Christmas Symbols

These are things that are commonly associated with Christmas in various parts of the world.

The Wreath

The Wreath which is traditionally displayed on the front door of a home during the weeks of Advent and the Christmas season once was a multiple role.

The wreath is intertwined with red ribbons which are done to express the festive spirit, while its evergreen leaves were symbolic of the everlasting life promised to the faithful by the birth of Jesus Christ. The circular shape was a reminder of the crown of thorns placed on His head by the Roman soldiers when they ridiculed Him as the 'king of the Jews'. Another reason for the wreath being used as part of celebrations related to the god Bacchus, whose worshippers were thought to have worn circular ivy crowns.
Another practical purpose for the wreath was that the evergreen boughs were believed to protect a home from evil spirits, which were thought to be plentiful during this dark time of the year. During the Middle Ages the red berries of holly were believed to keep witches out of the home; this is why holly became the traditional and lucky evergreen for the wreath-making.

Bells
Bells are rung on Christmas morning to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
A legend that has been told is that the bells were rung for an hour before midnight on the first Christmas Eve, this was said to have been done to warm the forces of darkness of the imminent birth of Jesus Christ. At the stroke of midnight, the peal of the bells changed pitch into a joyous peal.

The bells are also rung for another purpose as well. Just as bells are tolled to announce the death of someone they were also rung to tell the 'death' of the Devil which was brought upon by the coming of Jesus Christ. The church bell was also known as 'the Old Lad's Passing bell', 'Old Lad' which was said to be a euphemism for Satan. The bells have also been assumed to chase away evil spirits, which are said to be repelled by noise of any kind.
There are many types of Christmas bells for the season. They can be heard on Christmas morning, they are used as decoration on Christmas cards as well as on the Christmas tree. Wassailers would use them to announce their presence by ringing them, so did Father Christmas, with jingling bells accompanying his sleigh progress.

The Nativity Scene

The crib, representing the crib in which the baby Jesus Christ was laid after his birth in a stable in Bethlehem, has become a favorite Christmas decoration. It has been used for centuries to bring to life the story of Christmas.

Francis of Assisi, who was renowned for his love of animals, instituted the custom of the nativity scene. After receiving permission from the Pope, he erected the first one during the Christmas of 1224 in a cave outside the town of Greccio in Italy. It was not a hand crafted or modern type of crib but a live scene. Francis stood in front of the crib and would recite the Gospel relating to the scene; then he would deliver a sermon.
Nowadays, nativity scenes with all the figures such as Joseph, Mary and the three wise men along with an ox and a donkey, have become popular throughout the Christian world.

Holly
The evergreen holly symbolizes eternal life. This shrub's most conspicuous features have long been associated with Jesus Christ. The bright red       berries represent the drops of blood He shed on the cross; their color also represented the burning love for God present in the hearts of the faithful. The prickly leaves remind us of the crown of thorns the Roman soldiers placed on Jesus Christ's head.

Poinsettia
The poinsettia is named after Joel R. Poinsett, who served as the USA's first ambassador to Mexico, from 1825-1829. He saw this indigenous plant with large scarlet leaves encircling small, greenish-yellow blossoms, which was the Mexican Christmas flower. He sent specimens back to the USA, where they flourished.  
A Mexican legend tells how the poinsettia became a Christmas flower. A poor peasant girl was anxious to bring a gift in honor of the Virgin Mary to the Christmas Eve service. She had nothing to give so she went with nothing. On the way she met an angel, who told her to pick some weeds. She did this. As by a miracle they were transformed into the bright scarlet 'flowers'. Poinsettias have been popular decorations for churches and homes during the Christmas festival.

The Star

The star placed at the very top of the Christmas tree recalls the one seen by the three wise men 'in the East' at the time of Jesus Christ's birth, the star that 'went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was'    
Matthew 2,1-12.
In many parts of the world today celebration of the Christian holiday has begun with the appearance of the first star on Christmas Eve.
In Poland this signals the beginning of the Festival of the Star. After the Christmas Eve meal, the priest of the village, as the "Star Man", goes around and tests the children's religious knowledge. In parts of Alaska boys and girls carry a star figure from house to house, singing carols and hoping for treats or to be invited in to dinner. In Hungary a star-shaped pattern in an apple cut in half means good luck. A break in the pattern is supposed to mean illness.
To Christians the Christmas star is supposed to express the ideals held out by Jesus, called in the Bible "the bright and morning star."
Stars in general have a special meaning, as they are sharing the heavens, no matter what barriers keep them apart on earth.

Candles
The lighting of candles at Christmas originated far back in time when it was part of early sun worship: like bonfires, candles were lit in the depths of winter in an attempt to magically strengthen the weakened sun. 

The Church tried to stamp this ancient custom out, but, instead it invested the lighting of the candles with a new meaning. Candles were lit so it is said to symbolize the divine light that was believed to illuminate the world. Another tradition is that candles were meant to recall the lights people lit in their windows at the time of Jesus Christ's birth, so as to let Mary and Joseph know that they would be welcome in their homes.
Another association of the lighting of candles was the period in Irish history when the Catholic religion was banned. A Catholic family would signal when it was safe for a priest to come in their home to celebrate Mass by placing a lighted candle in the window. It is in this way Christmas candles are a silent tribute to those people of all faiths, who, have faced persecution and who have remained loyal to their beliefs.

Tinsel

Glittering tinsel is used to decorate the Christmas tree to symbolize light. Light in all forms was thought to be magic enough to ensure that the forces of darkness would not have any power. 

A Christian legend given for the origins of tinsel is that a poor widow was determined to have a memorable Christmas for her family that all she possessed was a tree. She spent many hours decorating it and finally fell asleep. Later in the night spiders wove webs all over the tree's branches. As a reward for the widow's unselfishness, the Christ-child changed the spider webs into shining silver threads.
Another legend was that as a child Jesus Christ once decorated a tree. He was assisted by angels whose hair was caught on the branches as they departed, it turned into tinsel.

Baubles and Apples
Apples in some parts of the world are used to decorate trees, stems from the apple's associations with the Tree of Life in Paradise. According to popular belief, though the Bible never actually says so, this was an apple tree. 
Baubles are said to be replicas of the fruit. But are mostly just colorful ornaments which contribute to the festive spirit in a home. They also reflect light, which gives a multiplying effect of the candles and lights.

Christmas Gifts

The exchanging of Christmas presents can be traced back to an ancient Roman custom of gift-giving which was practiced at Saturnalia. 

When the custom was Christianized, it was told that it related to the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh that the Magi had carried with them from the East when they travelled to pay homage to the newborn Jesus Christ.

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