Ephesians 1:7: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of His grace.” At Christmas, many families purchase traditional holly or pull the beautiful greenery and red berries from their storage. The spiny green leaves and bright red berries adorn most of our Christmas wreaths and decorations each year. The bright red and green colors have been displayed for centuries as the two prominent colors of Christmas. Whether the holly is live or plastic, the significance remains the same.

The bright red holly berries and the vibrant green leaves make the perfect combination of these two traditional colors. The small red berries have historically reminded Christians of the drops of blood Christ shed for us and dripped from the crown of thorns placed on his head at Calvary. The red berries reflect our salvation and redemption through his shed blood on the cross. The bright green holly leaves speak of the never-ending circle of life that the shedding of His blood secured for those of us who know Jesus. A wreath represents a circle that can never be broken. Even the sharp spines on the holly leaves remind us of the pain that Jesus suffered on the cross for each of us.

As you celebrate with your family this Christmas, stop to point out these images from the holly decorations and their special meaning. My guess is that none of your family will have been aware of the significance and meaning of these time-honored Christmas colors from Christmas holly. This is just another way that you can keep Christ in Christmas.