Christmas traditions

Day 9 of Keeping Christ in Christmas – Tinsel

Decorating the Christmas tree with shimmering tinsel has been around for centuries. Legend has it that a poor old woman was unable to provide decorations for her children’s Christmas tree. During the night, spiders lodged in the tree and covered it with their webs. The Christ Child, seeing this, turned the spider webs into silver, and the next morning the poor family was dazzled by the brilliant “tinsel” that shone on the tree.

Another legend says that when Joseph, Mary, and Jesus left Bethlehem, they hid from Herod’s soldiers in a cave one night . While they slept, a spider wove its web over the entrance to the cave so it would be unoticed by the soldiers. The next morning Joseph, Mary, and Jesus saw the glistening spider webs in the morning light. Tinsel on the Christmas tree is supposed to be symbolic of the spider webs that hid Jesus from Herod’s soldiers.

Tinsel made its first appearance around 1610 in Germany. Strands of sparkling tinsel were often added to early Christmas trees to accent the glow of lit candles or to recreate the starry sky over the Nativity. Basically tinsels are very thin sheets or strips or threads of a glittering material. Early tinsel was made of real silver. Machines were invented that shredded the silver into very thin strips. Though silver is a durable metal, it got tarnished quickly by the candles on the Christmas tree. The blackened tinsel was not pretty, so efforts were soon on to find a substitute. Experiments were made with a mixture of lead and tin, but this mixture was heavy and tended to break down under its own weight.

Because of its expense and fragility, metallic tinsel was used sparingly as a decoration. Only the wealthiest citizens were able to afford entire garlands of tinsel to wrap around the branches of their trees. Advances in manufacturing eventually made it possible to produce cheaper aluminum-based tinsel in substantial quantities. By the early 20th century, most homeowners could afford to incorporate tinsel garlands, as well as individual pieces of tinsel known as icicles. During the 1950s, the use of tinsel garlands and icicles nearly overshadowed the use of Christmas lights on trees.

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

Tinsel that we use today is usually gold or silver in color. In the Bible, gold is symbolic of diety (God) and silver is symbolic of redemption (the act of setting free). When you hang your tinsel, remember that God came to earth as Jesus; He was born to set all mankind, rich and poor, free from the power of sin.

 

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Day 8 of Keeping Christ in Christmas – Candy Canes

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It was not long after Europeans began using Christmas trees that special decorations were used to adorn them. Food items, such as candies and cookies, were used predominately, but also, straight white candy sticks were one of the confections used as ornaments in the 1400’s.

Legend has it that during the 17th century, craftsmen began creating the white sticks of candy in the shape of shepherds’ crooks at the suggestion of the choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. The candy treats were given to children to keep them quiet during ceremonies at the living creche, or Nativity scene, and the custom of passing out the candy crooks at such ceremonies soon spread throughout Europe.

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

Shepherds have a prominent place in the story of Jesus. The first people to be told of the birth of Jesus were shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks that first Christmas night.

Throughout scripture Jesus is referred to as the Good Shepherd and we are called His sheep. The shepherd carries a staff or rod with him when he goes forth to feed his flock. It is often bent or hooked at one end. With this staff he rules and guides the flock to their green pastures, and defends them from their enemies. Also, with his staff, he corrects them when they are disobedient, and brings them back when they are wandering. Jesus rules, guides, defends, corrects, and brings back His sheep.

When you look at the candy cane think on this:

Psalm 23:1-4 The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Another explanation of the candy cane is that in the 1870’s a candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness so he shaped it in the form of a “J” to represent the precious name of Jesus, and he made it hard to symbolize Jesus being our Solid Rock.

It is widely held that the white color represents Christ’s purity, the red stands for the blood He shed, and the presence of three red stripes is representative of the Holy Trinity. It is also interesting that the candy is peppermint flavored; mint is a healing herb that is common in the Holy Land and is believed to be one of the bitter herbs of the Last Supper.

Just remember the next time you eat a candy cane that “J”esus came to be our Good Shepherd who heals our hurts and guides us with His staff.

shepherd

“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.”
John 10:14

(A popular book about the candy cane is The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg)

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Day 7 of Keeping Christ in Christmas – Santa Claus

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The origin of Santa Claus begins about 300 years after the birth of Jesus with Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, an area in present day Turkey. By all accounts St. Nicholas was a generous man who loved Jesus and was particularly devoted to children. After his death around 340 A.D. he was buried in Myra, but in 1087 Italian sailors purportedly stole his remains and removed them to Bari, Italy, greatly increasing St. Nicholas’ popularity throughout Europe.

His kindness and reputation for generosity gave rise to claims that he could perform miracles thus increasing devotion to him. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of Russia, where he was known by his red cape, flowing white beard, and bishop’s mitre. In Greece, he is the patron saint of sailors; in France he was the patron of lawyers; and in Belgium the patron of children and travellers. Thousands of churches across Europe were dedicated to him and some time around the 12th century an official church holiday was created in his honor. The Feast of St. Nicholas was celebrated December 6 and the day was marked by gift-giving and charity.

After the Reformation, European followers of St. Nicholas dwindled, but the legend was kept alive in Holland where the Dutch spelling of his name Sint Nikolaas was eventually transformed to Sinterklaas. Dutch children would leave their wooden shoes by the fireplace, and Sinterklaas would reward good children by placing treats in their shoes. Dutch colonists brought this tradition with them to America in the 17th century and here the Anglican name of Santa Claus emerged.

In 1822 Clement C. Moore composed the poem A Visit From Saint Nicholas, published as The Night Before Christmas as a gift for his children. In it, he portrayed Santa Claus with “…a broad face and a little round belly, that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf…” Other countries feature different gift-bearers for the Christmas or Advent season: La Befana in Italy, Christkindl or the Christ Child in Switzerland and Austria, and Father Christmas in England. In France, the gift giver is known as Pere Noël, Father Christmas or the Christ Child. In Spain, Puerto Rico, and Mexico The Three Kings supposedly bring gifts at Christmas. Still, the figure of Santa Claus as a jolly, benevolent, plump man in a red suit described in Moore’s poem remains with us today and is recognized by children and adults alike around the world.

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

When you think of Santa Claus, remember that he was a real person who heard about Jesus, decided to follow Him, then secretly and unselfishly poured out love on people around him. Because he loved Jesus so much and did so many kind deeds, he was called a ’saint’, meaning “one who is separated for a special task”. We too have been made ’saints’, but not by anything that we have done. We are made saints, “separated for a special task”, when we embrace Jesus as our Savior. Nicholas gave because Jesus first gave His life for us. Santa should remind us to unselfishly give the gift of love to others and to God, not just at Jesus’ birthday, but throughout the year.

A great children’s book about this is Santa, Are You For Real? by Harold Myra.

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Day 6 of Keeping Christ in Christmas – Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer

The Chicago-based Montgomery Ward Department Stores had been purchasing and distributing children’s coloring books as Christmas gifts for their customers for several years. In 1939, Montgomery Ward asked one of their own employees to create a book for them, thus saving money. So, 34-year old copywriter Robert L. May wrote the story of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and 2.4 million copies were handed out that year. Despite the wartime paper shortage, over 6 million copies had been distributed by 1946.

To create the story of the misfit reindeer, May drew, in part, from the story of “The Ugly Duckling” and, also, from his own experiences as an often taunted, small, frail youth. He tested his story, written in a series of rhyming couplets, on his 4-year old daughter Barbara. She loved it! Though Rollo and Reginald were considered as names for the reindeer, May settled on Rudolph.

Sadly, Robert May’s wife died around the time he was creating Rudolph, leaving May deeply in debt due to medical bills. However, he was able to persuade Sewell Avery, Montgomery Ward’s corporate president, to turn the copyright over to him in January 1947, thus ensuring May’s financial security.

May’s story Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was printed commercially in 1947 and in 1948 a nine-minute cartoon of the story was shown in theaters. When May’s brother-in-law, songwriter Johnny Marks, wrote the lyrics and melody for the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, the Rudolph phenomenon was born. Turned down by many musical artists afraid to contend with the legend of Santa Claus, the song was recorded by Gene Autry in 1949 at the urging of Autry’s wife. The song sold two million copies that year, going on to become one of the best-selling songs of all time, second only to Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”. The 1964 television special about Rudolph, narrated by Burl Ives, remains a holiday favorite to this day and Rudolph himself has become a much-loved Christmas icon.

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

When you think of ‘Rudolph’, remember that Rudolph, although he was mistreated by his fellow reindeer, was drafted by Santa because they could not see clearly the path that they needed to go. Rudolph safely guided the sleigh. Jesus, although mistreated by a world of people who can not find their way, has been sent by the Father to safely guide each of us through life.

Think about these verses:

Psalm 31:3 For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.
Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.
Psalm 48:14 For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.

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Day 5 of Keeping Christ in Christmas – Poinsettia

A native Mexican plant, the poinsettia, was named after Joel R. Poinsett, U.S. ambassador to Mexico, who brought the plant to America in 1828. Poinsettias were likely used by Mexican Franciscans in their 17th century Christmas celebrations. One legend has it that a young Mexican boy, on his way to visit the village Nativity scene, realized he had no gift for the Christ child. He gathered pretty green branches from along the road and brought them to the church. Though the other children mocked him, when the leaves were laid at the manger, a beautiful star-shaped, red flower appeared on each branch.

The bright red petals, often mistaken for flowers, are actually the upper leaves of the plant that transform from green to red as the days get shorter. The plants need darkness from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. starting Oct. 1 and continuing until color shows around early to mid-December. They turn red just in time for the Christmas season as even nature celebrates the birth of Christ!!

So how do we transform this to make it a reminder of the birth of Jesus Christ?

When you look at your poinsettia, think about Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Let the poinsettia’s transformation of green leaves to scarlett remind you of our transformation from sinner to child of God because of the coming of the Christ Child. Let the red color remind you of His blood He shed for us.

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