WHAT COLOR IS CHRISTMAS?

The secular world has colored Christmas for us by tradition.  Our world is filled with Christmas music before Thanksgiving has even been celebrated.  Bing Crosby made famous, "White Christmas", and many others have crooned the tune over the years.  "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas," echoes in our ears for weeks before the day arrives.  Here in Louisiana, our Christmas is usually colored bright and sunny or cold and dreary---but almost never white.  I remember maybe two white Christmas celebrations in my long life.  Somehow we have come to associate snow with Christmas.  How must those who live on a tropical island feel?  One of my favorite Christmas advertisements gives us a glimpse of Christmas in paradise.



Christmas can also be colored by green and red.  The long tradition of green Christmas trees, boughs of holly with bright red berries are the fore-runners of this tradition.  Of course the silver and gold of the tinsel around the tree, and the brightly colored lights hanging from the branches have all given color to Christmas.  Long ago, candles were placed on the tree branches--thus the tradition of the white like the star the Wise Men followed from afar.




We all know Santa wears red and white and the elves a touch of green.  Rudolph has a nose so red it glows.  Mr. Grinch is a sickly green, and "A Wonderful Life" was all black and white.  The Muppets are more colors than the Crayola Giant Box of Fun.  Color in every tint and hue have become a huge part of Christmas as we know it today. 




One of the most famous secular Christmas songs is "Blue Christmas"  although it has been sung by many, my favorite rendition is by the King of Rock & Roll, Elvis Presley.  


The Blue Christmas Elvis is referring to is not one with blue decorations in abundance, but instead a sad Christmas.  "I'll have a Blue Christmas without you."  Christmas is blue for far more than we realize.  

The first Christmas was a different story.  There was some color--the donkey was a dull brown or gray, the road and floor of the stable the color of dirt, the cattle were the color of all cows in the field--brown, black or white, yellow was the hay--and the sheep were a dirty white for after all they grazed in the hills.  The predominate color--was the lack of color--the black of night.  The star in the east and the angels announcing the birth blended in nicely with the twinkling stars in the night sky. The colors that first Christmas night were a far cry from the wonderland of bright color we associate with Christmas today.  Yet from that dark night with very little light, the greatest of Christmas gifts was born.  A baby--born into a dark world in need a a great savior.  The Prince of Peace was born to give us all the Light of Hope---on that first Christmas Night.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 
Luke 2:8

6 comments

  1. I will not repeat what my husband said about that Corona commercial. A beautiful and thoughtful post, friend...and I can not stand Blue Christmas by Elvis, it just grates on my nerves, LOLOL.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There you have it, Friend, the generation gap! LOL!
      Blessings, My Friend!

      Delete
    2. LOLOLOL....Now, listen, most Elvis songs I am fine with...but the blueeee, blueee, blueeee drives me insane. LOLOLOL. Have ever I mentioned, when my dad was in 'Nam, my mom and I (was a baby) and lived in Hawaii and there are photos of Elvis, Don Ho and Bob Hope holding me? yep.

      Delete
  2. I'm not sure I agree with your description of that first Christmas. For a start, it was snowing. Big golf ball sized lumps of snow. Joseph looked out of the barn and said "Hail Mary!" Then there were the shepherds sitting on the cold grass getting their backsides wet. Suddenly angels appeared. I am not sure what colours they became at this sight; but if I had suddenly seen an apparition out of nowhere my colour would have changed suddenly. Then the wise men came, they must have had colourful clothes because they were rich and just visited the local posh supermarket. As to their wisdom? This is debatable. Who in his right mind would bring a new born baby frankincense? There was smoke everywhere and spluttering and coughing whilst the smoke engulfed the whole barn. This upset the animals thinking it was a fire and they quickly ran away. Mary was distraught, protecting her new born Son; and Joseph punched ythe wise man in the face giving him the black eye. Hence Elvis' song "Blue Christmas". He must have been colour blind, and all!

    (Thinks) I bet Lulu will never speak to me again after this!

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, Victor!! Too busy laughing to comment further!
      Blessings, My Friend!

      Delete
  3. The colors of Christmas are many these days, but I wonder how the traditional colors of green and red got started? I can understand green for the trees and wreaths, but red? Hmmm.
    And after reading Victor's comment, I'm rolling!
    Blessings, Loralu, and Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete

Your comments keep my writing and often cause me to think. A written form of a hug or a pat on the back and an occasional slap into reality---I treasure them all!