in each of their stockings. And because of this good deed the poor man’s daughters were able to get married.
People have been hanging their stockings by the chimney with care since at least the 1800s, and no one knows for sure how it started. The tradition of hanging stockings at Christmas has been prevalent from the 1800s. It reminds people to act with kindness to others. Like Jesus was good to others and was a selfless being, the idea of stockings at Christmas sends a deep message beside putting gifts in it.
Lights And Candles
Source: Pixabay
Winters are often associated with darkness, and the tradition of using lights at Christmas is overcoming that darkness on Christ’s Birth. It reminds people that Jesus is the core source of all light in the world. He was born as a savior, so he can show the path to the ones who are living in the dark. The candles are associated with the Star of Bethlehem. Before the discovery of electricity, people used to decorate their Christmas trees with candles.
The candles and lights at Christmas provide a sense of brightness and warmth to the families. It also reminds people to be that light which Christ represents. And spread it to others as well.
Wreaths
Source: Pixabay
An assortment of flowers, twigs, and evergreen leaves like pine branches and leaves of holly is what it consists of to make a wreath. They are arranged in a circular form which represents the Sun. The circular shape of the wreath also signifies the God, as the immortal being with no beginning and no end. In winters, days are past often without the sun appearing, the pagans decorated their house with wreaths in order to persuade the sun to appear. When pagans converted themselves into Christianity, the symbolism of wreaths too changed over time. The evergreens leaves are associated with rebirth, and it reminds people about the eternal love of God. In the modern world, people hang wreaths at their doors and windows, filling them with the Christmas spirit and merriment.
