Tree Decorating - A Christmas Tradition

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Early trees

The decorated Christmas tree, originated in western Germany. As part of a popular medieval play about Adam and Eve, there was a “paradise tree” hung with apples, representing the Garden of Eden.
Later, becoming a feature in individual homes,  wafers were also hung on it (symbolizing the eucharistic host, the Christian sign of redemption); and later cookies of various shapes.

Candles, symbolic of Christ as the light of the world, were often added too. At the same time a “Christmas pyramid,” a triangular construction of wood that had shelves to hold Christmas figurines would be decorated with evergreens, candles, and a star.
By the 16th century the Christmas pyramid and the paradise tree had merged, becoming the Christmas tree.

Lovely frosted berries spray decoration.

Large gold and white glittered flower.

Beautifully reflective silver glitter bauble.

Christmas trees, west and east

Introduced into England in the early 19th century, the Christmas tree was popularized in the mid-19th century by German-born Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, and was decorated with toys and small gifts, candles, candies, popcorn strings, and fancy cakes hung from the branches by ribbons and by paper chains.

In China and Japan, Christmas trees, introduced by Western missionaries in the 19th and 20th centuries, were decorated with intricate paper designs.

Large red decorative flower.

Beaded, icicle effect glass bauble.

No tree should be without a cheeky robin!

The start of familiar tree decorations

Blown-glass ornaments were offered for sale in Britain and the United States as early as the 1870s, many produced in small workshops in Germany and Bohemia, which also created decorations made from tinsel, cast lead, beads, pressed paper, and cotton batting.

By 1890, strings of electric tree lights were also available and in the 1930s, artificial trees made of brush bristles were developed in the United States. Artificial trees gained significant popularity, particularly in countries where fresh trees were hard to get hold of.

Stunning, large blue and gold glittered flower.

Delicate emboidery work features on this range of matt baubles.

Silver, silver and more silver on this extra large reflective flower.

Year-on-year Christmas tree decoration gets more and more elaborate,  decorating fashions come and go, and we build up an abundance of decorations for all around our homes. 

This year, here we've chosen to feature some of our lavish flourishes that you can buy for your tree, along with feature baubles and other decorations based in nature. Whether for your Christmas tree, table decorations, swags by your fireplace or to adorn your stairs, Colour Supplies has a selection of ideas to make your house into a '2024 home' this Christmas. You'll find our Home and Garden stores in Wrexham, Wales, and Oswestry and Whitchurch, Shropshire.


Tree decorating information was taken from https://www.britannica.com/ for the purposes of this article.


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