The Profound Meaning of the Christmas Rose & Its Biblical Significance

Advent and Christmas have captured the imagination of countless generations.

Part of that imagination has been the copious amounts of symbols, iconography, and decorations that have become intertwined with them.

One such symbol that has rooted itself in the imagery of Christmastide is the Helleborus niger, better known as the Christmas rose. Named after its black roots, the Christmas rose is actually a member of the buttercup family but has certain qualities that have allowed it to become a prominent feature of Christmas apparel.

It has surprising links to sacred Scripture and the folklore that has come to embody the hope and joy of the season.

What distinguishes the Christmas rose is that, like other members of the hellebore genus, it is an evergreen plant. This means that it is one of the few flowers that can bloom in the cold winters of northern and central Europe.

It is also a perennial plant, meaning that its snow-white petals became familiar around Christmas year after year. Thus it was only natural for the Christmas rose to become associated with Advent and Christmas, a sign of the beauty of creation that accompanies us during this time of hope and longing.

A Connection to the Prophecy of Isaiah
No other Old Testament book foretells the God-made Man's coming as thoroughly or vividly as the prophet Isaiah's.

A crucial part of Isaiah’s prophecy is laying out the genealogy for the coming Messiah, fulfilling the prophecy that the Messiah would come from the house of David.

Isaiah portrays the descendants of David as a family tree sprouting from the stump of David’s father, Jesse, with the Virgin Mary being a branch “that shall grow out from his roots.”

The fruit of this branch would be the most beautiful flower, our Lord Jesus Christ, imagery forever memorialized in the medieval carol, "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming," which calls us to join Our Lady to “behold” the rose Isaiah had in mind.

Let the Christmas rose lead us to meditate upon the glorious unfolding of salvation history.

The Christmas rose has also been incorporated into Christmas legends and fables.

One such story tells of a young shepherdess of Bethlehem who, upon seeing the Three Wise Men, offers gifts to the Christ Child. She wished to give a gift of her own but despaired over having nothing to offer.
When tears hit the ground, a bush of white flowers sprung up, providing the shepherdess with a perfect gift for the Infant Jesus.

It also lends itself to a story written by Selma Lagerlöf, a prominent Swedish writer and the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. The most important aspect of the Christmas rose and the role it has played within traditions surrounding the celebration of the Nativity is its representation of the hope that bloomed over 2000 years ago.

In His infinite mercy and charity, God sent His only Son to take on flesh to redeem us through His death and resurrection.

May the Christmas rose and the other symbols we treasure during this bleak winter allow us to enter ever more deeply into this most joyous mystery.

--Nicholas Scotchie