A deep dive into the history, myth, and metaphysical symbolism behind some of the season’s most iconic decorations.

For thousands of years, midwinter has been a season of symbols. They’re images and objects carrying layers of meaning about hope, renewal, darkness, light, and the promise of life returning.

Long before Christmas became a global holiday, cultures across Europe and the Near East used evergreen plants, winter fires, celestial signs, and ritual offerings to mark the solstice and the turning of the year (Hutton 1996; Santino 1994).

In this guide, you’ll learn about 10 powerful Christmas symbols, tracing their historical roots, mythic resonance, and metaphysical significance.

1. The Christmas Tree: The Axis Mundi of the Winter Season

The evergreen tree is one of the most ancient symbols of midwinter.

In many cultures, the tree represents the axis mundi, which is the center of the world. It’s the meeting point of heaven, earth, and underworld (Eliade 1959).

Historical Roots

• Ancient Romans decorated evergreen trees during Saturnalia as a sign of life amid winter (Frazer 1922).
• Norse communities honored sacred trees such as Yggdrasil, the cosmic ash connecting all realms (Lindow 2001).
• Germanic peoples brought evergreens indoors at Yule as a sign of enduring vitality.

By the 1500s, decorated Christmas trees appeared in German guild halls. And by the 1800s, they were a widespread European custom.

Metaphysical Meaning of the Christmas Tree

• Life in the dead of winter
• Centering (the tree marks the still point of the turning year)
• Connection between worlds
• Renewal (evergreen spirit as eternal life force)

Energetic Themes

Imagine the tree as a vertical beam of green light in the middle of winter darkness. It invites you to stand at your own center, and to remember your place in the cosmos.

2. The Christmas Star: Divine Light and the Guiding Spark

The star above the nativity has deep antecedents in ancient astronomy, astrology, and winter symbolism.

Historical and Mythic Background

• Stars were widely interpreted as omens, portents, or signs of birth in ancient Near Eastern cultures (Beck 2007).
• The Magi of the biblical story were likely astrologer-priests, following a celestial marker interpreted as a royal sign (Bauckham 2017).
• In many Pagan winter rites, stars symbolized the rebirth of cosmic light at the Winter Solstice.

Metaphysical Meaning of the Star

• Revelation—Epiphany, insight, guidance
• Third-eye clarity—The light that appears when one is spiritually ready to see
• The spark of destiny—The path that unfolds before us

The Christmas star reminds us that guidance can show up in really subtle forms. Maybe not a blazing sign in the sky, but instead as a quiet inner knowing.

3. Holly: Winter Protection and Sacred Vitality

Holly’s bright red berries and glossy leaves have made it a winter icon for millennia.

Ancient Roots

• Druids regarded holly as a protective plant partially because it was sturdy and evergreen through the coldest months (Graves 1948).
• Romans used holly in Saturnalia celebrations. Its spikes symbolized warding energy (Santino 1994).
• In medieval Europe, holly was hung over doorways to keep troublesome spirits away during the long nights.

Metaphysical Meaning of Holly

• Protection—Sharp leaves repel negative influence
• Vitality—Red berries symbolize blood, life, and fire in the cold
• Sacred masculine energy—Holly King mythology, ruling the dark half of the year

Symbolic Logic

Holly’s survival through frost makes it a natural emblem of resilience.

Its protective lore aligns with the season’s theme of keeping the hearth safe while the world outside is cold and uncertain.

4. Bells: Boundary Magic and the Clearing of Winter Air

Bells have long been used to mark transitions, clear energy, and announce sacred presence. (Don’t get me going on the use of bells for healing in Tartaria…that’s another post entirely.)

Historical Uses

• Ancient Greek temples used bells to announce divine approach (Johnston 2008).
• In medieval Europe, bells were rung to help banish negativity, especially during long winter nights when spirits were thought to roam.
• In folk traditions worldwide, bells accompany rituals at seasonal thresholds.

Metaphysical Meaning of Bells

• Clearing stagnation—A sound that breaks through dense or heavy energy
• Protection—Vibrations that disrupt unwanted influences
• Threshold marking—Beginning and ending of sacred rites

Christmas bells echo a much older magical function. And that’s sound as a boundary of safety and sanctity.

5. Evergreens: Life Force and the Promise of Return

While the Christmas tree is the most famous evergreen symbol, the entire evergreen family (pine, fir, spruce, cedar) has deep winter significance.

Ancient Context

• Evergreens were used in winter rituals across Europe and the Near East to signify eternal life (Hutton 1996).
• Egyptians decorated homes with palm leaves during the solstice, linking greenery with victory over death (Santino 1994).
• In many cultures, evergreen boughs acted as charms against misfortune.

Metaphysical Meaning of Evergreens

• Vital energy—Sap still flows even in winter
• Hope—Green life persists through the dark
• Purification—Pine and cedar have long been used for cleansing rituals

Evergreens whisper a simple truth. That underground, unseen, life continues.

6. Candles: Inner Light, Hope, and the Renewal of Spirit

Winter festivals around the world generally place fire at the center. It’s a symbol of light breaking the darkness.

Historical Roots

• Romans lit candles during Saturnalia to honor Sol Invictus, the Unconquered Sun.
• Jewish traditions of Hanukkah celebrate the miracle of light enduring.
• Medieval Christian processions used candles as symbols of Christ as the Light of the World.

Metaphysical Meaning of Candles

• Inner illumination—The quiet flame of authenticity within
• Hope—Light that persists
• Guidance—A lamp for the next step of the path

Candles remind us that even the smallest flame can reshape the darkness around it.

7. Wreaths Cycles, Eternity, and Sacred Circles

A wreath is more than decoration. Think of it as a circle of life placed at the threshold.

Historical Origins

• Greeks and Romans used wreaths as victory crowns, symbols of achievement and divine favor (Bremmer 1994).
• The circular shape long represented eternity, cycles, and the turning of the seasons.
• Germanic midwinter rites hung wreaths as sun symbols, welcoming the returning light.

Metaphysical Meaning of Wreaths

• Cycles of life—Death, rest, renewal
• Protection—A circle creates a boundary
• Wholeness—Unity and completeness

Hanging a wreath on your door is a symbolic invitation for harmony to enter. And it’s also an energetic shield marking sacred space.

8. Gift-Giving: Offering, Reciprocity, and Energetic Exchange

Gift-giving at Christmas predates the holiday itself.

Historical Background

• Roman Saturnalia included gifts of candles, dolls, and sweets meant to share luck and blessing (Santino 1994).
• Indo-European cultures practiced winter gift exchange as a form of social bonding during scarce months (Holt 2003).
• The biblical Magi story links gifts with honoring the sacred.

Metaphysical Meaning of Gift Giving

• Reciprocity—energy moves in cycles
• Blessing—a gift as an intentional offering
• Connection—strengthening communal bonds

A gift becomes a symbol of shared abundance, not materialism—an expression of energetic flow.

Go deeper: Sacred Gift-Giving: The Spiritual Meaning of Generosity, Receiving, and Holiday Exchange

9. Red and Green: Color Magic of Midwinter

Red and green usually dominate the Christmas season, but their symbolism is actually pretty ancient.

Historical Sources

• Green: evergreen life force, nature spirits, and vitality
• Red: blood, warmth, berries, the returning sun
• Medieval Europeans used red and green in winter pageants representing the battle between Holly King (dark half of the year) and Oak King (the light half).

Metaphysical Meaning of Red and Green

• Red—Courage, life, fire, heart
• Green—Grounding, renewal, earth connection

Together, they create a palette of life-in-winter. It represents, among other things, the alchemy of surviving the cold through joy, connection, and enduring spirit.

Learn more about The Metaphysical Meaning of Color

10. Snow: Purification, Silence, and Liminal Space

Snow isn’t just weather. It’s a mythic symbol of winter transformation.

Historical and Cultural Associations

• In European folklore, snow imagery often represented purity and spiritual cleansing (Lecouteux 2013).
• Many cultures saw snowfall as the veil between worlds becoming thin and still.
• Snowfall often marks moments of stillness in Winter Solstice narratives.

Metaphysical Meaning of Snow

• Purification—A blank, fresh field
• Silence—Space for intuition to rise
• Liminality—The threshold between the old year and the new

Snow invites us to go inward. That means toward reflection, dreams, and the soft voice of winter quiet.

References

• Bauckham, R. (2017). The Star of Bethlehem: A Historical and Theological Analysis.
• Beck, R. (2007). A Brief History of Ancient Astrology.
• Bremmer, J. (1994). Greek Religion.
• Eliade, M. (1959). The Sacred and the Profane.
• Frazer, J. G. (1922). The Golden Bough.
• Graves, R. (1948). The White Goddess.
• Holt, P. (2003). Christmas in the Crosshairs: Winter Ritual in Europe.
• Hutton, R. (1996). The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain.
• Johnston, S. (2008). Ancient Greek Divination.
• Lecouteux, C. (2013). The Tradition of Household Spirits.
• Santino, J. (1994). All Around the Year: Holidays and Celebrations in American Life.

Disclaimer
This post explores historical, cultural, folkloric, symbolic, and metaphysical interpretations of Christmas symbols. It is intended for educational and contemplative purposes only. Nothing in this article is intended as advice, a promise, or a guarantee of any specific outcome.