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The Evolution Of Christmas Ornaments
by Roy Thomsitt
Things have come a long way since a Christmas ornament was
likely to be just a ball hung by the window, or later on a
Christmas tree.
Historians believe that this original Christmas decoration
descended from a witch ball. The original purpose of a witch
ball was to fend off evil spirits. However, being traditionally
glass made, these balls were also very decorative, and people
started to see their use for decorating the home. They were
great decorations, so they started to move around the house a
bit, and the original green colour was varied as time went on.
Over the centuries, and gathering pace in the Victorian era,
they were made in different colours and sizes, and even the
material from which they were made started to be varied.
Also by Victorian times, it became fashionable to decorate the
home for Christmas, so Christmas ornaments started to take a
hold in Victorian homes. Less concerned about evil spirits,
people looked at ornaments as a festive display, a symbol of
celebration. Instead of warding off evil spirits, they started
to accompany a surge in other spirits, most notably brandy and
whisky.
From Victorian times onwards the range has increased steadily.
The decorations have been hung in different places too: the
mantle, windows, and front door being favourites, as well as
the Christmas tree, but there is really no restriction where to
hang Christmas ornaments these days. Inside, outside, it no
longer seems to matter.
A lot of the increase in the use of Christmas decorations has
come from the desire to impress friends, neighbours and family
with the decorative display, as well, of course, for one's own
enjoyment.
The Christmas ball that was supposed to have been derived from
the witch ball, is still a clear favourite of the Christmas
ornaments used to decorate the Christmas tree. Over the years
Christmas tree balls have been designed in a great variety of
colours and finish, with an increasing variety of sparkling
balls.
Another favourite for Christmas decorations nowadays are the
coloured fairy lights. Flashing coloured lights are often a
feature of outside Christmas ornament displays, as well as for
the tree and other places inside the house.
It also became quite normal in the 20th century to hang a new
type of Christmas ornament on a tree; some sort of food,
especially chocolate, that would be covered with a colourful,
shiny paper wrapping to add a festive decorative effect. On top
of the Christmas tree, a fairy has been a popular adornment over
the years, but that has been changing in recent decades, and
other Christmas ornaments often now take pride of place at the
pinnacle.
As with so many things over the last hundred years, Christmas
decorations have just got bigger and better, as well as with a
greater variety. Now, in some localities, you will get local
communities where house owners go to great lengths to decorate
the outside of their homes with giant Christmas ornaments and
lighting displays. Some such localities become well known
simply for their Christmas display. Even here in the
Philippines, some localities become well known in the Christmas
season for their exuberant Christmas ornament displays.
For most of us, however, Christmas ornaments are about
decorating our own little piece of territory to make Christmas
a special occasion for the family, and it is unlikely that that
will ever change.
Please Visit http://www.xmas-ornament.com
for more information
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