Traditions of Christmas

By: Christine Berglund

TRADITION. Does the word bring to mind things such as old, stifling, stuffy, or outdated? Or does it give you a feeling of familiarity, history, memory, or connection? It probably depends on the context. Sometimes we think of something traditional in a negative light. Where’s the progress and change and movement forward? Why are they stuck in the past?

When it comes to the holidays; however, many traditions are beloved rituals of the church or family. Traditions can give us a sense of where we have come from and remind us of the meaning of people and things who have gone before us. The Christmas season brings many important traditions for our Holy Cross family.

The Giving Tree. Holy Cross members have been faithfully supporting a giving tree that provides help at the holidays for approximately 25 years. In the late ‘90s, we began by supporting a ministry of Prison Fellowship called Angel Tree. Church members bought Christmas gifts for children who had a parent in prison. For the past 20 years or so, we have been providing gifts for mentally challenged adults and for needy children in our neighborhood schools. Many families have their children pick a tag for a similarly aged child and go together to shop for the perfect gift. Holy Cross has a beautiful tradition of giving.

Caroling. In years past, members gathered in Hiller Hall to enjoy a warm bowl of chili and then boarded trailers for a hayride through the neighboring streets singing songs of Christmas and spreading joy. The details have changed, but the tradition lives on as members now gather at Winslow Court on an evening in December to bring blessings and joy to the residents there.

The Christmas Program. What is Christmas without a church pageant? Whether it was halos made of garland for the miniature angel choir or the boys dressed in robes to portray shepherds, Holy Cross kids have been telling the story of Jesus’ birth for the past 50 years. Again, the details have sometimes changed from the familiar Bethlehem and stable setting to a Falafel House to a story set in a modern mall department store or at Jingle Bell Beach in recent years. However it is set, the tradition of sharing the miraculous and saving story of Jesus’ birth binds us together and gives us hope.

The Decorations. Trees have come and gone here at Holy Cross. We used to have one giant tree that could only be decorated with tall ladders and careful balance. We had a singles home group that took on the task of decorating for several years. They’d have a potluck meal and then spend a few hours fluffing bows, stringing lights, and discreetly duct taping broken branches. Currently, we have four trees that the staff and other volunteers decorate one morning at the start of Advent.

Though the trees may be different now, some of the special decorations remain. One member shared the story behind the cross-stitched Chrismons that adorn two of the trees in the sanctuary. When Tom Mroch was the pastor here, his wife faithfully served the church behind the scenes with her seemingly boundless energy. When she and her husband arrived at Holy Cross, she was concerned about the somewhat motley collection of ornaments she found. She conducted research on traditional symbols of the church and learned about Chrismons.

Chrismons are Christmas decorations with Christian symbols on them to remind us that Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

The word Chrismon comes from the combination of Christ and monogram (meaning symbol). The decorations are traditionally white and gold because white is the liturgical color for Christmas and symbolizes Jesus’ purity and perfection while gold symbolizes His majesty and glory. The ornaments on our trees were a special project made by Holy Cross families. Mrs. Mroch made up cross stitch craft kits with instructions that each family took home to work on and then return. One of our members recalls the special bonding that happened as every family member took turns adding stitches (though they had never cross-stitched before!) and the pride of adding their ornament to the tree to be displayed for years to come. The project brought families and members of the church together then and knowing the story behind the ornaments that we still hang, can unite us with the people from that time and our history in general.

The most important tradition of Christmas, of course, is our celebration of the baby Jesus born in a manger, sent to save us from our sins. As we once again gather to sing “Silent Night” by candlelight on Christmas Eve, may you remember and be comforted by our shared faith, history, and hope.