Christmas Ornaments

 

Long gone are the days when a Christmas ornament was just a ball hung by the window or later on a Christmas tree. It is believed that the original Christmas ornament was a descendant of a witch ball, a hollow ball hung in homes in the 18th century to ward off evil spirits. Witch balls were traditionally glass made, and green, but over time people began to appreciate their ornamental affect in the home. They came to be hung in different places in the home to give a decorative effect, and variances in size, colour and even the substance from which they were made, changed over the decades and centuries.

By Victorian times, the idea of beautifying the home at Christmas, as well as other times of course, had really caught on. The range of Christmas ornaments grew enormously from then on, with the mantle, the front door and windows becoming focal points for decoration. Much of the growth in the use of ornaments was inspired by an increasing need, socially, to impress family, friends and neighbours. Keeping up with the Jones's is not just a 20th and 21st century phenomenon.

By the second half of the 20th century, a Christmas tree in the lounge during the festive season was a must for most families. The tree itself became a large Christmas ornament, upon which an increasing variety of small, hanging Christmas ornaments could be displayed. The Christmas tree is now an established tradition across the Christian world.

The Christmas ball that was reputedly derived from the witch ball, is still prevalent amongst the Christmas ornaments used to adorn the tree. Over the years they have been designed in a great variety of colours and finish, often each individual ball having its own decoration, usually shiny or sparkly. Coloured lights, flashing or not, have steadily increased in usage, both indoors and out, and can add greatly to the effect of other ornaments, especially on the Christmas tree.

It also became customary in the 20th century to hang a new type of ornament on a tree; some sort of food, especially chocolate, that would be covered with a shiny and colourful paper wrapping to add decorative effect. The traditional ornament to place on the top of a tree was a fairy, but there are now a variety of choices to take pride of place at the Christmas tree's pinnacle.

As with many things over the last century, Christmas ornaments have just got bigger and more complex, as well as more various. Now, in some localities, you will get communities where house owners go to great lengths to decorate the outside of their homes with giant Christmas ornaments and lighting schemes. Some such localities become well known simply for their Christmas display. Even here in the Philippines, Danao City, where I lived for over a year, attracted national attention because the Christmas ornament displays and spectacular lighting were so stunning. People travelled far and wide to see the displays in Danao, and that sort of scene is repeated in many countries of the world.

But for most of us, 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.Christmas Ornaments Long gone are the days when a Christmas ornament was just a ball hung by the window or later on a Christmas tree. It is believed that the original Christmas ornament was a descendant of a witch ball, a hollow ball hung in homes in the 18th century to ward off evil spirits. Witch balls were traditionally glass made, and green, but over time people began to appreciate their ornamental affect in the home. They came to be hung in different places in the home to give a decorative effect, and variances in size, colour and even the substance from which they were made, changed over the decades and centuries.

By Victorian times, the idea of beautifying the home at Christmas, as well as other times of course, had really caught on. The range of Christmas ornaments grew enormously from then on, with the mantle, the front door and windows becoming focal points for decoration. Much of the growth in the use of ornaments was inspired by an increasing need, socially, to impress family, friends and neighbours. Keeping up with the Jones's is not just a 20th and 21st century phenomenon.

By the second half of the 20th century, a Christmas tree in the lounge during the festive season was a must for most families. The tree itself became a large Christmas ornament, upon which an increasing variety of small, hanging Christmas ornaments could be displayed. The Christmas tree is now an established tradition across the Christian world. The Christmas ball that was reputedly derived from the witch ball, is still prevalent amongst the Christmas ornaments used to adorn the tree.

Over the years they have been designed in a great variety of colours and finish, often each individual ball having its own decoration, usually shiny or sparkly. Coloured lights, flashing or not, have steadily increased in usage, both indoors and out, and can add greatly to the effect of other ornaments, especially on the Christmas tree.

It also became customary in the 20th century to hang a new type of ornament on a tree; some sort of food, especially chocolate, that would be covered with a shiny and colourful paper wrapping to add decorative effect. The traditional ornament to place on the top of a tree was a fairy, but there are now a variety of choices to take pride of place at the Christmas tree's pinnacle.

As with many things over the last century, Christmas ornaments have just got bigger and more complex, as well as more various. Now, in some localities, you will get communities where house owners go to great lengths to decorate the outside of their homes with giant Christmas ornaments and lighting schemes. Some such localities become well known simply for their Christmas display.

Even here in the Philippines, Danao City, where I lived for over a year, attracted national attention because the Christmas ornament displays and spectacular lighting were so stunning. People travelled far and wide to see the displays in Danao, and that sort of scene is repeated in many countries of the world. But for most of us, 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.