glory to God

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased. Luke 2:13-14 NASB

Hubs and I finally got our decorations from the attic last night. He wrapped the tree with twinkling colorful lights. We are of the few who still prefer the multi-colored sparkles. While I was filling the tree with colorful and bright ornaments, I mused over what I had read about the history of our tree.

Why a Christmas tree? In the 7th century, the triangular shape of the fir tree was described as an illustration of the Holy Trinity of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Martin Luther is said to have decorated a small Christmas tree with candles, to show his children how the stars twinkled through that dark night. The early trees were biblically symbolic of the Paradise tree in the Garden of Eden. The adornments of food items were symbols of plenty, the paper flowers of red, for knowledge, and the paper flowers of white, for innocence.

And, we come to today. The Christmas tree has gradually changed over time. This year, I chose to stay simple with decorations, only choosing the sentimental and favorite ones. The tree is pretty, the wreath is hung, and a few decorations are placed around the house. I am satisfied. Happy birthday Jesus, I’m so glad its Christmas. All the tinsel and lights, and the presents are nice, but the real gift is You.