United Methodist Church of Livonia, NY

Chrismons and Chrismon Patterns - Part 1

Chrismons Part 1

The Meaning of Chrismons in Christmas Decorations

Why do we  decorate at Christmas with the Star of David, a five point star, a crown, candle, ship or other symbols?  Chrismon patterns all point to Jesus.  They remind us of the true meaning of Christmas, the real reason that Jesus came to earth, and hope it means for every person.

"Chrismon means 'monogram of Christ' and represents Jesus Christ - his life, ministry, nature and teaching."   Chrismons are Christmas decorations with Christian symbols on them.  If you were at church on the first day of Advent, November 28, or watched live stream, the ornaments placed on the Christmas tree were Chrismons.

This series of four blogs will illustrate 36 Chrismons and their meaning.  

Crosses and the Christian Faith

There are a number of cross styles from the traditional that we commonly think of to the cross in combination with other elements, such as steps, or an added circle that might represent eternity or the earth.  Even Greek letters, such as Upsilon "Y", and IHS have great significance to the Christian faith.  "Y" signifies  the robbers on the crosses next to Jesus.  IHS are the first three letters of Jesus' name in Greek.  Some styles of the cross were more common during various times in history or to different cultures.  

Understanding the meanings attached to the different styles of the cross is not only interesting, but because the styles are so visual, the symbolism can continually remind us of our faith in Jesus, our hope in the salvation provided by Christ's death on the cross, and the triumph we have because Jesus has done it all for us.

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