The Story of the Chrismon Tree

In 1940, a Lutheran Pastor, Harry Pass, served a very poor congregation in Danville, Va. It  was so poor, that Pastor Pass was also employed as a “furnace man” and a “grounds keeper for a Mrs. Frances Kipps Spencer. During a visit to her home, he noticed some cast off Christmas paper, and asked if he might have it. He began making decorations for his own Christmas tree that were symbols about Jesus Christ, and the meaning of Christmas, instead of the usual pretty shiny balls, Santa Clauses and reindeer.

Years later in 1957, Mrs. Spencer was asked to decorate a Christmas Tree in her Church, but she objected to creating a basically secular tree in the chancel. Reflecting on Christmas as Christ’s birthday, she began to wonder how Mary might decorate a cake for Jesus. The answer was “with his name of course!” So she decided the Church Tree should honor him in the same way. Her research (and probably her earlier recollections of Pastor Pass) led her to the ancient Christian Monograms used by the early church. She redesigned them as white and gold (symbolizing the purity and glory of Christ) ornaments, and the Chrismon Tree was born.

Ascension Lutheran Church, Danville, VA, today holds the copyright on the word “Chrismons,” which was given to them by the same Mrs. Spencer. Because of this copyright, “Chrismons” may never be made for profit, and hence are never produced commercially.

Ascension Lutheran Church also offers books of Chrismon Patterns for sale on their WebSite.