The Colors of Christmas
It’s that time of year again! The sights and sounds of the season fill the air, from classic Yuletide carols to family Christmas sweaters decked out in festive patterns of bright colors.
Perhaps the greatest staples of this holiday’s color pallet are the reds and whites of Candy Cane Lane contrasted against the deep greens of the great fir tree. However, not only do these jolly hues set the tone for the annual celebrations and gatherings, but they also provide a symbolic memorial of the reason for the season. The Bible tells us that all of God’s creations point to Him (Acts 14:17; Romans 1:19-20), and this includes colors, which are used both in holy Scripture and classical traditions as representations of spiritual concepts. As we have observed three essential colors of Christmas, let us consider their tradition significance.
White: The Righteousness of God
White is explicitly used in the Bible to represent righteousness, or lack of sin, as Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” On any typical day (perhaps especially when gathering with people we see only once or twice a year!), it is not hard to observe a lack of perfect morality all around us and (if we’re honest) within ourselves. But the Bible says that because God loved us so much, although we broke His perfect law, He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sin and transform us into new creatures that would someday live in His righteousness (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 1:9; Revelation 21:3-4). The Bible says that we can never earn a home in heaven because heaven requires perfect righteousness, and even the good things we try to do are corrupted by our natural inclination to sin (Ecclesiastes 7:29; Isaiah 64:6-7). But the good news of Christmas is that God chose to give His only begotten Son, the greatest gift of all, to live as a man in perfect righteousness, to take the death penalty for our sins, and to rise from the dead, and that if we believe His testimony of Himself and ask Him to forgive us for our sins, He covers us with His righteousness (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10). It’s like we’re in a winter snowstorm wearing shorts and t-shirts, and Jesus comes and gives us His goodness as a coat to cover us and save us from the storm.
Red: The Blood of Atonement
Throughout the Bible, there is an emphasis on the holiness of life, and blood is said to be the embodiment of life (Genesis 1:26-27, 9:4; Leviticus 17:11-12,14). In the Old Testament, God commanded His people, Israel, to offer animal sacrifices to cover up their sins, but this shedding of blood wasn’t able to make them righteous (Hebrews 10:4). Instead, God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to serve as the sacrifice that could take away our sins and the separation from Him that they deserve (John 1:29). In the tabernacle, the very place where the animals were sacrificed, red (or scarlet) was one of the prominent colors that decorated the walls (Exodus 28:1), reminding the people of their need for a perfect sacrifice that could pay their debt to God. In Jesus Christ, that sacrifice has been made, and that debt has been paid, and now the red of Christmas serves to remind us of this greatest gift from God.
Green: New and Enduring Life
Evergreen trees have been used as Christmas trees for centuries because they do not lose their leaves in the winter, still appearing vibrant and full of life even when everything around them looks bleak and dead. This is exactly how God’s love for His children is. Even when all of life seems barren of any joy or encouragement, God’s love remains vibrant and abundantly full of life (John 10:10; Romans 8:38-39). The Bible says that without faith in Christ, Whose birth we celebrate at Christmas, we are dead in our sins against God, but through faith in Christ’s atoning death and resurrection, we are given new life (Ephesians 2:1-7). This last hue of the holiday season also looks forward to the future, when God will take away all sadness and death, and only the life from Him will remain (Revelation 21:4-5).
Merry and Bright
In closing, the colors of Christmas are a beautiful picture of the ultimate reason for the season. As the white snow transforms the neighborhood into a winter wonderland, let it serve as a memorial of the One Who came to make us pure and clean from our sins. As the ruby-rimmed ornaments hang from the festive garlands, let them serve as testimony to the One Who shed His holy blood hanging on the cross to pay the debt we owe and rose to give us His life. And lastly, as the cedars and mistletoe dance in their vibrant life, let them proclaim the abundant life God has promised to His children through His Son, Jesus Christ. May He bless you with a merry and bright Christmas this holiday season!