What’s the meaning and history of HPUMC’s Chrismon tree?

Why white and gold? Because the color white symbolizes Jesus’ purity and perfection while gold represents his majesty and glory.

Nita thought it was a wonderful tradition and decided to introduce it to HPUMC. In the 1990s, she and several other members of HPUMC’s United Methodist Women created their own Chrismons to adorn a tree at HPUMC.

They designed 3D Chrismons made out of Styrofoam in various shapes and designs, then decorated them with pearls, pins, sequins and ribbons.

In 2013, the United Methodist Women refurbished some of the original Styrofoam ornaments and added an additional 75 Chrismons. UMW also began making beautiful white and gold cross-stitched Chrismons the next year.

“The first Chrismon tree was featured in the original Great Hall at HPUMC,” said Mari Epperson, coordinator of the annual Christmas decor. “However, in 2002 when the church additions and renovations were completed, the tree moved to its customary place in the ‘welcome area’ on the north side of the Sanctuary.”

The original tree was decorated by Jackson and Dana Harkey each year. Now, it’s a family tradition for the Harkeys—their children, children’s spouses, and grandchildren decorate the tree for all to enjoy. Today, this particular tree has over 200 Chrismons hanging from its many branches.

Currently, there are over 475 total Chrismons that are cataloged by design and style. In fact, there are so many that HPUMC has multiple Chrismon trees, which you can now find in the Fellowship Hall, Great Hall, and the entrance to Cox Chapel. These additional trees are adorned with cross-stitched designs and are decorated each year by various members of UMW so even more people can experience this annual tradition.

A friendly reminder though, these Chrismons are to be enjoyed inside the church walls and not removed from the tree and taken home. We do, of course, encourage you to take a moment to visually explore the detail and dedication that has gone into making this one-of-a-kind tree such a beautiful, meaningful sight.