Today's Christmas memory is about Christmas gifts. However I feel like I covered the types of gifts I buy in my post about Christmas shopping which you can find here. I would rather talk about the colors of Christmas, what they mean and how I choose my wrapping for Christmas.
The Colors of Christmas and Their Symbolism
The colors of Christmas are green, red, white, blue, silver and gold. As I wrap my gifts in these colors, I am reminded of the spiritual gifts God has given to us, we know them as Faith, Hope and Love.
The color of green is a symbol of nature, the promise of new life, hope and renewal. We find green in our Christmas trees. We also find green in the holly and mistletoe of the season.
The color of red is a symbol of love, fire as well as the birth and death of Christ. We find red in the beautiful poinsettia's of the season in our homes and in church. Did you know that in Mexico, the poinsettia is a symbol of the star that led the Wisemen/Magi to Bethlehem?
The color of white is a symbol of purity, innocence, faith and virtue. We find white in the snow and ice of the winter. It is simple, clean and pure. Because of the brightness of the metallic in the color of silver it is considered to be a substitute for white.
The color blue is a symbol of heavenly grace and hope. I have always associated blue with
Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mother. Blue is also associated with royalty.
The color of gold is a symbol of joy, celebration and that which is precious and valuable. Gold is also one of the gifts presented by the Magi/Wisemen.
Choosing Wrapping Paper
For me wrapping Christmas gifts is one of the highlights of the Christmas season and it really puts me in the Christmas spirit. I like to purchase really pretty paper, gift tags, ribbons, bows (I really prefer ribbon) and tissue paper and I prefer that they be in the colors of Christmas. I also like to choose wrapping paper with designs but for me it has to have something of Christmas related on it like holly leaves, poinsettias, Santa Claus, candy canes, Christmas trees and ornaments. I use bows and ribbons, especially curling ribbon! I like to use candy canes on the outside of my gifts too. Oh and I am the scotch tape "Queen"!
When I choose wrapping paper and ribbons I think of the spiritual gifts that God has given us, faith, hope and love. When I see green I am reminded of life, hope, and renewal. When I see red I think of I am reminded of love but also of the birth and death of Jesus Christ. When I see white and/or silver I think of snow and purity. When I see blue I am reminded of heavenly grace and royalty. When I see gold I am reminded of joy!
Now imagine you are wrapping your Christmas gifts. First you must choose your paper. You carefully wrap your gifts and if you are like me, it has to be perfect. Next, you choose the color of ribbon you wish to use. I sometimes choose to combine two or three colors when using ribbon. What do you see when you look at the gifts you have carefully wrapped?
What Do You See?
When I look at the presents under the tree I see many things. Under my tree I have chosen to wrap my gifts in symbols of life, love, faith, hope and joy. The greatest of these is love.
Editor's Note: Portions of this post have been used from a post in last year's ACCM. You will find it here.
Sources:
"The Colors of Christmas", Why Christmas.com (http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/colors-of-christmas.shtml : 16 December 2015).
"The Meaning of the Christmas Colors", Reindeerland.org (http://www.reindeerland.org/christmas-customs/christmas-colors.htm : 15 December 2015).
"The Importance of Christmas Colors" Colorcombos.com (http://www.colorcombos.com/the-importance-of-christmas-colors-article.html : 15 December 2015).
"Pointsettias", Celebratingholidays.com (http://www.celebratingholidays.com/?page_id=1579 : 15 December 2015).
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