Christmas decorations are used throughout most of the world to brighten up homes, shops and offices throughout December. In the northern hemisphere everyone enjoys an excuse to brighten up the dark winter days and what better time than Christmas. Dazzling and bright, Christmas decorations always bring a smile to peoples’ faces.
History of Christmas Decorations
Decorating Christmas trees began in the Christmas Markets of Europe. In the 16th century, German markets had everything for the housewife. Here you got your knives ground and your toys made. But some of the original Christmas decorations came from here too. There were makers of gingerbread trading in these markets and they used honey for baking. At that time, honey came straight from the hives in the form of honeycombs.
Once the honey had been poured out and used, the wax that was left was carved into moulds often in the form of cherubs and shapes for plaster cornices for architectural work. They also made Christmas nativity scenes with animals. Then ribbons were put into the wax before it set. The little wax pieces were painted and sold as souvenirs of the fair. Many people put them on their trees and the decorated Christmas tree was born.
The custom of putting lit candles onto trees is attributed to Martin Luther. In the early days, many experiments were tried to try to create safe candle holders. In the 18th century there were counterbalanced holders made of metal. Decorated clips were used in the latter part of the 19th century and experiments were also done with gas lights. Much of this was unsafe and caused fires. However, in the 1880s Edison produced the first tree lit by electricity.
The Victorians used home-made items with flowers, fresh greenery, berries, fruits, nuts and pine cones. There would also be many bows of ribbon to decorate trees. Most ordinary working-class Victorians had very little money so had to improvise where they could. Their imagination knew no bounds and some people even made trees from swan, turkey or goose feathers.To this day, many people still enjoy the Victorian ways of decorating which can add a delightful and historical touch to the atmosphere.
After the Second World War, people in Britain generally used electricity to light their trees. This also caught on in a big way in America. The General Electric Company, who were licensed by Disney, made incredible lights showing Snow White, Cinderella and other characters from fairy stories. Bubble lights were popular too. These were coloured tubes of glass containing oil which bubbled as the light began to heat up. After ten years or so, production of these lights ceased and therefore they are rare today. However, in recent years, another company in America has once again started to produce bubble lights to modern standards.
Modern History of Christmas Decorations
Time moved on and in England by the 1950s people tended to use artificial decorations. With the advent of modern machinery and manufacturing, such things became cheap to mass produce. Housewives considered that evergreens and other natural objects could mark walls and spoil carpets so anything artificial was popular.
This way of thinking has changed in recent years as people tend to hark back to a bygone era. Nostalgia has prevailed and it is now customary again to decorate the tree with ornaments of all types as well as lights. Ornaments such as baubles in silver, gold or red are used together with different coloured lights amongst the tree branches. Small presents and little chocolates wrapped in shiny paper can hide away to the delight of little children who love to gaze in wonderment at the display in front of their eyes. Holly, especially with berries, is popular in the home, as is Mistletoe.
Plants and Floral Decorations
Many plants are now associated with decorating homes at Christmas, particularly the Poinsettia which is a native plant of Mexico. Other popular plants are the Christmas Cactus – which blooms just at the right time – and Amaryllis. Shops are full of imported flowers and plants to use as Christmas decorations but nothing is nicer than using native plants, such as Holly and Mistletoe. The bright red holly berries bring warmth to an arrangement.
Christmas wreaths are made either from real or artificial branches of conifers or other evergreens. These can be hung as decorations over a fireplace or on a front door to welcome visitors at this time of year. Pine cones add a touch of reality to the wreath.
Decorating Homes and Offices at Christmas
Decorating homes, shops and offices is now a part of Christmas. Snowflakes, icicles, snowmen and robins are typical icons of Christmas in the West. In other countries, depending on traditions and resources, other types of decorations are used.
It has become very popular in recent years to decorate the outside of homes with illuminated snowmen, sleighs and figures such as Father Christmas. Some people go as far as putting decorations in their gardens or on their rooftops to the delight of passers by.
Many towns and cities host Christmas markets. In the dark days of winter it is a joy to see lit candles illuminating the stalls. Traditionally the colours associated with Christmas decorations are snow white, bright red and dark green along with gold and silver.
Magazines vie with one another at Christmas and are full of the latest decorating ideas. There are loads of ideas on how to make your own decorations, how to decorate a centrepiece for a table, how to make a wreath and so on. Although time-consuming, there is something very satisfying about making something from scratch.
Depending on time, budget and inclination you can decorate almost anywhere in the home. A trailing garland on a handrail up the stairs or a wreath over a mantelpiece make a home truly festive. A natural centrepiece for a table can be used as well as putting small sprigs of holly at place settings. Use red candles in amongst the green leaves for a true Christmas effect.
Normally Christmas decorations are put up at the beginning of December and are taken down on the 5th of January, known as Twelfth Night. Most people would admit to a touch of sadness when it is time to take the decorations down!
