What is a Chrismon Tree?

It has been a tradition at St. Martin’s since 2009 for the Chrismon Tree to be placed in Bagby Parish Hall to mark the beginning of the Advent/Christmastide season. Over the years, members of our St. Clare’s Needlepoint Guild and Saintly Stitchers have worked tirelessly in creating the white and gold needlepoint ornaments and tree skirt that adorn this magnificent Chrismon Tree.

The history of the Chrismon Tree originated at the Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville, Va., in 1957 and was made by Mrs. Frances Kipps Spencer^[1]. Mrs. Spencer designed the ornaments using symbols from the early Christian tradition to identify themselves with Christ. The name Chrismon combines two words, “Christ” and “monograms” or “symbols of Christ.” The detailing in these white and gold ornaments not only tells the ministry of Christ’s life but also reminds us of an interdenominational heritage that we, as Christians, all have. Over the years, the Chrismon Tree tradition has been adopted by many Christian denominations, including Episcopalians, other Anglicans, Catholics and Methodists.

You can tell the difference between a traditional Christmas Tree and a Chrismon Tree by the way it is decorated. Only white colored lights are used and two colors for the Chrismon ornaments. White symbolizes the perfection and purity of Jesus, and gold symbolizes His nobility and glory[2]. Each symbol on our ornaments is painstakingly stitched with perfection. Some examples of symbols are a triangle, representing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; a dove descending, representing the Holy Spirit; a lamb signifies Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God; and a fish represents a secret symbol in ancient times to identify places of worship for those following Christ. Also included are numerous crosses, such as the Celtic Cross and Jerusalem Cross. Another ancient Christian symbol is the Chi-Rho, which represents the Greek letters Chi (X) and Rho (P), the first three letters of the word “Christ.”^[3].

We are fortunate to display our outstanding Chrismon Tree for all to see and appreciate during the Advent and Christmas seasons. Remember to take a moment and reflect on each symbol and monogram that tells the story of Christ’s life, ministry, death and resurrection. We are grateful to our wonderful stitchers for sharing their gift of love and joy in creating Chrismons for our St. Martin’s community.

[1] WikidediA The Free Encyclopedia, September 5, 2025, at 20:11(UTC) En.Wikimedia.org

[2]Patricia Shannon (December 1, 2023) The Tradition Behind the Chrismon Tree, https://www. Southernliving.com/shat-is-chrismon-tree-8364194.

[3] Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, (New York, New York: Church Publishing Inc., 2000), Page 290.