day 337: the colors of christmas
One of the essays we have in one of our upcoming creative writing books is one about the “colors of Christ.” In it, students can write for children (i.e. think the wordless salvation book or color salvation bracelet concept), or they can write a general essay, spending one paragraph per color representing salvation. I have always liked the concept of explaining salvation through color—especially with children and the “wordless salvation book," so I was especially thrilled with how this essay project has come about.
Along that same line, Lisa Welchel, in her book “The ADVENTure of Christmas,” describes the colors of Christmas—and incorporating the colors of Christmas in your advent celebration with your children. The information below was gleaned from that book. (I recommended this book last week when we first pulled it out for our yearly Christmas read-aloud—see link there for more information.)
Some of the colors that are generally ascribed special meanings for Christmas include, but are not limited to the following:
Green—suggests “life” and is reflected in the ever green tree
Red—reminds us of the blood of Jesus shed for us and is reflected in berries and other “red” décor
White—represents the purity of the spotless Lamb and is reflected in snow of the season
Gold—denotes the royalty of Christ (or the wise men’s gifts) and is reflected in ornaments, tinsel, and more
Silver—reminds us that Christ’s sacrifice was paid for in full and is reflected in icicles, stars, and more
Yellow—reminds us that Christ came to bring light and is reflected in candle flames, stars, and more
Of course, there are more colors that can be included in an explanation of the “colorful” Christmas traditions and the birth of Christ—the wise men’s “purple” clothing and the fact that purple represents kingship; blackness of the December night—and the fact that we are in darkness before the star shone to lead us to Christ, and much more.
Tomorrow—colored popcorn recipe to add an object lesson to your colorful Christmas teaching!
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