Christmas Decorations

Most of the Christmas home decorations we see in the Christmas store have evolved from many different cultures. Charles Dudley Warner wrote about the Christmas holiday in 1884 "We have saved out of the past nearly all that was good in it". The evolution of Christmas as we know it today is no doubt better than the old holidays. At the mere mention of holly, ivy or mistletoe the visions of Christmas with all it's wonderful memories wanders into our minds. We see visions of ornaments on trees, snow covered hills, carolers singing, ringing bells and outdoor lights, lighting up the night.  In the winter when most native plants lose their leaves, flowers and fruits, the evergreens, holly, ivy and mistletoe are winter wonders to admire. It is no wonder that these winter delights were used to brighten up the cold dark days of winter.

Mistletoe for Christmas decorating has a special meaning for the holidays today. The hanging of the mistletoe in the doorways creates many plots and diversions to receive a kiss under it. The mistletoe kissing tradition comes from the Norse myths. Frigga, one of the gods, gave her son Balder a charm of mistletoe to protect him from the elements. But because mistletoe grows neither from the water or the earth nor from fire or air, it grows on trees, it held the power to harm him. One of the other god's arrows made of mistletoe struck Balder down, and his mother cried tears of white berries. She brought her son back to life and vowed to kiss anyone who rested beneath the plant. So the mistletoe  kissing tradition began. In the early days mistletoe was called the all-healer in Celtic speech and in various European countries mistletoe is believed to possess marvelous powers of healing sickness or even averting misfortune. It was also believed to be the remedy against poisons and to make barren animals fruitful. There are traces in Britain of the sacredness of mistletoe as well as holly.

Holly, with its dark green spiky leaves and red berries, was also believed to have magical powers and the ability to drive demons away. Germans considered holly to be a good luck charm against the hostile forces of nature. A Shropshire custom was to leave the holly and ivy up until Candlemas, while the mistletoes were preserved until the next holiday season and hung so that good fortune would follow till the next holiday season.  In the early days food was also central to the holiday decorations. As the Christmas season grew near huge batches of cookies, candies, and sugared fruits were prepared for food and as Christmas decor. As mentioned above not all the early decor in the home came from the kitchen, the woods and fields provided an abundance of  straw, pods, flowers, and foliage for Christmas tree decorations also. Select the following link to view our Christmas wreaths, garlands, Christmas greenery and Christmas ribbon. 

As far back as the fifteenth century, Stow's of London noted that the custom at Christmas was that every household, parish and church be decked with items of ivy, holm, bays and other affordable seasonal greens. Many elders of England will recall the old English mode of church decor of sprigs of holly and yew stuck into the high pews making the churches a miniature forest. The decor extended outside when the city light poles, standards and in London were decorated for the Christmas season. The Christmas trimming evolved next into trimmings of beads, knots of bright ribbon, paper stars and lace bags filled with candies were all homemade by hand. Nuts, seeds, berries, popcorn and other homemade materials civilized the wild beauty of the past. The stringing of popcorn and cranberries are still in use today and purchased in the Christmas store. Tree decor was now open to creative and inspirational holiday decorating ideas that are still with us today.

The popularity of Christmas tree decorating in America grew when imports from Europe began in the 1870’s. In 1880 F.W. Woolworth was amazed when his first shipment of German Christmas ornaments were sold out in a couple of days from the Christmas stores department. Select the following link to view our German glass ornaments. Christmas stores stocked silver foil icicles, chains of tiny Czechoslovakia beads, and crinkly of  wire tinsel that added sparkle to the Christmas trees. Cardboard ornaments, tin metal Christmas ornaments, and paper decor were popular in the Christmas store until the 1900’s. Christmas stores then introduced a wide verity of plastic holiday decorations.

Today Christmas trees are usually the focal point in the American home. Decking the halls and home with wreaths, and garlands add additional beauty. With all the modern advances in the Christmas industry, decorating for Christmas has become an art form. During the holiday season the magic of Christmas comes alive with the creativeness of the Christmas store and designers around the world. There are no rules when it comes to the personal selection of Christmas decorations. We might conclude by observing homes, businesses and Christmas stores that the bells of freedom bells ring when it comes to Christmas creativeness.

In America, the tradition of hanging a wreath on the front door is a welcome gesture of friendship. The original American tradition of the outdoor Christmas lights is a cheerful delight throughout the holiday season. Passerby's of all descriptions can enjoy the beauty of the outdoor lights. Select the following link to view our Christmas tree lights and outdoor Christmas decorations. Through out the cold winter days of December, there are colorful light displays around every corner that bring the holiday spirit to everyone.

Natural Christmas Trees

Traditionally, Christmas trees were not brought in and decorated until Christmas Eve (24 December), and then removed the day after twelfth night (i.e., 6 January); to have a tree up before or after these dates was even considered bad luck. Modern commercialisation of Christmas has however resulted in trees being put up much earlier; in shops often as early as late October. A common tradition in U.S. homes is to put the tree up right after Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday in November) and to take it down right after the New Year. In Europe, private Christmas trees are not usually put up until at least the middle of December and are usually taken down by the 6th of January. In Germany, Catholics take their Christmas trees down by the 2nd of February.

The best species for use are species of fir (Abies), which have the major benefit of not shedding the needles when they dry out, as well as good foliage colour and scent; but species in other genera are also used. Commonly used species in northern Europe are:

• Silver Fir Abies alba (the original species)
• Nordmann Fir Abies nordmanniana (as in the photo)
• Noble Fir Abies procera
• Norway Spruce Picea abies (generally the cheapest)
• Serbian Spruce Picea omorika
• Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris

and in North America:

• Balsam Fir Abies balsamea
• Fraser Fir Abies fraseri
• Grand Fir Abies grandis
• Noble Fir Abies procera
• Red Fir Abies magnifica
• Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii
• Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris
• Stone Pine Pinus pinea (as small table-top trees)

Several other species are used to a lesser extent. Less-traditional conifers are sometimes used, such as Giant Sequoia, Leyland Cypress and Eastern Juniper. Blue spruce can also be used as a Christmas tree, but has very sharp needles, making decorating uncomfortable. Virginia Pine is still available on some tree farms in the southeastern United States, however its winter colour is faded. The long-needled Eastern White Pine is also used there. Norfolk Island pine is sometimes used, particularly in the Oceania region, and in Australia some species of the genera Casuarina and Allocasuarina are also occasionally used as Christmas trees.

Some trees are sold live with roots and soil, often from a nursery, to be planted later outdoors and enjoyed (and often decorated) for years or decades. However, the combination of root loss on digging, and the indoor environment of high temperature and low humidity is very detrimental to the tree's health, and the survival rate of these trees is low. These trees must be kept inside only for a few days, as the warmth will bring them out of dormancy, leaving them little protection when put back outside into the midwinter cold in most areas. Others are produced in a container and sometimes as topiary for a porch or patio.

European tradition prefers the open aspect of naturally-grown, unsheared trees, while in North America (outside western areas where trees are often wild-harvested on public lands there is a preference for close-sheared trees with denser foliage, but less space to hang decorations. The shearing also damages the highly attractive natural symmetry of unsheared trees. In the past, Christmas trees were often harvested from wild forests, but now almost all are commercially grown on tree farms.

Almost all Christmas trees in the United States are grown on Christmas tree farms where they are cut after about ten years of growth and new trees planted. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) agriculture census for 2002 (the census is done every five years) there were 21,904 farms were producing conifers for the cut Christmas Tree market in America, 446,996 acres were planted in Christmas Trees, and 13,849 farms harvested cut trees. The top 5 percent of the farms (100 acres or more) sold 61 percent of the trees. The top 26 percent of the farms (20 acres or more) sold 84 percent of the trees. 21% of the farms were less than two acres and sold an average of 115 trees per farm.

In the UK, The British Christmas Tree Growers Association represents the interests of all those who grow Christmas trees in Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Artificial Christmas Tree

Artificial trees have become increasingly popular, as they are considered more convenient and (if used for several years) less expensive than real trees. Trees come in a number of colours and "species", and some come pre-decorated with lights. At the end of the Christmas season artificial trees can be diassembled and stored compactly. In the U.S., about 70% of trees are now artificial.

Artificial trees are sometimes even a necessity in some rented homes (especially apartment flats), due to the potential fire danger from a dried-out real tree, leading to their prohibition by some landlords. They may also be necessary for people who have an allergy to conifers, and are increasingly popular in office settings.

The first artificial trees were tabletop feather trees, made from green-dyed goose feathers wound onto sticks drilled into a larger one, like the branches on a tree. Originating in Germany in the 19th century to prevent further deforestation these "minimalist" trees show off small ornaments very well. The first feather trees came to the U.S. in 1913, in the Sears, Roebuck and Company catalog.

The first modern artificial Christmas trees were produced by companies which made brushes. They were made the same way, using animal hair (mainly pig bristles) and later plastic bristles, dyed pine-green colour, inserted between twisted wires that form the branches. The bases of the branches were then twisted together to form a large branch, which was then inserted by the user into a wooden pole (now metal with plastic rings) for a trunk. Each row of branches is a different size, colour coded at the base with paint or stickers for ease of assembly.

The first trees looked like long-needled pine trees, but later trees use flat PVC sheets to make the needles. Many also have very short brown "needles" wound in with the longer green ones, to imitate the branch itself or the bases that each group of pine (but not other conifer) needles grows from. These trees have become a little more realistic every year, with a few deluxe trees containing multiple branch styles. Many trees now come in "slim" versions, to fit in smaller spaces. Most of the better trees have branches hinged to the pole, though the less-expensive ones generally still come separately. The hinged branched trees just need for the branches to be lowered. But they are a little less compact. Better trees also have more branch tips, the number usually listed on the box.

Around 2003, some trees with moulded plastic branches started selling in the U.S. Now there are also upside down christmas trees. These christmas trees are advertised to "Give you more space for presents".

The first trees which were not green were the metallic trees of the 1950s and 1960s. They were aluminium-coated paper, meaning that they also posed a great fire hazard if lights were put directly on them (warnings to this effect are still issued with most christmas tree lights). They were instead lit by a spotlight or floodlight, often with a motorised rotating color wheel in front of it. More recent tinsel trees can be used safely with lights.

Other artificial trees which look nothing like a conifer except for the triangular or conical shape, are also used as tabletop decorations, such as a stack of ornaments.

Some Christmas Gift Ideas

Christmas marks the birth of Jesus. It is an occasion of festivity and fervor. This holiday signifies spreading love among fellow human beings. Christmas gifts hold the real spirit of  celebration. They are the best way to express your love to loved ones. . The best Christmas presents are the memories that are sure to last for a lifetime. There are a variety of  gifts that can be the best ones for a wonderful holiday.They are an ideal way to express love and affection to your loved ones.  In order to select the best present for your loved ones one should know their choice. Christmas presents add a very special touch to every heart and when the best  presents are selected and given on Christmas it is sure to be the most memorable one.

While kids find toys to be best Christmas presents teenagers love funky T-shirts with unusual messages. This would definitely be the best  present that a college going teenager is sure to cherish forever. With the development of technology the latest gadgets like mobiles, music systems, ipods and video games would be the best  presents for teenagers. Best gifts when received are sure to bring cheer and joy to everyone. Real flowers signify freshness and fragrance. These would be the best gifts for your loved one. A short love poem when written can bring love and cheer to your loved one. This would be a wonderful gift  that is sure to be cherished forever. Women love receiving Christmas gifts like diamond necklaces and other jewelry. Surely women will enjoy such gifts spending time dressing up for various occasions. Personalized gifts are a good idea for Christmas. They are ideal for keepsakes and are sure to be kept memorable forever. Cute  presents like cute cuddly teady bears are the best  gifts for kids. One can see a smile on their face while receiving them.

Best Christmas gifts for everyone!

If you want to make the recipient feel special then you may go for unique personalized gifts. Personalized gifts are ideal Christmas present ideas.

• Another interesting  idea is framed photograph. Beautifully framed photograph is a perfect Christmas gift  for loved ones.
  
  
• Hand created oil painting or charcoal drawing of your favorite photograph is another present idea.
  
  
• Creating a DVD of old albums would be also great. Recipient will cherish memories throughout his/her life.
  
  
• One more gift can be a beautiful Christmas gift baskets

 

• Homemade Christmas gifts such as crafts, homemade cookies, cakes and photo frames can be unique  present ideas.
  
• A personalized greeting card suits perfectly on such ocassion.

 

• Kids love watching their favorite cartoons. A set of their favorite collection of cartoons sounds great! 
  
  
• Grandparents should not be forgotten while giving unique Christmas presents. Photo signature quilts can be kept memorable as they keep the signatures of others, which can be remembered later.
  
• A newly wedded couple would find holiday package to be the best gift . It would be a perfect present for the couples to go to their most favorite destinations.
  
  
• Books are always the best gifts for book lovers.

 

Now it’s your time to choose!