December 11, 2011
Symbol of Christmas:
Red and Green
These two complimentary colors together make up the "Christmas Colors." But why these two? Why not purple and yellow?
Even before Christ was born, people saw green as the color for life. They saw that plants like the evergreen and holly stayed green all year. During the winter solstice they would use these plants in their celebration of the sun's return, symbolizing the return of life in the spring. As Christians began to celebrate Christmas, churches would preform Paradise plays (if you don't know what a Paradise play is, this site explains it). Because apple trees were dead in the winter, they used evergreen trees and tied apples to the branches. It eventually became popular to bring a Paradise tree into the home and this, along with the traditions integrated from winter solstice celebrations (such as evergreen and holly boughs) are the beginning of the "Christmas Colors." Red from the apples and holly berries, and green from the evergreen boughs and holly leaves. Because Christmas is about Christ, red also became a symbol of the blood He shed in the garden of Gethsemane.
For me there are no better colors than this. After all, it is because of Christ and His atonement that we can have eternal life. The blood He shed was for us. Each and every one of us. When we see these colors at Christmas time, we can remember His sacrifice and the wonderful gift it is to us.
These two complimentary colors together make up the "Christmas Colors." But why these two? Why not purple and yellow?
Even before Christ was born, people saw green as the color for life. They saw that plants like the evergreen and holly stayed green all year. During the winter solstice they would use these plants in their celebration of the sun's return, symbolizing the return of life in the spring. As Christians began to celebrate Christmas, churches would preform Paradise plays (if you don't know what a Paradise play is, this site explains it). Because apple trees were dead in the winter, they used evergreen trees and tied apples to the branches. It eventually became popular to bring a Paradise tree into the home and this, along with the traditions integrated from winter solstice celebrations (such as evergreen and holly boughs) are the beginning of the "Christmas Colors." Red from the apples and holly berries, and green from the evergreen boughs and holly leaves. Because Christmas is about Christ, red also became a symbol of the blood He shed in the garden of Gethsemane.
For me there are no better colors than this. After all, it is because of Christ and His atonement that we can have eternal life. The blood He shed was for us. Each and every one of us. When we see these colors at Christmas time, we can remember His sacrifice and the wonderful gift it is to us.
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