Symbolism: Stockings

Legend has it that the tradition of hanging Christmas stockings by the fireplace began with two poor sisters. Both wanted to marry but their father was too poor to pay their wedding dowries. One Christmas Eve, the sisters hung their stockings by the fire to dry. Saint Nicholas intervened, tossing gold coins down the chimney and into the stockings. On Christmas Day, the sisters were delighted to discover the money—enough for both dowries.

Victorian children sometimes hung Christmas stockings on their bedposts. Parents then had a recipe for stocking gift giving that still works today: “Something to eat, Something to read,Something to play with,and Something they need.”
I like that story a lot. I've actually heard it before, but what a true example of giving. May we all be as grateful as I'm sure those two women were this Christmas.

Symbolism: Poinsettia

A charming story is told of Pepita, a poor Mexican girl who had no gift to present the Christ Child at Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked slowly to the chapel with her cousin Pedro, her heart was filled with sadness rather than joy. "I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes," said Pedro consolingly. Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered a handful of common weeds, fashioning them into a small bouquet. Looking at the scraggly bunch of weeds, she felt more saddened and embarrassed than ever by the humbleness of her offering. She fought back a tear as she entered the small village chapel. As she approached the alter, she remembered Pedro's kind words: "Even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes." She felt her spirit lift as she knelt to lay the bouquet at the foot of the nativity scene. Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into blooms of brilliant red, and all who saw them were certain that they had witnessed a Christmas miracle right before their eyes.
From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the Flores de Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night, for they bloomed each year during the Christmas season.
Today, the common name for this plant is the poinsettia!

What a cute story I found on http://www.ecke.com/HTML/h_corp/corp_legend.html ! I think that is a very good story.

Symbolism: Star

The star is one of the most well known and appreciated symbols of the Christmas season. It represents the star that guided the 3 wise men and is used as a tree topper today. It symbolizes the guiding light of Christ, and it stands as a witness that even if you don't know the whoile story behind it, it can still guide you.

Symbolism: Mistletoe

Mistletoe has been one of the most magical, mysterious, and sacred plants of European folklore. It was considered to bestow life, fertility, and a protection against poison. Celtic druids would cut the oak mistletoe with a golden sickle and later the ritual came to symbolize the succesion of a king from one to another. Kissing under the mistletoe first began with the Greeek festival of Saturnalia and later with marriage rites. In Scandinavia, mistletoe was considered a plant of peace. At Christmas time a young lady standing under a ball of mistletoe cannot refuse to be kissed, or she cannot expecy to be married the following year.

hmmmm... I think mistletoe is a kind of funny tradition that some people have. I personally stay away from mistletoe, because sometimes people treat it really seriously. But, I just have to smile when it is used in movies, because normally the two who kiss under it eventually fall in love.

Symbolism: The Christmas Tree

Thousands of years ago, some people believed that evergreen trees were magical, because even though all the other trees were brow and bare, the evergreen stayed well, green. They saw it as a representation of life and a sign that spring would come again. In ancient Rome, they would decorate their homes and buildings with greenery for a special December feast. There were no battles fought, schools closed, and all in all it was a time for people to get together and give each other presents.
As for me, I see the christmas tree as a kind of "before gift," What I mean is that when you decorate a tree, it is like wrapping a present, and the tree in of itself is a gift. But unlike normal presents that you put under the tree, it stands as a symbol for others to see and enjoy before Christmas Day. Each tree is different. Which is probably why I like to see other people's trees and see how they decorated it.