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We all love Christmas symbols used as decorations however most people have no idea where they originally came from. It certainly adds to a deeper enjoyment of Christmas when meaning is added. Imagine the delightful Christmas conversations sharing your new insights. So read on and enjoy a deeper understanding of three popular symbols and their meaning!

Christmas Bells – Bells were traditionally rung to celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas morning. In olden times bells were assumed to chase away evil spirits. They believed that noise of any kind would repel evil. Bells represent the death of the devil (ignorance) and the birth of goodness (enlightenment). In modern times Father Christmas uses jingling bells accompanying his sleigh progress to announce the birth of goodness and new beginnings and ultimately to remind us to seek enlightenment that is, to develop the good within us all!

Candy Cane - A 17th century craftsman created white sticks of candy in the shape of shepherd’s crooks at the suggestion of a Choirmaster in Germany. The treats were passed out to children to keep them quiet during ceremonies at the nativity scene. It didn’t take long for the word to spread and a new custom to be created. In the 1950′s a USA Catholic Priest, Gregory Keller, invented a machine to make the candy and thus growing its popularity even more throughout the world. They were made white with red stripes. Red symbolizing new life and white for Christ’s purity. Later green was added as a symbol of everlasting life and the three strips represented the Holy Trinity (the three Gods ie. the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit).

Christmas Stockings - This is the most famous stocking legend. It rekindles the virtues of giving without expectation for which St Nicholas was legendary! The story says a kindly nobleman’s wife had died, and overcome by grief the nobleman became self destructive, so much so that he foolishly squandered his entire fortune leaving his 3 young daughters doweryless and facing a life of hardship and spinsterhood. The generous St Nicholas heard of the plight of the young girls and decided to help them yet remain anonymous. In the dark of the night he rode his white horse by the house and threw three small pouches of gold coins down the chimney where they were fortuitously captured by the stockings the young women had hung by the fireplace to dry. Word spread fast and the hanging of stockings on Christmas night became hugely popular in the hope of a surprise!

As you can see symbols have a beautiful history and fun legends attached to them. Introduce the meanings into your conversations with family and friends this festive season and explore the delights of the meanings of symbols.

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