Why We Use Red and Green at Christmas
They were living in Germany in about 1572 and they had just come in from getting apples. They had just brought home apples from the market and were now getting thin cookies, cutting out paper roses and apples to put on their Christmas tree.
Maria, the younger of the two sisters, asked, “Why do we use green and red at Christmastime?”
Clara, the oldest said, “Well, we use green because we use evergreens like our tree. Evergreens represent everlasting life. Christ died for us and he still lives — maybe not on earth but in heaven. That is what everlasting life is.”
While the girls decorated the rest of the tree, Clara continued telling Maria other legends and stories of the green and red colors at Christmas.
“Even before Christ, there were men and women called druids that worshipped the earth. They used evergreens in the winter to show that the woodland and fairies live with them during winter.
The Romans kept branches during winter through the beginning of January and then they would exchange branches with their friends. They would trade them to show a sign of good luck.
The Egyptians treasured and worshipped evergreens. When the winter solstice arrived they would bring palm trees into their homes to show triumph over death, even though it doesn’t last all through winter.
There are even several legends of the Christmas tree. Like Martin Luther, in the year 1535. I will tell you about him. He was the one that first put lights on the Christmas tree. He was walking home one evening after he had been giving a sermon and he saw the stars above the evergreens and he was very amazed. He wanted to be able to show his family and recapture the scene so he brought candles and a tree into