Blogmas Day 11 - Symbols

12/11/2017 12:09:00 AM
Old and New Symbols, Customs or Traditions concerning Christmas.

 Which are still your favorites??

 Most Christmas symbols, traditions and customs were being practiced by other cultures and religions long before the Roman Catholic church declared the season's festivities to be a celebration of Christ's birth. 

1. Poinsettia Plant with red leaves - Poinsettia Poinsettia plants are white-leaved for most of the year, but often turn red in winter.
A Mexican legend tells the story of a child who could not afford a gift for the Christmas Eve service. Gathering a handful of flowers from the wayside, the child remembered that a gift given with love would be acceptable to Jesus and her spirits rose.

 2. Robin RedBreast - According to a Christmas legend, a robin landed on the shoulder of Jesus and sang in order to relieve his suffering. The blood from Jesus' crown of thorns stained the little bird's chest, and from then on, all robins were red breasted.

 3. Baubles - Initially a status symbol for the very rich, bauble decorating became popular with the masses around the late 1890s. At the end of a day's work, glass blowers would play games to see who could blow the largest glass ball. Their wives would then take the balls, swirl silver nitrate inside them to give them a metallic sheen and sell them in the market.

 4. Christmas Tree - The fir tree became associated with Christianity when Saint Boniface, a monk from Devonshire, went to preach in an area of Germany that became famous for its Christmas decorations. The triangular shape of the tree was used to explain the concept of the trinity, the continuous green represented the everlasting hope of mankind and its shape signified thoughts towards the heavens.
Legend also says, a German preacher went for a walk through a forest on the night before Christmas and looked up as he was walking. Seeing the stars shining through one tree's branches was so beautifully overwhelming, he took the tree home and told his children it reminded him of Jesus, who left the stars of Heaven to come to Earth.

5. MistleToe - Scandinavians regarded mistletoe as a peace plant and it was given to indicate a truce between warring nations or husband and wife. Its evergreen leaves and association with kissing meant it was easy to use as a symbol of Christian love and eternal life.

 6. Holly - According to some stories, it is said that only the holly tree consented to be cut down and its wood made into a cross to bear Jesus. Some Christians believe that Jesus wore a crown of holly thorns whose berries were originally white. As Jesus' blood touched the berries, they turned red. The green leaves of the holly plant have come to represent everlasting life and the berries the blood of Jesus.

 7. Nativity Crib - The original nativity scenes were live re-enactments of the birth of Jesus, with actors and real animals. The first sculpted and painted scenes started in around the 16th century, when wealthy churches starting commissioning artists to decorate inside their buildings.

 8. Wreaths - Wreaths were used by many societies for different reasons, including Romans who wore them as crowns. It is not known when they became decorative wall hangings, but it's possible that wreaths won in contests were put on display.
The Advent wreath is German in origin. Usually with four candles, one is lit every Sunday before Christmas, representing the coming of Jesus. For Christians, evergreen plants in a continuous circle symbolise everlasting hope and life.
9. Christmas Cards - In the 18th century in England, children sent Christmas messages to their family on paper decorated with a border. But it wasn't until 1843, when a busy Sir Henry Cole commissioned a standard card greeting for all of his friends, that the modern day ritual of sending Christmas cards was invented.

 10. Christmas Lights - The tradition of Christmas lights began soon after the Germans adopted the indoor Christmas tree idea in the 17th century. It was then it became popular to decorate them with the candles lit from the yule log. In 1882, Edward Johnson, a friend of Thomas Edison, displayed the first electricity powered Christmas tree lights that had become a popular American Christmas custom in the 19th century.
President Glover Cleveland was the first to order the White House adored with electric Christmas lights in 1895
11.  Christmas Stocking - According to legend, a poor man worried that this three daughters would not get married as he did not have dowry for them. St Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra, knew of their plight and wanted to help them. On Christmas Eve, after the girls had put their stockings out to dry on the fire place, he threw some gold coins down the chimney. The coins landed in the stockings and filled them. When news of this spread, other people began to hang stockings too in the hope that they would receive gifts.

 12. Yule Log - 
It was then it became popular to decorate them with the candles lit from the yule log - a pagan ritual during winter solstice, wherein a log was lit and a quiet celebration occurs among family as it burns. Legend says the longer a log burns, the greater the family's prosperity will be in the coming year.
adapted from : 25-Facts-About-Christmas 10-symbols-of-christmas
Thanks For Visiting
,
LoriAnn
LoriAnn