Chrismon Trees

Chrismon Trees

I think it’s appropriate that most of the helpful information I found on Chrismon Trees was on the online Southern Living Magazine. It wasn’t until our first Christmas in Tennessee I’d ever heard of Chrismons. Apparently, it’s not a well-known word, because every time I type it into this article, auto-correct tries to change it to Christmas.

Maybe you grew up with a Chrismon Tree in your church, so whatever information I share today will be old news to you. But for the rest of you, this might be interesting.

The word “Chrismon” is a combination of the words “Christ” and “Monogram” which translates into “symbols of Christ.” In the past, when Christians were not free to worship in public, or even speak about their faith, these symbols were a way for the followers of Christ to recognize those of their faith in a more covert way.

For example, the symbol of a fish might’ve been used to point toward a place of worship for those who wanted to do so. It was also a mark to let other Christians know they were among friends.

The first time these symbols were used as a tree ornament was in 1957. Mrs. Harry W. Spencer of the Lutheran Church of the Ascension in Danville, Virginia started this trend. She thought to use the Chrismon symbols in place of the colorful balls and other non-religious ornaments on her church’s Christmas Tree.

I can relate. Although I love decorating my Christmas tree every year, most of our ornaments are not religious. However, they are reminders of family and friends who are no longer with us, which is one reason I look forward to putting it up every year.

It was when we joined the Southern Baptist Church after moving to Tennessee that Chris and I were introduced to a Chrismon Tree. Our pastor (who has since retired) devoted an entire service right after Thanksgiving to teach about the symbols of the Chrismons and the hanging of the greens.

The Chrismons we have for our church’s tree were made by a group of ladies more than twenty-five years ago. They’re wrapped in plastic bags and placed carefully in storage boxes in order to preserve them for as long as possible.

Traditionally the ornaments found on Chrismon trees are handmade (as those on our tree), though you can find them through retailers like Amazon and Etsy. I think making them is a labor of love and a way to hold onto traditions that are quickly becoming passé.

The ornaments created for our tree are larger than my hand, which is one reason we need such a large tree to hold them. Although there are a variety of materials that can be used, such as Styrofoam, paper, or bleached wood, more often you will find them made from beads, white glass ornaments with gold symbols, and cross-stitched pieces.

Every Chrismon ornament has significance, from the symbols that are chosen to the colors that are used—typically white and gold.

The white symbolizes the perfection and purity of the Lord, and the gold points to His nobility and glory. White lights on the tree are a reminder to believers that He is the Light of the world, and the evergreen symbolizes our own eternal life because of Christ’s sacrificial gift to us.

There are a variety of stars, all with their own meaning, and a wide range of crosses such as the anchor cross, the Fleur-de-Lis cross, the Celtic cross, the Jerusalem cross, and the Latin cross, to name a few.

The triangle represents the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, while the dove is traditionally used as the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The lamb signifies Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, and the fish was one of the original secret symbols I shared earlier.

I wanted to find some free images of Chrismon ornaments to share with you but was unable to find any. I suppose if I dug into our church’s storage room, I could snap my own pictures. Instead, I have linked to a website that talks about Chrismons and offers free patterns in case you’re interested in making some yourself.

Don’t forget to comment below for a chance to win the $25 Amazon Gift Card and an ebook version of A Canine Christmas. Have you heard of Chrismons before? Is this something you’d consider for your own Christmas tree? If you missed Monday’s, Tuesday’s, and/or Wednesday’s posts, be sure to visit and comment for another chance to win the giveaway.

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