Christmas time is here

I love Christmas! I also really love understanding why. Why we say certain things like "knee high to a grasshopper" and "rule of thumb" lol. That said, I was thinking about all of the Christmas traditions and the "why"s behind them. I thought I would share a few. Probably you all already know this so feel free to stop reading at any time (as if under other circumstances you'd be obligated to read lol).

one think I don't know is the whole Silver bells thing. First of all, I don't think I've ever heard a silver bell. Brass maybe rung by a salvation army Santa Clause, but never silver. Anyways, the whole street lights blinking red and green thing is what started this whole line of thought. So, red and green are Christmas colors because of Christ. Red is the blood of Christ. We usually think of sweet baby Jesus in a little manger around this time of year and forget that even from the beginning before he was born or conceived, he was destined to be a sacrificial lamb... what a sad thing! I always wonder how much of this Mary understood. Green symbolizes life. The life given to us by the blood. They go hand in hand. That's also the point of the whole evergreen tree. It's always green and alive. It's a picture of eternal life through Christ.

Then there are the lights. There are two reasons for this. One very practical tradition is snow storms. Back in the day settlers would put candles in the windows as beacons of direction for anyone caught in a storm. Then there's the spiritual reason.
John 4:4-5 says, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." speaking of Jesus. And again later in verses 9-11, "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not."

Next is the whole candy cane thing which I'm sure we've all heard often enough to make us sick. Red= blood, White= purity, cane like the shepherds.. yadda yadda yadda.

Now a question, why the bulbs on a Christmas tree? And ornaments? I know people used to hang candy and gifts on trees and that was Christmas morning's surprises... so that explains the ornaments, but why the bulbs?

Anyhoo. Merry Christmas everyone!! And if you think about it, ask a "why" for me this new year :)