O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree . . .

 O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging;
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging;
Not only green when summer's here,
But also when 'tis cold and drear.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy leaves are so unchanging!

Yes, to so many of us, this is an old, familiar tune. Brought out every Christmas just like the ornaments & tinsel we decorate our own Christmas trees with. But do you know why we decorate our trees? Here's a little bit of symbolism to help you ~ and your family ~ appreciate the tradition even more . . . 

Many pagan cultures "worshipped" the Evergreen trees as a sign of immortality but to counter pagan falsehood with a degree of Godly truth, believers started erecting Evergreens on December 24th. Then, to honor Christ's birth Martin Luther began the tradition of bringing in and decorating small Evergreens  at around 1500. Then, by the 1800's the Christmas Tree was well established.

 O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy candles shine so brightly!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy candles shine so brightly!
From base to summit, gay and bright,
There's only splendor for the sight.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
Thy candles shine so brightly!

In the late 1700's, people started adding more decoration to the Evergreens. They added candles to symbolize the birth of Jesus Christ as The Light of the World (the same symbolism is why we decorate our homes with lights ~ to show the world that our Light has come!) [John 18:12]; ornaments of pine cones, baby's hair, embellished combs, hand-made paper snowflakes and chains, holly and ivy, fruit, cotton batting as snow or "angel hair" . . . items that were special and had meaning to the family. Christians also began to hang wreaths on their doors and in their homes and even small wreaths were hung on the trees. These never-ending circles of Evergreen represent eternity, endless hope and even God Himself as our Alpha and Omega.

 O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee!
Thou bidst us true and faithful be,
And trust in God unchangingly.
O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!
How richly God has decked thee! !"

And the crown of every Christmas tree is either an angel or a star. Both recognise the fact that a heralding angel of God came to the Shepherds to announce the birth of God's only Son, Jesus Christ, and that a star led their way to the family, find the holy Babe lying in a manger.

And gifts under the tree? Well, that has a couple of meanings. One is that after their long journey following the star, the three Maji (Wise Men) gave gifts of precious worth to the Boy King ~ gold, frankincense and myrrh. The other is that the Lord, in His love and goodness towards us, His children, has blessed us with the opportunity to celebrate His birthday by giving and receiving gifts.   

We truly serve a wonderful Father God, a precious Lord & a tender Holy Spirit ~ they do all the work and we have all the fun.

I hope you have enjoyed a glimpse of our family Christmas tree and the blessings wrapped in brown paper that wait for our family to open on Christmas Day. 

 From my family to yours ~ have a very merry and blessed CHRISTmas.

CHRISTmas blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><