Symbols of Christmas
Like many children, when I was growing up, my favorite season was Christmas. Not for the presents or the candy (though they were important) but for the family interaction. Some of my fondest memories were of us, as a family, making decorations for the kids tree (we had 2 trees, a kids tree and a formal tree); or of my father making candy for anyone who might drop by; or of the service projects we embarked on as a family; or my very fondest, the rituals of Christmas Eve, when we would go caroling to the Clausens and the Blatters and other families, come home and act out Luke 2, have a family Jack Horner’s Pie, and then go to sleep with visions of sugar plums dancing through my little noggin.
I cherish those memories. Recently, however, I have gotten into a good natured disagreement with my youngest brother. As I understand it, the disagreement is this: He has a problem with the commercialization of this sacred event. Don’t get me wrong, I have the same problem (don’t even get me started on the priestcrafts known as Living Scriptures). But he has gone so far as to take a stand against many of the secular symbols of Christmas. That is not all, he has extended this stand to many of the secular symbols surrounding other holidays as well.
For many years, he has refused to have a Christmas tree. The Easter Bunny is banned. Don’t even think about decorating for Halloween (although that is a completely different phenomenon). My basic question is this: are secular symbols really that bad? Even if they have reinforced the commercialization of a sacred event, is a Christmas tree to be avoided?
I know that the Christmas tree was really a pagan symbol. I know that Christmas is celebrated to replace a pagan holiday. Many of our symbols do not represent the things they originally were created to represent. I have my own ideas, but part of the function of a blog is to stimulate discussion. What are these symbols really for? Perhaps more importantly, who is right…my brother or me?
Actually the Christmas tree wasn’t a pagan symbol. Rather it is based on a pagan tradition. The tradition being that during the winter solstice, they would hang slaves from trees.
Comment by Kim Siever — 12/7/2005 @ 2:27 pm
Christmas “symbols” can mean anything you want them to mean, regardless of how they came about. For example, in my family we use the Christmas tree as a symbol for all the “important trees” in the Gospel which are tied together in the atonement of Christ and which we celebrate by celebrating Christ’s birth this season.
Some other Christmas symbols *do* have an originally religious/Christian underpinning. For example, many of the symbols surrounding “Santa Claus” stem from events in the life of St. Nicholas, a true Christian in many ways.
For example:
*candy canes: St. Nick’s Crozier, which he carried as representative of his capacity as a Bishop- a shepherd of the flock of God).
*oranges/apples in Stockings on Christmas Morning: Dowries, according to legend, which were given to three impoverished young women by placing them in the young women’s stockings hung out to dry
*stockings: same as oranges in the stockings
*Santa coming at night: St. Nick tried to do his good works under cover of darkness to remain anonymous
I’m sure there are more. It is true that there are also lots of historically pagan symbols at Christmas- this is what happens when the Church merges its traditions with pagan ones to meet social expectations.
But even some of those pagan symbols can be transformed into wonderful symbols of Christ in our homes, or they can just be for fun, or they can be discarded entirely.
Comment by Jordan — 12/7/2005 @ 2:40 pm
It is important to be aware of the original meanings, but we shouldn’t let them completely overwhelm modern usage. For example, as the Christmas tree is an evergreen, and thus ALWAYS green, it stands for the everlasting life Christ gave his life for. The red his blood that he shed for us. There are meanings to many of the holiday symbols. Perhaps the meanings are imposed, perhaps they are lost (such as the folded arms in prayer of the pretzel). But if we teach our children what they mean, when they see these “pagan” symbols the meanings we imbue them with will be reinforced.
Children can’t be somber all the time, so we should allow some of the “fun” elements. But at the same time, we should really try and help our children learn why these things are there.
On another tack, isn’t family unity important? So whether we get the unity playing Monopoly, reading scriptures or chasing the easter bunny, some value comes of it!
Comment by jay s — 12/7/2005 @ 2:43 pm
Jordan, dang you, beat me too the punch.
Comment by jay s — 12/7/2005 @ 2:44 pm
Fun topic, and I think you are in the right Craig.
Think of it in utilitarian terms. What actual harm do these symbols bring? In my experience, they have only brought joy and warmth. Some suggest that they detract from the “true meaning” of the holidays, but I don’t buy it. If Christmas and Easter are the only two times all year that you even speak of Christ in your home, then yes, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny could be dangerous. But if Christ is in our homes every day of the year, there can be nothing but good come about by letting Santa and the Easter Bunny into our homes on one night out of the year.
Comment by Eric Russell — 12/7/2005 @ 3:33 pm
Fundamentally, I don’t think either of you is right or wrong. While it can be argued that the icons of modern Christmas have symbolism pointing to the Saviour, it can also be argued that there is value in stripping Christmas down to its real meaning.
Comment by Kim Siever — 12/7/2005 @ 4:10 pm
I guess I should chime in, being said “youngest brother.” And I must confess to buying a full blown Christmas tree this year.
You are right that in many ways the festivities of christmas are simply rituals. Unlike many in the church I have no aversion to rituals per se; in fact, I see ritual as very important in human religiousity.
…but, whether it be the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus, Easter Eggs or Raindeer, there is a substantive loss of the Holy in our observation of the religious holidays. Given the choice, is that a good thing? I tend to think that it is not.
Comment by J. Stapley — 12/7/2005 @ 4:30 pm
In my poor brother’s defence, he was retarded in development by spending his junior and senior high school ages in the midwest. There they have the little understood tradition of Easter trees and he had the unfortunate experience of attending a Fast and Testimony meeting on an Easter Sunday wherein no testimonies of Christ were borne.
Comment by Craig — 12/7/2005 @ 5:07 pm
JS:
There does not have to be a substantive loss of the Holy. In our home, Santa exists but as the spirit of giving, as exemplified by St. Nicholas and ultimately Christ himself. And that attitude pervades every Christmas celebration and every discussion about “Santa Claus,” who in our home points to Christ.
Comment by Jordan — 12/7/2005 @ 5:08 pm
My husband and I were having a similar discussion recently. Here’s my take on the matter:
We believe that the Gospel is eternal. It has always been with humanity, though we have a tendency to lose it or twist it. I believe that if we could dig back far enough, we could find the Gospel origination of many pagan traditions. So these symbols, like the Christmas tree, shouldn’t be thrown out just because they’re pagan. We should look for and celebrate the Gospel wherever we can find it.
Comment by harpingheather — 12/8/2005 @ 12:20 am
HarpingHeather – neat that you should say that, because I’ve always had that idea too – everything comes from the same truth that started out at the beginning. How often can you find amazing similarities to the Gospel in pagan beliefs, non-Christian religious beliefs, or whatever? Yes, even though a symbol or ritual may be pagan in our minds, it probably is just a distortion of an original truth. Maybe it sounds crazy, but it’s a great justification of indulging in Easter egg hunts and making gingerbread houses (which are both excellent family activities to engage in, btw).
Comment by meems — 12/8/2005 @ 1:33 am
And with apologies to JS, Craig wins.
Comment by meems — 12/8/2005 @ 1:38 am
Craig,
I share your fond memories feelings. Lots of good ones for me, and, like you, most don’t revolve around gifts.
Your brother is straining at gnats, as the NT would say. Very eccentric and unnecessary behavior; somebody must have hurt his feelings or something. In which case, I lament for him.
Comment by David J — 12/8/2005 @ 11:13 am
Here I go again. Latter-day Saints are accused of being pagan because of our use of the Sun, Moon, and stars, (5 pointed, 6 pointed, “inverted” etc) as well as all-seeing-eye. It bothers me that other Christians aren’t bothered by their use of the Christmas Tree, Holly, etc. Personally I think a Christmas Tree is a great symbol of eternity– With the lights being a great symbol of the “light of the world”. I make it a point to my children that Christmas is about Jesus not just Santa Claus and presents. I like the fact that some are advocating using the term Christmas again not just Holidays or Seasons greetings. (interesting world Holiday — “Holy Day”. Just can’t get away from it.)
Comment by J. Reudter — 12/8/2005 @ 7:21 pm
Christmas has never ceased to be a truly magical season for me, and I’ve never felt a need to parse it into “pagan” vs. “Christian” elements. The totality of it: the smell of pine, the sound of the music, the seeking for just the right gift(s) for each family member, the days when I helped the children see for just the right gifts, the lights, the general happiness that surrounds the season.
We always had Christmas music playing during the month of December (and as much earlier as the rest of the family would sit still for), we always had a great feast and scripture discussion on Christmas Eve, and we handled the gifts in a giving, not receiving way: only one gift opened at a time, so each or us could share the joy of the one opening his/her gift. As the children got older, we read the whole story: Joseph’s uncertainties, the Annunciation, the Magnificat, the Murder of the Innocents, and the discussions got pretty interesting.
This year, when each of my children, now grown and with children of their own, opens their gift from me, I hope they’ll remember the repeated scripture reading and spirited discussions. I’m giving each of them a copy of Raymond Brown’s “The Birth of the Messiah.” Such a great analysis of each verse of the Christmas scriptures. I’ll be interested to see how they react.
So my recommendation to the brothers is to sit back and relax, and above all enjoy the season in a holistic way. And don’t forget to sing.
Comment by Hugh — 12/8/2005 @ 8:41 pm
Hugh, I was very moved by your comment. I hope to one day access my grown children as you do now. Thank you.
Comment by J. Stapley — 12/8/2005 @ 9:14 pm
J,
I want to chime in with those who have advocated a look at the scriptures on trees. For some time, the Christmas tree has been, for me, the tree of life. I read Alma 32 to mean that each of us has to grow our own tree of life (or allow it to grow) by nurturing our faith in Christ, and having the tree in our home at this time of year emphasizes for me the vital importance of working together as a family to achieve that goal which we can only reach together. At this season we celebrate the coming into the world of the savior, the pure expression of the love of God. It only seems right to me to center that celebration in the same imagery the scriptures give it.
Santa, on the other hand—don’t get me started. I’m not really so down on the idea of a jolly elf. In fact, I’m really quite partial to elves of all sorts, jolly, friendly, martial, etc. The problem for me is that Santa has become the center of the discourse of faith surrounding Christmas. Children are told that it is essential to believe. There are countless movies and books about the doubters who are finally convinced that there really is a Santa. I’m not sure I even have a problem with my kids believing in Santa, but I’m not going to push him, or lie to my children—yes, I know it’s a harsh word, but I can’t think of another—to get them to believe in a Jolly elf—to put faith in a Jolly elf, and that’s what the Santa thing has become (from miracle on 34th St. to The Santa Clause, and the more recent Polar Express). I just can’t bring myself to advocate a vain faith at a time that could be better spent advocating faith in Christ.
Comment by Steve H — 12/9/2005 @ 1:20 am
I mainly put up with all the symbols of Christmas for the sake of my kids. They love it. I try to ask them frequently why we are doing all of this. I think the fact that we make a fairly big deal about Christmas is important, as long as we keep the purpose in mind. The observance of religious events by feasts and celebration has a long history.
On a side note, Steves post reminded me that I had come to the conclusion that there was no Santa Clause while I was in kinderrgarten. So in December for show and tell I got up and told the entire kindergaten class that there was no Santa Clause. As the years went by I completely forgot about that until at my 20 year high school reunion when a friend of mine that was in the same class reminded me of it and how devistating the news was to him. Perhaps I ruined it for the whole class. But in my mind it was important that all the kids new of this hoax we were being lead to believe. What a creep I was!
Comment by Eric — 12/9/2005 @ 12:22 pm
It seems to me that the consensus is that it doesn’t matter the source of the symbol–pagan, commercial, whatever–different bloggers have associated different meanings to certain symbols and they have made those symbols important in their lives (for Steve H. is it the tree, for Jordan it is Santa that points to Christ).
If I can go all post-modern/constructivist on us all, we create the identities and realities of own symbols. When discussing this on the phone with my brother, he did admit that this year they were getting a tree. When I asked what his kids were going to think, he said that they had seen them on TV. By not having the symbols in his home he was not removing them from Christmas. It seems that if we want to have the symbols mean something important to us, we must construct that identity/reality for our families.
Comment by Craig — 12/9/2005 @ 12:45 pm
Hey J,
It has become a tradition in our family on New Year’s eve to take the old, dry Christmas tree out back, load it with left-over fireworks from the 4th and set it ablaze. (If you haven’t ever seen a dry tree go up…it’s beautiful, man *sniff*)
Besides satisfying base pyromaniacal urges, it may make you feel better about having a tree if you think of it’s destruction as symbolically casting off a previously vibrant symbol of Christmas that has become dry and corrupted by commercialization and neglect. One cautionary note: if you want to prevent your neighbors from thinking you are a pagan, keep the clothes on while observing and refrain from dancing around it. Oh, and make sure your city ordinances don’t prohibit yard fires.
Comment by Chris S — 12/9/2005 @ 1:15 pm
hmmmm…20 foot high flames…good times.
Comment by J. Stapley — 12/9/2005 @ 1:22 pm
Much of this comes down to the basic question of how symbols work. Is it the symbol itself that contains power, or is it the meaning we bring to it? Or is it some combo, are some symbols eternal while others are transient? Are some symbols god-ordained and others made by men, and still others by satan? And how would one ever tell the difference?
I tend to lean toward the idea that symbols are simply tools and the only power they contain is the power we give them. Potentially powerful tools, yes, but without any magical or spiritual power in the absence of our reactions.
The swastika was once a symbol of good luck, now it’s a symbol of great evil. Walking the bride down the isle was once a symbol of the passing of property from one man to another, now it’s tradition for showing off pretty dresses and adding pomp to the ceremonies. I don’t think it makes any sense or does any good to cling to the old meanings of these symbols. No one remembers the old meanings and those meanings have lost their power.
To my mind, all the symbols of Christmas are just ways to add ceremony and fun and pomp to a very important time of year. Whatever these symbols might once have meant (and there’s certainly no consensus on that) These are the symbols that make Christmas feel exiciting and special and important. To us. Now.
These are the trappings that makes the observation of Christ’s birth everyone’s favorite time of year. And I think that is a very good thing.
I love to watch my children enchanted by the Christmas tree and thrilled by meeting Santa. It’s all so magical to them, the world twinkles, everything is exciting, it makes all those little figurines of baby Jesus in his manger even more powerful, because it’s all tied to something fun and special.
I think stripping away all the pagan trappings, instead of bringing things back to their basic or true meaning, simply strips away the special, strips away the fun. Brings us all back to the boring and banal.
Comment by fMhLisa — 12/9/2005 @ 2:43 pm
Sure, the date of Christmas was chosen to stamp out Saturnailia, but, if it is going to be an observance of Christ’s birth, then that is what it needs to be. You can use whatever symblos are appropriate for your mindset and psychology to the building of that cozy, peaceful, Christmas spirit (which lends a lift to the darkest part of the year). In our house, we do a tree, but no stockings. Presents are kept simple, and the children often told that we give presents as Christ gave his life. I take each aspect, each symbol, as it comes and ask myself what it would teach my children about the nature of the reason we celebrate on that day. If it lends itself to nothing more than upping the bottom lines at the shopping center in the end, then it has no place in our family’s holiday.
My in-laws think I’m a bit of spoil sport, as they’d like to use the kids as an excuse to glut us all on “Xmas joy,” but that’s just not the focus of the day for us.
Wreaths, holly, pine boughs, twinkling lights and the like lend a sweetness to the season–one much needed in the winter dark this far north (WA).
The dirty-dancing animatronic Santa Claus, well, uh, no…We’ll just leave it at that. Santa Claus in general, actually, isn’t part of our holiday–mostly because he represents a focus on the present-mania most people indulge in (but also because I have a peeve about the level of dishonesty considered acceptable in child-rearing these days…)
I think it’s something that each family has to decide for themselves, as to what speaks to their hearts as an echo of the season.
In a sense, yes, some of the commercial “Xmas” symbols I do believe detract–some greatly–form the reverance and sweetness that this season should hold. They’re a diversion, masked as fun. (I do believe that the adversary is a devious intelligence, and that he uses subtle means, easily disguised as pseudo-good to accomplish his purposes–not to sound too wacky…)
Comment by Naiah Earhart — 12/14/2005 @ 5:47 pm
I think it is great that you and your brother are that devout to want to keep the true meaning of christmas in its purest form. I think that it is noble, I have had a similar fight within myself as to what symbols are correct and what to use and associate myself with.
I have a couple of problems with being that devout. One, who are you being an example to? The ones you should be being an example to will think that you are off your rocker because you are too devout. Think of Christ, he didnt get caught up in that way of thinking.
Two, I think even the most unreligious person will agree that Christmas and all of the holidays for that matter have been commercialised. I think christmas is another parable that was Given by Christ. The presents are great teaching tools to show, Beginning, with God the Father, gave the gift of his Son. The Son Gave his Life as an Example and the gift to of the Atonement. When we think to give a gift Make it a good gift. For that is what we must remember. That is what we must share.
Focus on the Good of that has been brought about during these times, it is likly that you will influence more people for good, than to be a stanch ol bugger that wont participate in festivites because he is going off on a tangent.
PS Dont lose your way because you are trying to make a statement, CHRIST already made the statement. Dont try to blow his trump, Just do everything you can to lead others to him.
Comment by T — 12/19/2006 @ 12:22 pm
why are those symbols so important? The real meaning has to be importat, hasn´t it?… people always want to get what they like… if somebody says something different they object him/ her…. please…. i think that everything is unwhorthy here… I don´t believe in Christmas but I believe in God and not for that reasong God does not love me… The best here is not if you celebrate and how celebrate Christmas… the important here is to follow what God and His Son, Jesus say, don´t be fool… Start to learn about what Jesus wants and not if something means something or not. thanks
Comment by Elaine — 12/6/2009 @ 6:33 pm