Christmas Legends

The Candy Cane

　

The candy cane represents one of the oldest symbols of Christmas,

the shepherd's crook,

for the shepherds were among the first to experience that first Christmas.

The colors of the candy cane have special meaning, too.

The wide red stripe represents the sacrifice of Christ,

"For by his stripes we are healed."

The narrow red stripes represent our own sacrifices (giving).

The white stripe is a symbol of purity.

The peppermint plant is a member of the hyssop family,

referred to in the Old Testament

as a medicinal herb used for cleansing.

As you eat your candy cane,

you might want to break it,

as Christ's body was broken for you,

and share it with a friend,

thus

sharing in the sweetness of the true meaning of Christmas.

　

　

The Christmas Tree

　

The Christmas tree,

which is an evergreen with it's boughs stretched toward heaven,

reminds us of

the everlasting life that Christ came to bring sinners.

The candles or lights on the tree remind us

that Jesus is the light of the world.

This surely is what Martin Luther envisioned back in 1535

when he cut and decorated the first Christmas tree for his children.

Prince Albert carried the Christmas tree custom

from Germany to Windsor Castle in 1841.

Ten years later, a Cleveland minister was accused of sacrilege and idolatry

when he put up the first American tree.

But a young child saw it right.

"Mother", he whispered,

"the pastor's got a tree from heaven!"

　

　

　

Santa Claus

　

There are many stories of how the legend of Santa Claus began.

My favorite story says

that the modern Santa finds his origin in a young pastor named Nicholas.

His parents died when he was still a boy,

leaving him a fortune.

He loved the Lord

and cared deeply for those in need.

Not wanting to receive any glory himself,

he went secretly, during the night,

to the homes of poor families.

There he left gifts and money

because of his love for Christ.

　

　

　

Holly Leaf

　

The holly leaves and berries from the holly bush

are widely used in holiday decorations.

The sharp pointy edges of the holly leaf remind us

of the crown of thorns that Jesus wore upon his brow.

The red berries remind us of the blood that Jesus shed.

　

　

　

Mistletoe

　

The tradition of kissing underneath the mistletoe began

with a Scandinavian goddess called Frigga.

Frigga's son Balder was shot with an arrow made ofmistletoe.

While Frigga's friends conjured up powers to save the boy,

his mother cried tears that became the white berries on the mistletoe.

Frigga's friends succeeded in saving Balder's life.

Frigga ordered that the mistletoe should never again

be used to harm others.

Instead, she made it a symbol

of love by kissing everyone who passed under it.

　

　

　

Christmas Carols

Not all songs that we sing at Christmas time are carols.

Most songs sung in church or by church choirs are actually hymns.

Centuries ago,

a carol was a group dance accompanied by a joyful song.

Gradually it came to mean the song itself.

A carol became a happy melody

that anyone could sing.

Caroling still means singing songs of joy

but more than that

it means

singing the beautiful songs

about the most joyous news

that men have ever heard.

　

　

Last updated 2001.4.19

Trust in yhe Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your understanding :

in all your ways acknowledge him ,

and he will make your paths straight .

( Proverbs 3 : 5,6 )

你要專心仰賴耶和華，

不可倚靠自己的聰明，

在你一切所行的事上，

都要認定祂，

祂必指引你的路。

( 箴言 3 : 5.6 )

　

　

Better a little with the fear of the Lord

than great wealth with turmoil .

( Proverb 15 : 16 )

少有財寶，敬畏耶和華，

強如多有財寶，煩亂不安。

( 箴言 15 : 16 )

　

　

Not by might nor by power ,

but by my Spirit ,

says the Lord Almighty .

( Zechariah 4:6 )

萬軍之耶和華說，

不是倚靠勢力，

不是倚靠才能，

乃是倚靠我的靈，

方能成事。

( 撒迦利亞書 4 :6 )