DUNCAN — The Latin word “Chrismon” literally means the monogram of Christ. Chrismon symbols are used throughout the church, but especially at Christmas to represent the person and ministry of Christ.

Although it’s only July and the outdoor temperature hardly felt Christmas-y, a group gathered Tuesday at First United Methodist Church to renovate and replicate the church’s Chrismon ornaments for the coming Advent season.

Chrismon symbols are found in many places: on jewelry, buildings and in ancient catacombs. Early Christians used them to identify themselves and to transmit their faith and beliefs. By using these early symbols of faith to decorate a tree during the Advent season that precedes Christmas, the church proclaims the true meaning of Christmas.

On Tuesday morning, four women of the church were surrounded with bottles of glue, boxes of beads, reels of gold trim and stacks of forms cut from plastic foam on which to build their elegant creations.

As they worked, they reminisced about Advent seasons past, and memories of Chrismon trees. Jan Cole shared with the group that when she and her husband married during the Christmas season, the beautiful Chrismon tree was part of the setting.

Sadie Budlong said she remembers Chrismon trees at First United Methodist at least as far back as 1979. Since then, the fragile ornaments have been carefully wrapped and stored each year to preserve them for the next Advent season. Several times through the years, it has been necessary to repair or replace the ornaments, and groups have gathered to carry out the same tasks as were taking place this week.

All Chrismon ornaments s are made in combinations of white and gold — no traditional red-and-green ornaments for this special tree. White, the liturgical color for Christmas, refers to the Lord’s purity and perfection. Gold symbolizes his majesty and glory. By using white and gold lights on the tree, the congregation points to Christ as the Light of the World.

Although the symbols themselves are as old as Christianity, the idea of the Chrismon tree was begun in 1957 at Lutheran Church of the Ascension in Danville, Va. In churches of today, the children are usually allowed to place the Chrismon ornaments on the tree, building happy memories for them as well as reinforcing tenants of their faith.

Although the process is not difficult, it is time-consuming, and it may take several work sessions to get all of First Methodist’s Chrismon ornaments ready. After the plastic foam forms are cut, beads, braid and other materials are painstakingly placed on the forms to enhance the shape.

Years ago, it was discovered that an electric carving knife worked well to cut the plastic foam. Now, heated craft knives take care of that duty in quick order.

Here are some of the shapes and their meanings.

• The Cross & Rose: The pointed ends remind us of the points of the nails, the thorns and the spear used in the Crucifixion. The rose symbolizes the Messiah, “The desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose,” Isaiah 35:1.

• Cruciform Nimbus: The sign of the cross in a circle denotes the crucified cross.

• The Fish (IXOYC): The ancient symbol of Christ was the secret Christian sign during persecution. The letters in the name are the first letters of Greek words meaning: Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior (John 20:31).

• Greek Cross Crowned with Nika: Nika, the Greek word for conquer, becomes the ray of a rising sun behind this cross crowned. This design represents the Lord’s victory over sin and death.

• The Crown: Symbol of the kingship of our Lord, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This design may also evoke thoughts of his victory over sin and death.

• Anchor Cross: The Anchor Cross is the symbol of hope. The crescent is the symbol of Mary, the Lord’s mother. This child, from Mary, is the Hope of the World.

• Butterfly and Cross: The Latin cross is the cross of suffering and death. The butterfly is the symbol of the Lord’s Resurrection from the death that the Latin cross brought (I Corinthians 15:20-23).

• Cross with Orb: Artists often show Christ holding a cross-topped orb: The Earth and heavens in the Lord’s hands; the world united for Christ.

• Five-Point Star: The Epiphany Star. The Savior: Manifestation of the Son (Matthew 2:1-11).

• Eye of God: The eye connotes loving care and watchful judgment.

• Crown of Thorns: Represents the Savior’s crown of suffering.

• Descending Dove: The Holy Spirit at the Lord’s baptism (Mark 1:10).

• Trefoil: Symbol of the Trinity.

There are many books available on Chrismon symbolism, and the Internet is a rich source of patterns for those who would like to make their own.





Chrismon ornaments are not limited to use in churches. A tree covered with the elegant white-and-gold ornaments would look beautiful in a home, and would serve to point the family toward the true meaning of Christmas.

• The Cross Potent: A shape that looks something like a square divided with a vertical and a horizontal line and with the corners missing. The cross potent represents the Savior’s spiritual and physical healing powers.

• Eight-Point Star: This ancient symbol was used by Christians as another concealed symbol of Christ during persecutions. The eight points refer also to regeneration through baptism, or heaven.





Although the plastic foam is available in several thicknesses, the thinner foam — approximately 1/2 inch — works better, as it is sturdy enough to hold the trimmings, but still light enough to hang gracefully on the tree, the workers agreed.