Christmas Decoration is a fun filled activity, which is looked forward with great enthusiasm by one and all . Preparations start months in advance for the occasion and every nook and corner of the market is searched high and low to get the best Christmas decoration items to make the celebrations truly special. Many also prefer to handcraft the decorations and gift them to their family and friends.
Christmas lights are a special part of Christmas Decorations . Light adorned trees and candles illuminate the festival giving it a special aura.
Few of the popular items used for Christmas Decorations are listed below:
Poinsettia: This is a traditional star shaped lovely Christmas flower, which is used during the festivities for its holy and cheery spirit.
Scented Candles: Luminous scented candles are used to induce the jolly spirit of the season in the homes and hearts.
Wreaths & Garlands: Wreaths and Garlands in greens are traditional forms of Christmas Decorations , which are placed to welcome the guests. Wreaths in holly, ivy, and mistletoe symbolizing faith, life and love are commonly used.
Christmas Lights : Lovely Christmas lights like light candles, battery candles, twinkle lights , etc are a great way to brighten up your Christmas party and Christmas tree.
Christmas Tree: It is the most important part of the celebrations. The evergreen tree represents the celebration of the renewal of life at a time of darkness and cold at the winter. It also acts like one of the most significant decorations in Christmas .
Colored Glass Balls: The glass balls and different shapes and sizes are used as ornaments for the Christmas tree.
Christmas Angels: Also, called as messenger of god. A popular Irish legend states that Virgin Mary sends angels at every Christmas Eve to awaken Children and they are taken to heaven to sing a carol to the Christ Child. After that the children are send back to their beds. Such children are considered blessed for the rest of life.
Santa Claus: Santa as lamp light , figurine or in the form of poster is a part of the celebrations.
Christmas nativity Sets: The nativity sets showing the birth of Christ is in vogue.
Mantles: Stylish mantles prove to be good decoration items.
Stockings: Stockings in beautiful shapes, sizes and pattern are usually hung around representing hope and good luck.
Paper Decorations : You can use papers like tissue, crepe paper to create lovely decorations like lacy chains, symbolic Christmas Star and cheer up the ambience of any place.
Mistletoe decorations
Mistletoe decorations are an integral part of the Christmas celebrations. There is an interesting story associated with kissing under Mistletoe. The legends say that Frigga, the goddess granted her son Balder a charm of mistletoe in order to protect him. The fact that Mistletoe did not grow from the water or the earth but grew on trees held the power to harm him. Once the arrows made of mistletoe struck Balder down. His mother was able to bring her son back to life and vowed to kiss anyone who rested beneath the plant.
Another story is that in Germany people used to make a spherical object with four sides of evergreens like holly, bay, rosemary, box, yew. A symbol of holy family, Baby Jesus was placed in the middle. The bough or Holy bough decorated with ribbons, gilded nuts, fruits etc were kept at a beam immediately inside the house entrance. The local priest used to bless the boughs in his Parish. The idea was that any visitor who comes to the house during the festive season should embrace under the bough as a sign to ease out bad feelings and enmity. The custom went to Britain from Germany, where a small Fir treetop was hung upside down in the same way.
By the 18 th century, Holy Bough came to be called as ‘Holly Bough' or ‘Holly Bunch'. The quick kiss under it largely done as a tradition.
