December 21, 2006

There are many symbols of Christmas and whatever their significance, the message of the festival clearly supersedes the symbols; it is a time for hope, joy, peace and giving, writes Marylou Andrew


Ask a person on the street what Christmas is all about, and in all probability the reply will have something to do with presents, Christmas trees, decorations, Santa Claus and shopping. While Christmas is extremely significant on a religious level, its meaning is often lost in the paraphernalia and fanfare that comes with it. However, some of the symbols that we take for granted at Christmas time are steeped in tradition and significance. And it is worth getting to know what they’re all about, such as, how a candy cane came to be associated with the birthday of Jesus?

The first reminders of the holiday season are the beautiful wreaths that adorn the front doors of people’s homes. Where, you may well ask did the wreath come from? The word ‘wreathe’ comes from an old English word ‘writhen’, which means to writhe or twist. Wreaths were first made in ancient Greece and Rome when evergreen leaves were twisted into a circle and given as prizes to kings, athletes and military heroes.

Victorian England saw the use of evergreen plants such as holly, ivy, yew and bay being twisted into lavish circular arrangements to decorate houses at Christmas time. In the 20th century, as evergreen plants became less abundant, plastic was used in order to make wreaths, and in the 1960s, the invention of vinyl added a rather realistic look to these synthetic creations. While wreaths are generally used for decorative purposes, they do have symbolic meaning.

The circle represents eternity, the evergreen leaves and branches symbolise everlasting life and the green stands for the hope of a new life, all of which are important themes of the Christmas season. The Advent wreath (a wreath with four candles) has even deeper significance. Starting in the first week of December, churches or families light one candle each week in order to signify that as Christmas approaches, their hope grows brighter. Some people also light a fifth candle in the centre of the wreath on Christmas Day to signify Christ’s birth.

For many people the Christmas tree is an essential part of the season. The tree originated in Germany in the 16th century, where it was common for people to decorate fir trees (indoors and outdoors) with roses, apples and coloured paper. Martin Luther, the German Protestant reformer was the first to light the tree with candles. It is said that on his way home one dark winter night, Luther was so struck by the starlight shining through the branches of a fir tree that he duplicated the starlight by using candles attached to the branches of his indoor fir tree.

In the 19th century, Prince Albert brought the idea of decorating Christmas trees to England and the custom was carried to America by the Germans in the 1820s. With time, Christmas tree ornaments became more elaborate and people started using nuts, candy and cookies as decorations. Much later, glass blowers in Germany began making glass balls as ornaments as well. Christmas trees are also evergreens, and just like wreaths their significance to Christmas lies in the fact that they symbolise everlasting life.

Apparently candy canes have been around for centuries, but it was not until the 1900s that they were decorated with red stripes and bent into the shape of a cane. Candy canes were handed out to children during church services in order to keep them quiet. An interesting story about the origin of candy canes goes something like this. In the late 1800s, a candy maker from Indiana wanted to express the meaning of Christmas through one of his confections, so he decided to bend his while candy sticks into the shape of a cane. In doing so he used several symbols borrowed directly from religion.

The white colour represented purity and sinlessness, the three red stripes represented the Holy Trinity and the crook on the top represented the shepherd’s staff. If you turn the candy cane upside down, it becomes the letter J symbolizing the first letter in Jesus’ name.The candy maker made these candy canes for Christmas, so that one would remember what Christmas was all about.

Santa Claus is most commonly associated with Christmas, but has more to do with the spirit of the season rather than having any other significance. The original Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, was born in Turkey in the 4th century. He was very pious from an early age, devoting his life to Christianity. He became widely known for his generosity to the poor. However, the Romans held him in contempt and imprisoned and tortured him. When Constantine became emperor of Rome, he allowed Nicholas to go free. Nicholas is especially noted for his love for children and for his generosity. He is the patron saint of sailors, Sicily, Greece, and Russia. He is also, of course, the patron saint of children.

The Dutch kept the legend of St. Nicholas alive. In 16th century Holland, Dutch children would place their wooden shoes by the hearth in hopes that they would be filled with a treat. The Dutch spelled St. Nicholas as Sint Nikolaas, which became corrupted to Sinterklaas, and finally, in Anglican, to Santa Claus. In 1822, Clement C. Moore composed his famous poem, "A Visit from St. Nick," which was later published as "The Night Before Christmas." Moore is credited with creating the modern image of Santa Claus as a jolly fat man in a red suit.

Other countries have their own Santa traditions; in France, Pere Noel is a kindly old man who travels through the countryside on Christmas Eve and leaves gifts in “sabots” or wooden shoes. The Scandinavians have a Christmas elf dressed in a red suit and long white beard. He is called Julenisse. He brings gifts for the children.

These are just a few of the symbols of Christmas, but there are several others such as bells, holly, poinsettias, candles, gingerbread etc. While some have different levels of meaning, others are just traditions that have come into existence over the years. Whatever their significance, the message of Christmas clearly supersedes the symbols; it is a time for hope, joy, peace and giving.

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