In 1956, a member of Ascension Lutheran Church in Danville, Va., created the first set of Chrismons. The word Chrismon is the combination of the words "Christ" and "monogram," and it describes a unique type of Christmas tree ornament. Although the evergreen tree already signifies Christians' belief in eternal life, Chrismons further emphasize this theme in multiple ways.

Standard Christmas tree ornaments often incorporate elaborate color schemes and eye-catching materials into their designs, and they come in endless shapes and sizes. Many people personalize their tree with ornaments made from pictures of family members or crafts assembled by their children at school. In contrast to common decorations, a Chrismon is only painted white and uses a minimalist design to represent a singular aspect of Jesus Christ's life or His teachings. The symbolic ornaments are typically used in combination with exclusively white and gold lights to embellish a Christmas tree.

After several decades, the tradition of decorating a tree with Chrismons has spread beyond the Lutheran Church; it has been adopted by Anglicans, Catholics, Methodists and other Christian communities. Jane Kintzi, a member of Wayside Presbyterian Church in Landisville, introduced the holiday custom to her congregation in December 2022. Kintzi and a group of fellow Wayside members gathered throughout the year to craft six unique Chrismons, representing an angel, a star, a lamb, a manger, a cross and a crown.

Certain members of Wayside supplemented the making of the Chrismons by creating a devotional booklet to accompany the project. Congregation member Debbi Posts led a group of writers, editors and artists in an effort to interpret each symbol and complement its meaning via personal commentary and biblical research. Steve Fritz, Wayside's pastor, structured his sermons for the Christmas season to highlight a specific Chrismon on each Sunday in Advent. Fritz discussed the Scriptural origin of the symbol, its theological interpretation and how its meaning can be applied to practical ministry. The series concluded with a service on Jan. 7 that coincided with the celebration of the Epiphany, when the magi visited the Christ child. Fritz's sermon explored the meaning of final Chrismon: the crown.

In addition to highlighting a Chrismon, the Advent services at Wayside featured hymns that accompanied their themes, and related imagery was displayed in the church. During each service, the Chrismon itself was brought to the front of the room and placed by a child from the congregation.

"The Chrismons depict the entire life of Jesus, from cradle to cross to crown," Fritz said. "Instead of a baby bootie or a round glass ornament, we use them to tell the story of the nature of God and the nature of the ministry of Jesus Christ."