You see them everywhere. Christmas Trees, Santas, Menorahs, candles, wreaths and lights. Yes, they are the symbols of the Holiday season. But, how much do you really know about them? Where have all the symbols come from and what kind of history do they have? Here is your assignment: Pick a symbol of the upcoming holiday season and find out about (research) it. Then tell us about the history, origin or other interesting information about your chosen symbol in your posting!
This should be at least 3 sentences long and be proofread. Have fun and I hope you learn something new!
52 comments:
Some say the white of the candy cane represents the purity of Jesus and his virgin birth. The bold red stripe represents God’s love. The three fine stripes are said by some to represent the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Others say they represent the blood spilled at the beating Jesus received at the hands of the Roman soldiers.
The menorah has been used in Jewish tradition for years. The menorah is an official symbol for the State of Israel. It is said that Moses was instructed to build a golden lamp stand which 7 lamps are positioned. This is now called the menorah.
I picked the candy cane it has a lot of history. The red stripes on the candy cane represents gods love. Another thing is the candy cane goes back over 350 years.
i don't really know anything about them. the candy canes easy. i used to hear about it all the time at my church. the purity and love of gods.
The Christmas Tree tradition began in Germany when St. Boniface cut down an oak tree and a fir tree sprung up. He took this as a sign of Christianity and then it began as a sign of Christmas. The reason as of why the tree is brought into peoples homes is still unknown, but the tradition still lives on.
Angels come in many forms for Christmas decorations including the tree topper! The word 'angel' just means messenger. Candles represent the light that Jesus brought to earth. Candy canes represent the life of Christ, white represents His purity, the red stripe His blood.
I could do the same thing as everyone else and tell you the "history of a Christmas tree" But I would much rather tell you something important like my history with Christmas trees. My history with those tall annoying things is that, I have to load them up everyday at my work and have to handle them to much. It gets really old!
The Candy Cane is known as a symbol of Christianity since the cane was shaped like a "J" for Jesus. Recent studies show that the white represents his purity, the red the blood he shed. The presence of the three red stripes represents the Holy Trinity.
Danielle E Said....
Some people may say,during Christmas the wreath is just hanging up for decoration. However not only is it their to look beautiful it's their to represent the coming of Christ. Its also known as the Advent season in Christianity.
the red in the candy canes stands for gods love. the wight stands for god's purity. candy canes tast really good.
The Mistletoe is a pretty common Christmas symbol. but i don't get why people kiss under it. from the earliest European folklore. Back then it was considered a magical plant.
The Christmas tree has a lot of interesting background, mainly having origins from western Germany. During that time, the Christmas tree was a common symbol for the Christian faith, and was used as a tradition to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Many people have different views and theories on how the Christmas tree became a major symbol for the holiday seasons, but everyone can agree that without it, Christmas would not be the same.
The candy cane was suppose to represent Jesus for letter "J". But different meanings was used to represent the candy cane. Also was used as the birth, death, and the ministry of Jesus. But now today it is used as a snack or Christmas tree ornament.
-Robbie Jones
I am choosing the candy cane it is asscoited with christmas. The j in the candy cane stands for jesus.It was made by a candy maker in indiana. So that kids would know the true meaning of christmas.
http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/candycane.asp
-Robbie Jones
White of a candy cane represents the purity of Jesus and his virgin birth. The red stripe is God's love and the little one is the Holy Trinity.
Christmas ornaments were first invented in Lausha, Germany. They were made of glass. Ornaments can be made from wood, glass, ceramics and other material. Ornaments are used to hang on Christmas trees to decorate it for the holiday season.
-Quinton Walters-
Alright I'm sorry to those who still believe an old man is coming down your chimney, but I chose to research "Santa." It interested me to find out that the legendary character didn't come to the man we know now until cartoonist in the 19th century giving him a face and almost his own personality. Songs and television add to what we know him as now.
It says that "King Tut never saw a Christmas tree, but he would have understood the tradition which traces back long before the first Christmas, says David Robson, Extension Educator, Horticulture with the Springfield Extension Center."
reference:
http://www.christmas-tree.com/where.html
One of the Christmas symbols is the candy cane. The white is supposed to symbolize the Virgin Birth of Jesus. And the red is supposed to represent Gods love.
~Morgan McKinney~
Something that most people don't know about Christmas trees, is that they were originally grown in their native habitat, the rain forests of South Korea, and shipped to America illegally during the exhibition of Pine trees.
The Evergreen Christmas tree goes all the way back to the middle ages when it was decorated with apples and called a Paradise tree. Now-A-Days the Evergreen Christmas tree remind us of the good times that are coming up such as the green grass in the spring. They are even set up and decorated to give joy during the holiday season.
Mistletoe is said to be the sacred plant of Frigga, the godess of love. Legend has it when Balder, her son was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe . Frigga wept tears of white berries which brought him back to life. Overjoyed, Frigga blessed the plant and bestowed to kiss all who passed all who passed beneath it. From times the mistletoe was regarded as a plant that increases life and fertility.
The real meaning of the star at the top of the tree is far more beautiful than most people would imagine. The Bethlehem star that announced the birth of another great master of wisdom is also the star that symbolizes men in control of their animal instincts.
I'm not Jewish, but I'd like to write about Hanukkah because I don't completely know everything about it. It's a holiday celebrated by people of the Jewish religion that is also known as The Festival of Lights. It is eight days long and recognizes the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. It begins on the 25th day of Kislev, which may be anytime in late November to late December. It is celebrated by lighting the eight candles of the Menorah, also called the Hanukkiya. The eight candles represent the eight days of Hanukkah. The ninth candle is the shamash, and is the candle used to light the others.
-Erin Holtz
The origin of the candy cane goes back over 350 years when professional and amateur wanted to make a hard candy stick, which was just plain white and straight. The first mention of the candy cane we see today was in 1650 in Germany where a german choirmaster bent the sugar staff to represent a sheperds staff. And no one knows where the stripes came from but it was a pretty nice addition. So thank the Germans for our bent candy sticks people!
One of the Christmas symbol is the candy cane. The candy cane was made by a candy maker in Indiana. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry and death of Jesus Christ. The hardness of the candy is to represents the solid rock. The "J" shape reprents Jesus’ name. The white is used to symbolize the Virgin Birth and sinless nature of Jesus. The candy maker used three stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed or saved from our sins.
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Holidays are coming… Put this as your status and keep the truck going…. Happy Christmas!
MR. DOWNINGS FAV. STUDENT
A Christmas tree symbolizes the coming together as a family. This holiday season is when most families get together and celebrate. That is what i do on my holiday break. spend time with family.
Chase Gore
Santa's reindeer are a symbol for how he gets from house to house. They are flying reindeer that pull his slay to all the houses in the world. Also Deer taste very good :)
said by josh
Mistletoe is my favorite holiday symbol. Many people do not know this because it has gotten lost in history but mistletoe is actually supposed to be hung with berries from it and a berry should be taken off with each kiss and when the berries are gone the kissing privilege is as well. We certainly kept the kissing tradition part of the mistletoe just not the rules that go with it! Another interesting fact about mistletoe is that due to it's botanical story earns it the classification of a "parasite".
The Christmas Tree lights are a symbol for Christ. He was the "Light of the World". They were also known as "stars".
Megan
The wreath has been used since the Greek/Roman times and represented a persons occupation rank, their achievements and status. For Christmas, the wreath is to prepare for the Advent season or the "Coming of Christ." The Christian use of the wreath dated back to the Lutherans in Germany in 16th century.
The candy cane is a classic symbol for Christmas. The legend say that the shape came was made as an upside down J(for Jesus). It was also made in the image of a shepards staff since Jesus is the great shepard. The white of a candy cane represent the sinless life that Jesus lead. The red represents the blood that he shed on Calvary because of our sins.
The candy cane represents the purity of Jesus and his birth. The reds spripes represent God's love, or the blood spilled at the beating Jesus recieved. The three thin stripes represent the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.
Before the making of electric Christmas lights, families would use candles to light up their Christmas trees. Obviously, this was very dangerous and led homes into ashes. Then in 1882, Edward H. Johnson put the very first string of electric Christmas tree lights together. He then hand-wired 80 red, white and blue light bulbs and strung them together to eventually put on his Christmas tree.
I chose the candle/Menorah. It has been a jewish symbol for a long time. Eight candles in the Menorah represent the eight days that the small container of pure oil lasted after they beat the Syrians. The ninth candle is used to light the other eight.
Rather than explain a symbol for Christmas, I'll explain and abbreviation used for Christmas that causes many debates as whether it's anti-christian or not. The origins of X-Mas are anything by anti-christian- instead they just abbreviated it all the while keeping Christ in Christmas. X, or the Greek letter for Chi/Ch, was an abbreviated form of Christ in olden times. So, saying Merry X-Mas or saying Merry Christmas is just the same.
Mistletoe:
It is a parasitic plant and does not depend on photosynthises, but its host.
The Greeks thought that it had mystical powers and through the centuries it became associated with many folklore customs.
It was considered to bestow life and fertility; a protection against poison; and an aphrodisiac.
Kissing under the mistletoe is first found associated with the Greek festival of Saturnalia and later with primitive marriage rites.
In Scandinavia, mistletoe was considered a plant of peace, under which enemies could declare a truce or warring spouses kiss and make-up.
The Druids believed that mistletoe had special healing powers for everything from female infertility to poison ingestion. Scandinavians also thought of mistletoe as a plant of peace and harmony. They associated mistletoe with their goddess of love, Frigga. This is where we get the custom of kissing under the mistletoe! :)
The Candy Cane
The candy cane has a humongous amount of history behind it. Very few people think about blood and Jesus when eating it. The candy cane originated in India when a candy maker wanted to make something that could be a witness for his faith. He started with white hard candy to represent the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of our savior. The "J" is for the perfect name of Jesus Christ. The red stripes represent the blood Jesus shed on the cross so that we could have eternal life if we accept Christ into our life. Sadly, now it is just a piece of candy that hangs on the tree for little kids to eat. Next time you eat one of this delicious, but surprisingly profound, treat, think about the goodness and mercy of our loving God!
Holly and Christmas were tied together by the Roman Christians. They believed that holly brought good fortune and that it kept their houses safe from harsh weather conditions. Holly is known as "Christdorn" that literally means "Christ thorn". Also, holly symbolizes eternal life.
Santa Claus is a very well known Christmas figure. He's even so well known he's called Father Christmas. Kids would always want to write to Santa to tell him what they want for Christmas. Most kids still do this. Santa Claus has been around in the United States for a very long time. The most modern image of Santa was drawn by Thomas Nast in 1863. It appeared in Harper's Weekly, a popular newspaper during Civil War times. Santa Claus is a very large and jolly Christmas figure that will most likely always be loved by kids and some adults alike.
to Lindsay:
The "J" for the candy cane also makes it easier to hold when you're eating it!
The Menorah is the official symbol of the Jewish Nation. After the victory of Judah Maccabee, the soldiers decided they wanted to celebrate, but could only find enough oil to last a single day. However, this oil lasted eight days, long enough for them to find more oil to keep the candle burning.
Mistletoe is one of the most widely studied complementary and alternative medicine therapies for cancer. Mistletoe is also a parasite. We also use it at Christmas and it is known that we kiss under the Mistletoe. The reason for this is because it was European folklore and back then it was considered to be a very magical plant.
One of the common Christmas symbols is the bell. The bell dates back to the time when they were used to signify that church was about to begin. This was during an era with slight means of communication so bells were necessary. It was said that after the birth of Christ, bells were rung to let the whole world know. Therefore, Christmas bells remind us about the birth of Christ. I don't really stop to consider the many symbols of Christmas. They are however very important and can have deep meanings. Most of their meanings are biblical because Christmas is ultimately celebrated because of Christ's birth. It is not just special because Santa Claus comes or because we receive presents. There is a much deeper reason!
The first documentation of the use of a Christmas tree was in northern Germany. Christmas trees were originally decorated with candles. Imagine how many fires would have happened around Christmas.
People say The Christmas Tree lights are a symbol for Christ. they say is because he was The "Light of the World".
The origins of the Advent wreath are found in the folk practices of the pre-Christian Germanic peoples who, during the cold December darkness of Eastern Europe, gathered wreaths of evergreen and lighted fires as signs of hope in a coming spring and renewed light.
Before the electric Christmas trees people would put candles on the tree. This was very unsafe! Edward H. Johnson put the very first string of electric Christmas tree lights together in 1882.
When I was younger I was given a book all about Christmas and the candy cane. I read this book every Christmas, over and over again. The candy cane is said to represent the the purity and love of God. Candy canes go back over 350 years. It's unbelievable how many things we come into contact with and never know anything about. I never would have guessed the candy cane stood for anything. I always thought it was just a peppermint treat.
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