Christmas means "Christ's Mass." To this day, the anniversary of our Lord's birth is named after the Catholic Masses offered during it despite the fact that no one really knows for certain when He was incarnated as man.
Christmas symbols these days are also apt to lose their religious significance. For example, Christmas trees are either treated as secular adornments for office buildings or equated with the pagan yule customs of pre-Christian Germany. Both assessments are incorrect. The Christmas tree has a medieval Christian origin, being a combination of two phenomena: a pyramid of candles representing Christ's ancestors called a Weinachtspyramide in German and the Paradise tree.
In western Germany, many smaller candles were set upon a wooden pyramid and lit. Beside the candles, other objects such as glass balls, tinsels, and the "star of Bethlehem" were placed on its top.
In the eastern churches, December 24th is the Feast of Adam and Eve. During this celebration, religious plays called mystery plays" became popular. In the Middle Ages, mystery plays staged on December 24th included a Paradise tree, a tree representing both the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil as well as the Tree of Life. The Paradise tree was decorated with apples to represent the forbidden fruit and sweets represent the Tree of Life. However, because of the abuses that crept into these mystery plays (such as immoral behavior), the Catholic Church forbade these plays during the 15th century. Nevertheless, the people had grown so accustomed to the Paradise tree that they began putting up their own paradise trees in their homes. The apples were later substituted for other round objects (such as shiny red balls) while a Star of Bethlehem and lights from theWeinachtspyramide were added, but the symbolism remained the same. Thus, our modern Christmas tree is actually the medieval Paradise tree, a reminder of the reason why God became man in the first place and a foretaste of the sweet Tree from which our Lord's birth would once again enable us to taste.
Another secular custom that bears to be mentioned is the Christmas lights. The custom of putting lights in the windows was begun by Catholics in Ireland in 1171 when Great Britian invaded Ireland. Persecution against the Irish Catholics existed and later increased during Elizabeth I and under Oliver Cromwell. During those times of persecution, the Mass was outlawed by the British and had to be held in secret. Faithful Irish believers, however, would place a candle in the window on Christmas Eve as a sign to any priest who happened by that this home was a safe haven in which Mass could be offered. When interrogated by the British about the meaning of this practice, the Irish replied that the lights were an invitation for Joseph and Mary to stay the night. Unthreatened by this supposed superstition, the British left them alone.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND PEACE AND GOOD WILL TO EVERYONE!