The town had long produced fine glassware. ![]() Types of decorations Glass ornaments įigural glass Christmas ornaments originated in the small town of Lauscha, Germany in the latter half of the 19th century. Christmas trees may be decorated with lights and ornaments. The influential 1840s image of the Queen's decorated evergreen was republished in the U.S, and as the first widely circulated picture of a decorated Christmas tree in America, the custom there spread. From Germany the custom was introduced to England, first via Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, and then more successfully by Prince Albert during the early reign of Queen Victoria. However, the English-language phrase "Christmas tree" is first recorded in 1835 and represents an importation from the German language. In discussions of folklore, some claim that the Christmas tree is a Christianization of pagan tradition and ritual surrounding the winter solstice, which included the use of evergreen boughs, and an adaptation of pagan tree worship according to eighth-century biographer Æddi Stephanus, Saint Boniface (634–709), who was a missionary in Germany, took an axe to an oak tree dedicated to Thor and pointed out a fir tree, which he stated was a more fitting object of reverence because it pointed to heaven and it had a triangular shape, which he said was symbolic of the Trinity. Professor David Albert Jones of Oxford University writes that in the 19th century, it became popular for people to also use an angel to top the Christmas tree in order to symbolize the angels mentioned in the accounts of the Nativity of Jesus. In the United States, these "German Lutherans brought the decorated Christmas tree with them the Moravians put lighted candles on those trees." When decorating the Christmas tree, many individuals place a star at the top of the tree symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem, a fact recorded by The School Journal in 1897. The Christmas tree was first used by German Lutherans in the 16th century, with records indicating that a Christmas tree was placed in the Cathedral of Strassburg in 1539, under the leadership of the Protestant Reformer, Martin Bucer. Tertullian complained to the 2nd century that Christians in North Africa decorated their homes with greenery, a pagan symbol. The Scandinavians did the same for the Yule festival, which was held around the same date as Christmas. The tradition of a decorated tree is old since the Celts already decorated a tree, the symbol of life at the time of the winter solstice. They are mentioned in ancient descriptions of the Roman feast Saturnalia, which was believed to have originated in the 5th century BC. History Ĭhristmas decorations are as old as Christmas itself. Taking down Christmas decorations before Twelfth Night, as well as leaving the decorations up beyond Candlemas, is historically considered to be inauspicious. In the Western Christian world, the two traditional days when Christmas decorations are removed are Twelfth Night and if they are not taken down on that day, Candlemas, the latter of which ends the Christmas-Epiphany season in some denominations. ![]() Liturgically, this is done in some parishes through a Hanging of the Greens ceremony. ![]() In many countries, such as Sweden, people start to set up their Advent and Christmas decorations on the first day of Advent. Typical images on Christmas decorations include Baby Jesus, Father Christmas, Santa Claus, and the star of Bethlehem. Gold and silver are also very common, as are other metallic colours. ![]() The traditional colors of Christmas are pine green ( evergreen), snow white, and heart red. Christmas decorations in a private home, Europe.Ī Christmas decoration is any of several types of ornamentation used at Christmastide and the greater holiday season.
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