Last weekend we put up our Christmas tree for the first time in about five years.
With Christmas busyness or moving house, we just hadn?t got around to it; it all just seemed a bit hard.
Our tree this year has brought us a lot of joy in these last few days already,
despite the fact that Kathryn wrecked our TV aerial in the decorating process! Our beautiful tree is tall and green, with a gold theme, and white Christmas lights making it, we think, worthy of recognising a royal birth! It?s a wonderful, sparkling reminder of the fact that the Christmas season is well and truly here, ready or not!
History tells us that the Christmas tree is a relatively recent tradition in the
Western world. It?s a tradition that began in Germany, possibly with Martin
Luther, with its popularity spreading rapidly once Queen Victoria and Prince Albert adopted the tradition in the 1840s. For many it contains rich Christian symbolism. The green of the tree points to the eternal life we have in Christ while the triangular, pointed shape suggests the Holy Trinity, and directs us to heaven, where all good gifts come from. The Christmas lights point to the Light that has come into the world, Jesus Himself, while the star at the top reminds us of the star that marked the place where Jesus was in Bethlehem for the wise men from the East. The wood of the tree itself echoes the instrument of Christ?s crucifixion, which has won our salvation.
At the time of writing our tree has no presents under it. We are about to
commence our Christmas shopping! Eek!
Our wish for you this Christmas, our dear friends, is that you would not only recognise the royal birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, but that you worship Him in thanks for the grace and hope that He offers each one of us.
Have a fabulous Christmas!
Kathryn & Jonathan