Christmas Ornaments

Introduction

Christmas gives a sense of joy and belonging, as well as hope and fresh beginnings. Most people associate this time of year with family gatherings and lavishly cooked meals. Above all, decorating the house, classroom, or office gets everyone in the holiday spirit. Most of us usually ignore the significance of each ornament we decorate our Christmas trees with. Keep reading to learn why each ornament has a place on the tree and what it represents.

History of Christmas Ornaments

Origin

The modern Christmas tree tradition began in 16th century Germany with miniature evergreen trees decorated with candles, apples, nuts, and berries, dubbed "Paradise trees" in church plays. Devout Christians began to include these trees in their houses during the holiday season, and the tradition gradually spread from Germany to Europe. Because of the traditionally pagan implications, the ritual took slower to gain in America.

Popularisation

After watching Queen Victoria and her family celebrate with a Christmas tree in the 1840s, Americans began to adopt the tradition. In the 1890s, Woolworth's Department Store in the United States sold nearly $25 million worth of German-imported decorations made of lead and hand-blown glass every year. To compete with Germany, other countries, such as Japan and Eastern European countries, began mass-producing glass Christmas ornaments. Hallmark created a line of "Keepsake" ornaments in 1973, making Christmas decorations collectible. Christmas ornaments are now fashioned of a variety of materials, including glass, plastic, porcelain, metal, wood, and expanded polystyrene, and are intended to be used year after year.

Types of Christmas Ornaments

Angels: Angels are typically placed atop Christmas trees to represent the celestial messengers who brought the good news of Jesus' birth.

Star: The star atop the tree represents the Christmas star, which first emerged above Bethlehem to guide travelers to the baby Jesus. It serves as an angel's substitute.

Bells: When placed on the Christmas tree, bells are thought to ward off evil spirits and serve as a symbol of Jesus' birth.

Fruit Basket: A food-themed ornament that serves as a gentle reminder to share and be kind to others while also representing an abundance of food.

Candy Cane: The shepherd's crook-shaped candy cane represents how the humble shepherds first worshiped the Lord. The red symbolizes Jesus' blood or sacrifice, and the white symbolizes his virginity.

Holly: The leaves of the holly tree represent Jesus' crown of thorns, while the red berries represent his blood.

Pine Cones: Pine cones symbolize motherhood, fertility, fruitfulness, and eternal life.

Heart: The heart symbolizes love.

Dove: The dove represents the Holy Spirit and is a cheery and happy symbol.

Frog: Traditionally considered a lucky charm, frogs' forward motion serves as a reminder to pursue our objectives.

Teapot: This ornament serves as a reminder to be hospitable to others and is symbolic of hospitality.

Pickle: Another custom is to hide a pickle ornament within the tree. It is said that whoever finds it will be fortunate for a year.

Mistletoe: One of the four plants associated with Christmas, mistletoe stands for fertility and eternal life because it survives the fall foliage of trees.

Evolution of Christmas Ornaments

Christmas ornaments evolved from a witch ball, which was used to ward off evil spirits, to a colorful glass ball that was used for homes. Made from a variety of styles and materials, they became popular in the Victorian era. They decorated Christmas trees, doors, windows, and mantels. New forms, such as chocolate-covered ornaments, were introduced in the twentieth century to add festive accents. Christmas decorations have gotten bigger and better over the previous century, as well as more diverse. Because people spend a lot of time decorating the outside of their homes with enormous Christmas ornaments and all types of lights, some towns have become highly recognized for their Christmas displays.

Conclusion

Christmas gives a sense of joy and belonging, as well as hope and fresh beginnings. Decorating the house, classroom, or office gets everyone in the holiday spirit. Christmas tree ornaments have evolved to truly represent the interests of each family. Many families, for example, collect ornaments as visual representations of memories while traveling. Others buy personalized ornaments with the year of anniversaries, births, or other significant events engraved or stamped on them. Sports, movie characters, hobbies, musicians, favorite colors, and other interests have all become popular as ornaments.