The Christmas holidays are a season of colour, delicacies and a lot of activities. It is meant for spending time with friends and family, finding presents, and eating yummy food. One significant thing that makes the holidays special are the Christmas decorations that adorn the home and office spaces throughout the season. However, one thing that many are curious about is the need for them. The beginning of these traditions is very amusing.
This article will give an idea of the Christmas decors and how they became popular in this world.
The tree and the season
The Christmas tree carries a lot of significance among the many decorations of the season. A lot of beliefs are present in this world about this. However, the fact lies in how the tree plays a huge role in the season’s presentation in a more westernised manner. Christmas falls in the winter season of the west. So, the tree represents the liveliness and hopes the celebration is meant to bring forth. The first Christmas tree was cut up and set in Germany. It was later adopted in England and then by the other parts of the world.
Among the other Christmas decorations, the tree represents the light that descended into this world. Although the first tree wasn’t all glowy and glittery like now, the inventions and innovations over time have led to that possibility.
The Christmas colours
Although a dozen colours and styles are used to decorate homes, the traditional Christmas colours are red and green. These colours seeped in from the religious texts, which give significance to life and hope.
The red colour symbolises the blood of Jesus Christ. It signifies how He came into the world to die for the sins of his people through crucifixion. The green colour, on the other hand, is associated with life and eternity. It symbolises the continuation of life, which is possible after winter and after death, through the eternal belief in Jesus.
However, in the present scenario, these colours have significance in a non-religious setup also. The decorations would seem incomplete without the perfect blend of red and green colours.
Outdoor lightings
When it comes to the outdoor decorations and the lighting, they also have a very grand history. It dates back to the times when Norsemen celebrated the tradition of mid-winter. It consisted of drinking yule, a beer that was sacrificed to Odin, their God. Lights were used during that season to represent the idea of how Jesus Christ came into the world and lit up the darkness.
Later, in time, candles were used to light and heat homes during the winter times. There were also indications that the travellers during that time can take shelter at these houses. Slowly, the candles began to be symbolic of welcoming Mary and Joseph to their homes too.
As the times changed, these candles took a significant place, which led to the invention of outdoor lighting. As time went on, they underwent more innovations and paved the way to what is presently followed.
The mistletoe of the season is representative of evergreens and holiness. They symbolise the future and how life continues. Even though it’s a rough dark winter, the time gives hope to the people that this too shall pass. Thus, Christmas is a time where the season’s roughness is easily forgotten because the glitter and the glimmer give hope.
