Other than reading books, poems, and short stories I love for assignments, one of my favorite things about having been an English major is interpreting symbols and meaning in texts. Symbols allow us to understand abstract concepts more clearly. Likewise, one of my favorite things about Christmas is that it is completely filled with fun symbols and interpretation.
Some meanings of symbols are easy to see.
Candles and twinkle lights represent the light that Christ brings to the world. Even during dark nights, their, and His, light can be seen.
Wreaths symbolize the endless nature of God's love and the eternal life we can have with Him.
Just as the evergreen (especially the now popular fake tree) never dies, the love of Christ never fails or fades.
The star guided the shepherds and kings to the Savior just as He guides us through life back to Him.
Candy canes resemble shepherd crooks. (Shepherds are one of my favorite symbols in Christianity. I'll talk about shepherds more later.)
The humble setting in which the Savior was born foreshadowed His living conditions through life--humble and lowly.
It seems that almost everything about Christmas points to the Savior. But lately, a few symbols or representations have stuck out to me.
There are so many meanings, messages, and responsibilities associated with shepherds. When we refer to the Savior as our shepherd, we usually think of the one lost sheep He saves (Luke 15:4-7) and how that applies to all of us. We also think of our roles as stewards to help those around us by feeding His sheep (John 21:15-17). I love these interpretations; they add so much depth to my understanding of the Savior and my relationship with Him.