Advent and Christmas Signs and Symbols

Each year we look forward to our Advent and Christmas traditions like lighting an Advent wreath, decorating a Christmas tree, and placing a crèche. We do this because these traditions are all outward expressions of our faith, signs and symbols of what we believe.

The symbols of Advent and the Christmas season are the creations of believing Christians who have prepared for and celebrated the birth of Christ over the ages. These symbols provide a tangible way for us to embrace and celebrate the reality of encounter that the season represents.

For example, the traditional Christmas tree had its roots in the medieval religious Paradise play in which a fir tree decorated with apples was used to symbolize the tree of the knowledge of good and evil mentioned in Genesis 2:9. The play told the story of creation, of the sin of Adam and Eve, and of their expulsion from Paradise.