As families gather together at Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and spend time with each other, traditions of holiday cheer are completed. These include sharing old family stories around the dinner table, singing holiday songs and decorating the Christmas tree.

Decorations vary from colorful lights and ornaments to candy canes, doves and strings of popcorn. One of the most important elements involved with decorating a tree is the tree topper.

The tree topper can be the most controversial subject during this season. This is the moment that raises a few pertinent questions. For many, a golden, shining star is the choice.

The star is the symbol in the East that led the wise men to baby Jesus. It is also a symbol in the Pagan religion as a sign of the Earth rotating. It means that the fall season is over and winter has begun as a part of the winter solstice. The ancient Egyptians celebrated the sun god Horus by bringing decorations of palm fronts putting up dar-like symbols of the sun.

The Norsemen used it to celebrate the sun coming back after rolling away from the Earth. Their celebration included burning Yule logs and having bonfires. They would also use sun ornaments shaped like stars to decorate with.

Many cultures use stars as symbols to light the night sky for guidance and to welcome the sun.  No matter what holiday is celebrated the star is a universal symbol to us all and proves we are all connected.