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I found today's blogs at cool stuff
Christmas trees, ornaments, wreaths, and garlands. The custom of bringing evergreen branches into the home during the dark days of winter predates Christianity and was a reminder that the sun would return, the snow would melt, and the vegetation cycle would begin again. Christians took these customs and gave them biblical significance. Evergreen reminds us of everlasting life, the circular wreath the eternity of God, the red holly berries the blood of Christ, the triangular shape (an ancient symbol of the Trinity) of the tree pointing toward heaven. Lights were added to symbolize that Christ is the Light of the World and that the light of the Gospel shines through us to the world. Our own tree is not a designer, color coordinated fashion statement. It is covered with hundreds of ornaments that are especially meaningful to us. The pear reminds us of Christ as the "partridge in the pear tree" (see below for resources about the Christian meaning behind what most people assume is a nonsense carol). The red apple reminds us that Christ came because we fell in Adam when he and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Our candy canes are always red and white -- the shepherd's crook reminds us of Christ our Shepherd, the white of his perfect sinlessness, and the red of his blood shed for us. The red heart reminds us of God's love displayed through His Son's sacrifice. The silver triangle reminds us of the trinity, the antique brass goose of God's bountiful provisions for us in Christ, our children's paper-plate angels of those who announced Christ's birth and whom God has promised us will guard us in our daily lives. Some ornaments are hand made by our children, some were bought, many are from friends whom we're reminded of and for whom we pray as we decorate the tree. Our tree is topped with a cardboard star covered in foil. The star reminds us of the star that guided the wise men to the Christ child. It was made by my father for Bob's and my first Christmas tree, using my parent's star as a pattern. My father had made that star for his and my mother's first Christmas during World War II when they broke a branch from the fir tree in front of their rooming house and decorated it with the modest star and tin "icicles" from strips of tin peeled off of tinned meat cans with old fashioned "keys."
Blessings to you all
Tia
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