Why We Decorate Our Christmas Trees With Ornaments
Cindy VenerioChristmas ornaments are small decorations that can be hung on trees or displayed elsewhere around the house. They come in all shapes and sizes, some being quite detailed and others being simpler.
The most common type of Christmas ornament is a bauble. These are usually made from glass or plastic and have a loop at the top so they can be hung on a tree branch. Baubles can come in many different shapes and sizes, but they're often round or oval-shaped with beautiful decorations, such as glittery snowflakes or pictures of Santa Claus.
Another popular type of Christmas ornament is a bell, which has a clapper inside so it rings when it's moved around. This makes them popular with children because they're easy to play with and decorative items that can be hung on trees or placed on mantelpieces during the festive season.
A Brief History
Before they became the centerpiece of holiday celebrations, Christmas trees were appreciated for what they were: modest evergreens with a pleasant scent that brought cheer throughout the long, cold months of winter.
But during the 16th Century, Christians in Germany started decorating trees for Christmas. They used to build modest pyramids of wood and set them inside their homes if the year had been a particularly difficult one financially.
The first person known to have brought a Christmas tree inside their home was Martin Luther, a German preacher from the 16th century. Historically, both Pagans and Christians in the 16th century used the old fir tree, now popular all over the world, throughout the winter months to celebrate the coming of spring.These days, there is a broad selection of Christmas trees from which to choose to decorate your home on Christmas night, from real fir trees to oak trees to trees made entirely of plastic leaves.
Reasons Why We Decorate Christmas Trees With Ornaments
We decorate Christmas trees for many reasons, but the most important is that it's fun. Here are some reasons why do we put ornaments on a christmas tree:
Tradition
The tradition of decorating a tree goes back hundreds of years. In ancient Germany, people would bring evergreen branches and hang them upside down on their walls to symbolize hope for a bountiful harvest in the coming year. Later, they began turning the components on their ceilings instead of walls, eventually moving them outside and adding candles to them.
Decoration
The earliest known decorations were nuts, and fruit hung from branches to represent fertility and abundance. These were later replaced by candles and stars made from paper or tinsel, which eventually evolved into glass balls filled with water that could be illuminated by candlelight.
Celebration
Today people celebrate Christmas as Christians around the world prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ by adorning their homes with evergreen boughs and lights during Advent season leading up to his birthday on December 25th each year."
They Make Memories
We also decorate Christmas trees with ornaments because they can help us make memories with our loved ones. Whether hanging up old family photos, ornaments from past holidays, or handmade ornaments from your children - having these things on display helps us remember what we've done in the past and who was involved in those moments of joy and happiness.
Symbolism
The custom of decorating a Christmas tree is believed to have originated in Germany in the 16th century, despite the commercialization of Christmas decorations in modern times.
Apples were a popular ornament on evergreen trees, which the Germans called "paradise trees." The Paradise Tree was a biblical symbolism for the forbidden fruit. In later years, trees would be adorned with wafers, candles, and pastries shaped like angels, flowers, hearts, and stars. These customs quickly spread across Europe and particularly to Germany. Legend has it that Martin Luther, a Christian reformer from Germany in the 16th century, was the first to decorate a Christmas tree with candles.
The sight of lights glimmering through the evergreens motivated him do something. Paper streamers and berries were added later on as accessories.
Faith
The birth of Jesus Christ is still the "cause for the season" for many Christians, even if Christmas has become a secular celebration. For them, every ornament has a spiritual significance. The eternal life symbolized by fir trees is a symbol in and of itself. The star on top is a nod to the one the three wise men saw in the Bible's account of Jesus' birth. Furthermore, the Christmas tree lights symbolize the salvation and consolation that may be found in Christ, a light that never goes out even in the dead of winter.
Different Types of Ornaments
Ball ornaments
One of the most common and traditional Christmas ornaments is a Christmas ball, and it can be made of metal, glass, or even plastic. It might have a single or several colors, be hand-painted or even be formed of glass that was blown by hand.
Shaped ornaments
These decorations are often crafted from glass, plastic, or a lightweight metal and can be fashioned like bells, teardrops, icicles, and snowflakes.
Keepsake ornaments
The purchase of a single new, unique ornament by many households has become an annual custom. As the years pass and the children grow older, these ornaments will always bring back fond memories.
DIY ornaments
Kids typically make their own decorations for Christmas, and those ornaments often become keepsakes. Wooden ornaments, especially those that have been hand-painted, for example, may give the tree a more vintage feel. Since wood ornaments are unbreakable even if handled roughly, they are a convenient material for carefree gift giving.
Architectural Ornament
Architectural ornament is any ornament decor applied to an architectural element, such as a building's facade or interior space. It may be carved into stonework, plasterwork, or woodwork; cast in metal; or applied to other surfaces such as glass or plastics using paints or tiles (sometimes called trompe l'oeil). Architectural elements are often decorated with large amounts of architectural detail. Examples include columns and pilasters visible from outside the building through windows and doors; arches over windows and doors.
Glass Ornaments
Glass ornaments are made by blowing molten glass into a mold where it cools down and becomes solidified into a shape desired by the manufacturer. These types of Christmas ornaments decor ideas are mainly used for decorating Christmas trees because they come in different shapes and sizes that make them perfect for any theme that you may want to create. They come in various colors like red, green, blue, etc.
Tree Ornaments
These are the most common type of ornaments used for Christmas decorating purposes. Tree ornaments come in various shapes and sizes, depending on your preference. You can choose from traditional bulbs and tinsel to more elaborate designs like snow globes and Santa dolls.
Star Ornaments
A star is one of the most common Christmas ornaments and can be made of many materials. Plastic stars are inexpensive but do not look as nice as metal ones. Metal stars come in many different sizes, shapes, and colors. Some are painted, and some are just plain gold or silver colored. You can get them with glitter embedded or without glitter for a more traditional look.
Snowflakes
Snowflakes are another popular type of Christmas ornament because they are so beautiful to look at. They usually come in white, but some have other colors, like purple or green snowflakes that glow in the dark when you put them under a light source, like an incandescent or LED light bulb. These types of snowflakes are great if you want something that will last longer than just one season since they can be used yearly and displayed during the holiday season itself.
