We're able to recognize Christmas decor primarily because of their colors; red, green, and white. You can tine and hue them all you want, but it still boils down to these three as the banner of Christmas.
My query this holiday season, is why? How were these three colors singled out to commemorate the largest international celebration? Fear not, for I did research and found some interesting answers!
Doing this chronologically, the color green was always prominent in the homes of the Romans, the Egyptians, etc. during the winter months. They served as reminders that spring and planting season would come again. This was represented through holly, ivy, mistletoe, or palm branches, depending on the area.
The color red was often a part of Christmas in a similar fashion. Red apples were used as some of the earliest decorations on Christmas trees. In Europe's middle ages, Christmas plays representing Bible stories were thrown for people who couldn't read. The apples on the tree symbolized Adam and Eve's fall into sin. Another symbol of the color red are holly berries representing the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.
Nothing reminds you that it's Christmas like the first snowfall! Most Western cultures attach the color white to the holiday theme of purity and 'peace on earth'. Along with the red apples, white wafers were an early decoration, symbolizing the bread taken at Communion, remembering Jesus' sacrifice for his children.
Lastly, there's the color of gold. If you know the Christmas story, gold was one of the three gifts that the wise men delivered to baby Jesus. People also reference this color when talking about the star that led the wise men to Jesus in Bethlehem. It is a warm color and , much like green, gives people hope for the seasons following winter.
I found myself surprised in my research as much of the Christmas symbolism pulled closer to the events of Easter, rather then... well, Christmas. Jesus' birth was a beginning, like all babies' births. But his... his was the most important beginning of all. The life that changed everything for the fate of mankind. I could type forever and not have enough words to convey the power of that!
So, there are the colors of Christmas, with their vague origins attached to ponder and think over as you fluff the bare spots out of your tree, replenish the batteries in your spotlights, and hang that mistletoe in just the right spot!
Enjoy the colors (and the message) of Christmas this year!
Fascinating and refreshing!
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