On New Year’s Eve, a long-awaited day– the Christmas tree – is still up in homes! Many families have the custom to get together and dress up an evergreen tree – a symbol of Christmas. Plus, there is also a Nativity Scene which is built from stables and grottos. Do we know where the tradition of decorating a Christmas tree for New Year and Christmas came from?
Tradition, Decoration, and Modernity
This tradition is over 2000 years old. The original Christmas trees were decorated with apples, nuts, and eggs – symbols of fertility, harmony, and well-being. Much later, decorations made from colored paper appeared. Decorating the tree in the past had many options such as: candies, gingerbread cookies, gilded gizmos, fresh flowers. And, of course, how can it be without Christmas candles. They were used all around the tree.
But all these Christmas tree decorations were heavy, and later glassblowers began to create lightweight hollow ornaments. They quickly became popular and replaced the old decor. Soon after, they began to crown the top of the tree with a star – as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, which showed the way to the Magi.
In the last century, artificial decorations have begun to appear and instantly gained popularity. After all, they were comfortable to place onto the tree and affordable. Nowadays, the choice is simply amazing, manufacturers offer a range of options. There are pine trees, Christmas trees with cones and bulbs, snowy and classic green. There is even wall and tabletop decor to match with festive spaces.
Choosing a Christmas tree to your liking in the 21st century is not difficult. Now in the world, there are a large number of brands with their factories for the production of Christmas trees for every taste. Among foreign manufacturers, one can single out National Tree Company (America), Kaemingk, Black Box, and Triumph Tree (Holland). There are many shops with a wide range and choices for different budgets. And it’s generally easy to buy a Christmas tree on the Internet: choose, order and they will bring it home to you!
Now there is a huge assortment of various Christmas tree decorations which allow you to add a bit of miracle and magic to the pre-holiday season. Traditionally, glass balls are out of competition, but products made of plastic and other modern materials are still very popular: polystone, expanded polystyrene, and acrylic. The old garlands have been replaced by modern LED ones. And why not add other details to garlands like: with curly and multi-colored lamps, and classic threads, or with small LEDs in the form of droplets, and even in the form of candles! Fresh flowers were replaced by decorative ones, skillfully made by master designers. Take a look at the poinsettias, they seem to be real!
You will not immediately guess that they are made of fabric and sequins.
And most importantly, the New Year is just around the corner! Hurry up and buy your Christmas tree! And don’t forget about toys for the kids! All that remains is to use your imagination and decorate your space!
