Hickory – Members of the community are invited to help celebrate the days leading up to Christmas at a Chrismon Open House. This event is free and open to the public. The open house will take place in the sanctuary at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, located on the Lenoir-Rhyne campus, on Sunday, December 20 from 3:00 until 5:00 p.m. and on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, December 21, 22, and 23 from 4:00 until 6:00 p.m.
During the open house, visitors are invited to view the Chrismons placed on the holiday tree and learn the meaning each holds. A docent will be present during the hours of the open house to answer questions about the Chrismons. During the open house, visitors are asked to respect other visitors and abide by current Covid safety measures by wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and not visiting in large groups.
St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church is located at 629 Eighth Street NE in Hickory, North Carolina. Parking for the open house is available along Seventh Avenue NE and in the church parking lot, which is accessible from Seventh Avenue NE. The church doors facing Eighth Street NE will be propped open for a no touch entry during the open house hours.
The word Chrismon is a combination of the Latin words for Christ and monogram. Each Chrismon represents an ancient symbol for Jesus Christ or some part of his ministry. Frances Spencer, who had been a student at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory for a time, conceived of the Chrismon in 1957. Most of St. Andrew’s Chrismons were crafted during the early 1960s by church member Betty Pitts Cooke and were placed on St. Andrew’s first Chrismon tree in 1967. Members at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church wish all in the community a safe and blessed holiday season.
