Christmas Traditions:
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The 12 Days of Christmas: "On the first day of Christmas
my true love gave to me...."
The "true love" represents God and the
"me" who receives these
presents is the Christian.
The "partridge in a pear tree"
was Jesus Christ who died on a
tree as a gift from God.
The "2 turtle doves"
were the Old and New Testaments
- another gift from God.
The "3 French hens"
were faith, hope and love - the
three gifts of the Spirit that abide
(I Corinthians 13).
The "4 calling birds"
were the four Gospels which sing the
song of salvation through Jesus Christ.
The "5 golden rings"
were the first five books of the Bible
also called the "Books of Moses."
The "6 geese a-laying"
were the six days of creation.
The "7 swans a swimming"
were "seven gifts of the Holy Spirit."
(I Corinthians 12:8-11; Romans 12;
Ephesians 4; I Peter 4:10-11)
The "8 maids a milking"
were the eight beatitudes.
(Matthew 5:1-16)
The "9 ladies dancing"
were nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit.
(Galatians 5:22-23)
The "10 lords a-leaping"
were the Ten Commandments.
The "11 pipers piping"
were the eleven 'faithful' disciples.
The "12 drummers drumming"
were the twelve points of the
Apostles' Creed.
So the next time you hear
"The 12 Days of Christmas"
consider how this otherwise
non religious sounding song had
its origins in the Christian faith.
Christmas Tinsel:
Decorating
the Christmas tree with
shimmering tinsel is an age-old
tradition.
According to
legend,
a poor old woman was unable to
provide decorations for her children's
Christmas tree. During the night,
spiders lodged in the tree
and covered it with their webs.
The Christ Child, seeing this,
realized that the woman would
be sad to see her surprise spoiled.
He turned the spider webs
into silver, and the next
morning the poor family was
dazzled by the brilliant "tinsel"
that shone on the tree.
Today
a touch of tinsel creates a magical
quality all its own. Like
shimmering jewels these silver
strands brighten our
hearts during the holiday season.
Holly:
Holly is said to symbolize Jesus'
crown of thorns;
its sharp, pointed leaves
representing His wounds; and its
red berries, His blood.
Colors of
Christmas: Red - Jesus' blood shed for
our sin on the cross.
Green - Eternal life in Christ.
White - The purity of Christ.
Gold - Christ the Divine.
Silver - Redemption in Christ.
Candles represent that Jesus
is the Light of the world.
Candles At Christmas:
to burn within your heart,
And cheer you with it's gentle glow
whenever we're apart.
That you may be given strength and calm
and courage for each new day,
A peace that the world can never give
and cannot take away.
I would light a Christmas candle of love
to burn so clear and strong,
To shine with an unfailing glow
and bring to your heart a song
For the Prince of Peace came down to earth
from His radiant heaven above
On that first Christmas long ago,
to bring us His Father's love!
by Grace Bush
.............
