What do the "Christmas colors" red and green symbolize?

There are many symbols associated with Christmas. Some can mean different things to different people. I have a story that appeared in some women's magazine some years back. Unfortunately, I don't know the name of the magazine or the author. The upshot of the story was that most of the symbols pointed back to the Savior. Here are some of the symbol and what they mean.

Red symbolizes the blood that Jesus spilt to redeem us from our sins.
Green is the color of life. Therefore, green symbolizes the potential for eternal life that Jesus' sacrifice made possible for all of us.
The evergreen tree is green all year round. So, it also symbolizes eternal life.
The flame of a candle, the lights on the tree and the star on top are all meant to remind us of the new star that appeared to proclaim the birth of the promised Messiah.
The bell is a reminder of the bells worn by sheep. They provide a means for the shepherd to find the sheep that has wandered from the flock and become lost. They symbolize our pleas to the Good Shepherd for guidance back to His flock.
The candy cane is shaped like a shepherd's staff. It symbolizes the responsibility that we all have to be shepherds, to help each other and guide each other back to God.
Finally, the bows on the top of the presents are symbolic of brotherhood. It should be a reminder that, just as the ribbons are tied together, we should all be tied together by the knowledge that we are all God's children and, therefore, brothers and sisters.

These are just some of the symbols of Christmas. Some of them come to us from pagan religions and were incorporated into Christianity as the pagans were converted. They probably had other meanings to the pagans. However, the important thing is what they mean to us today. To me, they serve as reminders of just what it is that we are supposed to be celebrating with this holiday. If you think about it, you can probably come up with additional symbols and meanings of your own.