A Christmas tree is an evergreen tree, most commonly a pine or fir, that is decked out in lights and ornaments as part of the celebrations around Christmas. Decorations for both the interior and exterior of a home can take the form of Christmas trees, and these trees can either be real or fake. Even though trees have historically been connected to Christian symbolism, their use in current culture is predominantly secular. During the holiday season, it is common practice for families to gather around an indoor Christmas tree to exchange gifts on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
A Little History
Christmas trees were the height of fashion when they arrived in North America in the 19th century, having been brought there by German settlers as early as the 17th century. In addition, they were well-liked in the countries of Switzerland, Poland, the Netherlands, and Austria. Christmas trees were first brought to China and Japan by Western missionaries in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Christmas tree ornament Blown-glass ornaments were offered for sale in Britain and the United States as early as the 1870s. Many of these ornaments were produced in small workshops in Germany and Bohemia. These same workshops also produced decorations made from tinsel, cast lead, beads, pressed paper, and cotton batting.
By the year 1890, F.W. Woolworth’s annual sales of ornaments had reached $25 million in the United States. At the same time, strings of electric tree lights were also becoming more widely available. In the United States, artificial trees consisting of brush bristles were invented in the 1930s, and commercial manufacture of aluminum and PVC plastic trees began in the 1950s and 1960s.
Artificial trees gained a huge following, particularly in nations where real trees were difficult. This was especially true during the holiday season.
So why do we go to the trouble of decorating Christmas trees?
The response has a historical origin but has also developed into a revered family custom through the years. It is a time to meet as a family, reflect on the last year, and celebrate the impending Christmas season with the people who are most important to us and physically closest to us in our hearts.
Every Christmas ornament has its own narrative, which allows the family to reminisce about times spent together, places visited, activities enjoyed, and topics of interest. The Christmas tree displayed in a family’s home reveals a one-of-a-kind and lovely tale unique to that family.
Ornament collections steeped in tradition are often handed down from one generation to the next. If you go to a friend’s home in the near future, make it a point to inquire about the history of their ornaments. You could be surprised to learn a touching tale especially when it comes to animal ornaments.
Animal ornaments are great symbols with profound meaning to the owners. Let’s have a look at some of them.
Resting bird ornament
It would appear that a nesting bird ornament, much like the pickle ornament and the spider ornament, has a long and illustrious history of bringing good luck.
Nests are representations of a place to call home.
They symbolize the love, commitment, and labor that goes into creating a happy home for one’s family. In addition, bird nests are considered to be lucky symbols. According to an old wives’ tale, any household that discovers a bird’s nest tucked away in the branches of their Christmas tree will be blessed with financial success in the coming year.
Spider ornament
Although we may think of spiders as a symbol associated solely with Halloween, the eight-legged critters also play a role as emblems associated with the holiday of Christmas. After reporting on the significance of the pickle ornament, some of our readers mentioned that they also participated in the Christmas spider’s custom, which piqued our interest and made us want to learn more about it.
Another folk tale that originated in Europe, the history of spiders appearing around Christmastime has been traced back to a number of nations, most frequently Germany and Ukraine. One telling of the tale has it that a widowed mother cannot afford to decorate her Christmas tree, so some spiders decorate the evergreen for her instead by spinning intricate webs on it.
On Christmas morning, when the mother and her family wake up, they open the curtains, and the sunlight hits the webs, making them silver and gold (this tale is sometimes said to be the origin of tinsel). After that point, the family enjoyed continued good fortune. In some versions of the story, Santa Claus or Jesus Christ are credited for transforming the spider webs so that they would no longer distress the mother.
Several sources, including the Evening Standard, report that Ukrainians decorate their Christmas trees with spider-shaped ornaments (often made of beautiful beads) to this day. The legend is likely linked to the idea that spiders are lucky; however, whatever the real reason, Ukrainians continue decorating their Christmas trees with spider-shaped ornaments. You may begin the holiday tradition in your own house this year by hanging one of these captivating spider ornaments. Red Cardinal
Cardinals
In the holiday decorations, you’ll frequently find cardinals. Our bright and happy companion with the scarlet feathers is frequently used as a symbol for Christmas, as it is said to provide hope to a desolate winter scene. Some people believe that the red cardinal represents loved ones that have passed away.
The Honey bee And The Rooster Ornament
The honeybee is a metaphor for ingenuity and organization. Farmers in England adorned their beehives with holly because they thought that on the first Christmas, the bees hummed in honor of Jesus, the newborn Rooster.
When you think of Christmas, you probably do not immediately picture a rooster crowing. This is probably not the first image that springs to mind. But the story goes that the only time a rooster crowed at midnight was to proclaim the birth of Jesus Christ, who was born in a manger. This is also why countries in Spain and Latin America refer to the Christmas Eve midnight mass that they celebrate as the Mass of the Rooster.
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