WHAT ARE CHRISMONS?
The Chrismon tree stands tall in the sanctuary of Cornelia United Methodist Church in Cornelia, Georgia. Photo by Claire DeLand, courtesy of Creative Commons.
Chrismons, meaning “Christ monograms,” traditionally are white and gold designs made from Christian symbols that signify Christ. Often displayed on an evergreen tree during the Christmas season, symbols such as stars, crosses, fish, crowns, and the alpha and omega remind us of Christ’s identity, his story, and of the Holy Trinity.
In historic times of religious persecution, Christian symbols provided a sort of coded language among believers. For example, a simple line drawing of a fish on a wall might look like graffiti but this ichthys or “Jesus fish” was one of the most sacred symbols among early Christians.
Later, the symbols were featured prominently in the stained glass windows of churches. Before Bibles became available and affordable to everyday people, Bible stories could be told and re-told using these familiar, easy to remember depictions.
The concept of Chrismons as tree decorations was first developed in 1957 by Frances Spencer and the women of the Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville, VA. Many other churches picked up on this, including the United Methodist Church, and have a long history of displaying a Chrismon tree during the Advent and Christmas season decorated with these handmade ornaments, each with their own special meaning.
The women of our Wesley Memorial United Church made our current Chrismons over 30 years ago. Through the years, some have been rehabbed but many have fallen apart. Last year they were looking a little sparse on our new twelve foot Christmas trees. So this year we want to get an early start on making new ones for the upcoming season and hoping to get everyone in the congregation involved.
Starting in September, every Tuesday from 2:00pm – 5:00pm, the multi-purpose will be open to anyone who would like to help put the Chrismons together. They will be precut and ready to decorate with lots of various materials available from the craft ladies. There will be a book of examples of decorated Chrismons for inspiration. Let the office know if you would like to get together a group of friends and schedule a different time to come in for a mini Chrismon Party. Perhaps some of the church ministries could work in a special time with their members?
There will also be a Chrismon workshop on Sat., Nov. 2 from 10am – 2pm. We hope to have churchwide family participation in this project and make it a memorable time for both adults and children.
Click here to see some of the common Christian symbols used for Chrismons and their meaning.