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Santa told me…"Teach the children!
Teach them the old meaning of Christmas, the meaning that now-a-days Christmas has forgotten, and do not put me in the center, for I am but a humble servant of the One who is, and I bow down to worship HIM, our LORD. "
He then reached into his bag and took out…
· A FIR TREE and placed it on the mantle. "Teach the children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind, all the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward heaven."
· A STAR “Teach the children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of His promise."
· A CANDLE ”Teach the children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light, we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness."
· A WREATH and placed it on the tree. "Teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the real nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection."
· An Ornament of himself ”Teach the children that I, Santa Clause symbolize the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December."
· A HOLLY LEAF. "Teach the children that the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly represents the blood shed by Him."
· A GIFT "Teach the children that God so loved the world that HE gave HIS begotten SON...Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift. "Teach the children that the wise men bowed before the Holy BABE and presented HIM with gold, frankincense and myrrh. We should always give gifts in the same spirit of the wise men."
· A CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree. "Teach the children that the candy cane
represents the shepherds' crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring back strayed sheep to the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper."
· A BELL "Teach the children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring mankind to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return."
· An ANGEL "Teach the children that it was the angels that heralded in the glorious
news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang 'Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will toward men."
Sharing because its Religious and a good song and educational
THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly.
Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church.
Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality, which the children could remember.
« The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
« Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
« Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
« The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
« The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
« The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
« Seven swans a-swimming represented the seven fold gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophesy Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
« The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
« Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
« The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.
« The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
« The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol
Perhaps the most beloved Christmas traditions is the custom of the Christmas tree. Christmas trees have been a part of celebrations worldwide for thousands of years. Ancient Romans view the trees as a sign of life in the midst of winter. In Great Britain in Victorian times, trees were decorated with candles to represent Stars. In Germany, the first Christmas trees were decorated with edible things, such as gingerbread and gold covered apples the first person to bring a Christmas tree into a house, in the way we know it today, may have been the 16th century German preacher Martin Luther. A story is told that, one night before Christmas, he was walking through the forest and looked up to see the stars shining through the tree branches. It was so beautiful! He went home and told his children that it reminded him of Jesus, who left the stars of Heaven to come to Earth at Christmas. One thing for certain, whether big or small, white or tall, Christmas trees bring the magic of Christmas into our hearts and into our homes.
Card #2 for December...I wish I could remember which vendor I purchased the vertical "Merry Christmas" stamp from, but that was probably 12 years ago, and I forgot to mark it. Oh well.
Having fun on the days I don't have time to do a lot with stamping and fussing, and getting to use up more of the pile of DP!!! YAY!
My first card to post in the 2019 Christmas Challenge, and I guess it goes here. I thought at first because my kitty is in the snow and wearing a stocking cap and fur it might qualify for March, but she's not all that bundled up so I'll just put her here. Details on the blog here. Thanks for looking xoxo
December 2019 Christmas Card Challenge
Just sharing because it's Santa and Religious
