History of Christmas Decorations

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When Were Christmas Decorations First Used?

 

Christmas decorations can be traced back to over 2,500 years ago in ancient Rome. During a pagan festival called Saturnalia, homes were decorated in wreaths and evergreen boughs, and a giant feast was held where gifts were offered to the gods.

We may not offer dolls, candles, and caged birds to gods in order to live through winter, but many customs from Saturnalia are still found in our Christmas celebrations today. This includes lighting up trees, putting wreaths on our door, and drinking way too much eggnog!

Who Invented Christmas Decorations?


Whether it’s hanging a wreath on the front door or threading a string of lights through the tree, there are many ways to celebrate the holidays. Here is a fascinating history of some of your favorite Christmas decorations!

Christmas Trees



Historians aren’t sure where exactly the Christmas tree came from, but most point to pagan traditions in Germany. The story goes that a missionary sacrificed a giant “holy tree” to the god, Thor. As a nod to this lore, Germans would set up trees in their homes and decorate them with candles. When Christianity took over in the 16th century, the Germans rebranded the trees as “paradise trees” and decorated them with apples.

Stockings


You hang a stocking on the fireplace every Christmas because of a poem by Clement Clarke Moore. Published in 1823, this popular piece references St. Nick filling all the stockings and then rising up the chimney.

Wreaths


Ancient Romans hung wreaths to celebrate a winter festival known as Saturnalia. Some sources also believe that wreaths were used to countdown the four weeks before Christmas in medieval Germany.

Christmas Lights


Thomas Edison invented outdoor Christmas lights as a way to show his holiday spirit. He hung the twinkling lights right outside of his laboratory, so passengers on the train outside of his lab could see the display at night. Edison’s protegee, Edward Johnson, created the first string lights a few years later.


Gingerbread Houses


You probably have heard the fairy tale, “Hansel & Gretel.” This German story is part of the reason why we decorate gingerbread houses for the holidays. The other inspiration is monks in 13th century Germany who made gingerbread cookies known as Lebkuchen.


Nutcrackers



During World War II, Americans stationed in Germany had to buy Christmas gifts from local shops to send back home. One of the most popular gifts was nutcrackers, and they’ve since been favorites for the holiday season.


Candy Canes


The candy cane is an old-fashioned treat that comes from Germany. As the story goes, a choirmaster in Cologne handed out these sugar sticks to young singers so they’d be quiet during religious ceremonies. He shaped them like canes as a nod to shepherds.


Inflatable Christmas Decorations



Decorate your front yard with giant inflatables! These outdoor Christmas decorations seem to have popped up out of nowhere, but they have actually been around for over 20 years. A Texas company called Gemmy Industries was the first to create a Christmas inflatable – an 8-foot-tall Santa Claus.

Advent Calendars



Do you love chocolate? Mark down the days until Christmas with an advent calendar. Like many holiday traditions, these calendars originated in Germany in the mid to late 19th century. They were used by the Christian church to mark each Sunday from the feast day of Saint Andrew (November 30th) to Christmas Day.

Mistletoes


Greenery has been associated with Christmastime since ancient times. The Romans decorated with wreaths, holly, and garland, while the Celtic Druids hung up mistletoes with white berries as a sign of fertility. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe likely comes from the Middle Ages where it was first observed among servants in England.


Poinsettias

With their pretty red and green foliage, poinsettias are the perfect flowers for Christmas. They were first used to decorate a nativity scene in Mexico, but quickly became bestsellers in the U.S thanks to a gardener named Paul Ecke Jr. He donated the poinsettias from his family ranch to Bob Hope Christmas specials and The Tonight Show.











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