CEBU, Philippines - Words are not the only coins in the realm of thought. Symbols also hold their own weight in conveying sentiments, stories and messages.
Paintings, for example, evoke emotions or communicate meanings - often different things to different people. Sometimes, one sees in a visual art work something that is 'not even there,' if creative interpretation is not involved. Symbolism is such a potent tool used in many art forms or even in the most plain of things.
As many are gearing up for their Christmas decorations at home and in the workplace, perhaps it will help to learn quick facts on certain inferences that can be had from the outcome of the endeavor. Perhaps, colors are a good place to start - the colors of Christmas.
At least three colors are very much associated with Christmas - the colors red, green and gold. Curiously, seldom does one inquire about what these colors represent. It's simply tradition - it's enough that the colors give off a Christmas feeling.
But, in fact, Christmas' red, green and gold have meanings.
Red. The shade of Red Holly Berries, in particular, has long been identified as an important symbol of Christ's birth and death. How it became one of the traditional Christmas colors stems from a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages in Europe - the "Paradise Play".
"Paradise Plays" were live-action retellings of stories from the Bible. Traditionally performed on Christmas Eve, these plays were intended for those who could not read.
In telling of the story of the Garden of Eden, most "Paradise Plays" used pine trees with red apples tied to them. These trees are said to be the archetype of today's Christmas tree, many of which have the color red as one of the necessary accents.
Green. For centuries and across various cultures, green has been used to symbolize new life, hope and starting anew. In Ancient Egypt, historians say that the celebration of mid-winter festivals entailed the practice of bringing palm tree branches into homes - a tradition which is often comes up in discussions on the origin and history of the Christmas tree.
In Ancient Rome, historians note, evergreen plants like holly and mistletoe were used to decorate homes during winter - not just for practical and aesthetic purposes, but also as a reminder that winter, no matter how harsh, will end with the coming of spring. Given that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, it's easy to discern green's symbolism for new life and hope.
Gold. Though the color's more acknowledged association to Christmas is with the gold brought as one of the gifts by the Three Wise Men for the baby Jesus, the color gold being one of the traditional colors of Christmas goes beyond that connection.
Like the color green, different cultures have used gold to symbolize the warmth of the sun - alluding to the coming of warmer days after winter. Hence, the color has become a symbol of hope and promise.
The color has also been linked with the hue of the Star of Bethlehem - the star which guided the Three Wise Men to the birthplace of the baby Jesus. And since the birth of Christ is taken to bring hope and promise of salvation for mankind, gold fits well to be a Christmas color. (FREEMAN)