Whenever we see or do something often enough, weeventually become so accustomed it that we lose sight of that familiar thing's original meaning and significance.Recognizable customs, no matter how beautiful orsubstantial initially will quickly fade from focus andostensibly become invisible, whenever we are not vigilant.This is especially true with regards to practically every oneof our most beloved and familiar Christmas traditions.For nearly every traditional Christmas decoration andcustom is in one way or another intrinsically rooted toconveying faith in the truth of Jesus Christ. They may now becommonplace, and in somesegments of our society they may even be considered “politically correct and sanitized”expres-sions of Christmas (seemingly devoid of any Christian meaning)- but in truth, many of the most familiarand beloved Christmasexpressionsin the world today (certainly to the chagrin of thesecular humanistswho are soquick to dismiss Christianity’simpact on the human race) areindeed beautifuland timelessexpressions of ardent faith in Jesus Christ as the IncarnateSon of God.To begin with, even the ever present familiarChristmas tree is a very basic Christian symbol. Theevergreen tree, especially in Northern Europe, wasfor the longest time considered an apt symbol of strength and hope. The tree’s ability to survive the bitter winter and stay green amazed the pagan Vikings andled them to consider it as a sign of life and good fortune. Well before the Vikings ever receivedthe Good Newsof Christ, they would chop down a fir tree and put it in the middle of their hut in order to fortify the family’sspirit during the long and harsh winter months. But asthe Christian faith moved its way north, this basicpagan symbol was transformed as ancient associations with fir trees were imbued with even greater significance.It is said that in the 7th centurySt. Boniface went into
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modern day Germany in order to proclaim the Gospeland establish the Church when he came across somemen who were preparing to sacrifice a child to thepagan god of Thor. St. Boniface stopped the murder of the child and pointed to a small fir tree saying: “Thistree does not die in winter like others but lives and it symbolizes the eternal life offered to all through JesusChrist.” He then went on to explain how even the very shape of the fir tree (a triangle), beautifully representsthe Holy Trinity. The men were so moved by thecourage and wisdom of St. Boniface that they repented,spared the life of the child andbecame Christians. Soon thereafter,throughout that region, especially during the winter celebration of Christmas, the fir tree became a ‘converted’ symbol of the enduring life and strength of Jesus Christ.Eventually,many throughout Christendom began to appreciatehow “a Christmas tree” could serveas a potent sign of life-giving power of Christ and His sacrificeon a tree for the salvation of the world. Inspired by faith and theGrace of God, it bears remembering that the Christmas tree is
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really a commercial tool, but a rather striking symbol of JesusChrist and His sacrificial love forhumanity. While our secular society may think that it hasfound a politically safe way to undermine and dismiss thereligious significance of the season, we can instead look at all of the Christmas trees around us and relish in their truesignificance as we recall the words of St. Peter in his First Epistle (ch. 2: 24):
“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteous- ness. By His wounds, you have been healed.”
Then there is the Christian symbolism that permeatesthe use of that ole favorite - mistletoe. Here again,mistletoe was first used as a form of decoration in people’shomes because of its natural ability to thrive wheneverything else seemed to be dead and barren. Christiansin many parts of the world saw in the plant a reminder
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