Experts believed that the practice of decorating trees for Christmas originated in Germany around the 16th century. Then, pious Christians would decorate trees and display wooden pyramids and candles to celebrate the occasion. It gained ground and became popular in England when Prince Albert and Queen Victoria once decorated a tree in Windsor Castle with fruits and gingerbread.
America saw its first Christmas tree when German settlers put one up in Pennsylvania in a bid to raise funds. Up until the 1850’s, the display of Christmas trees was seen as a symbol of paganism and the practice was often met with outrage. But things are quick to change and by the 1890’s, the popularity of the Christmas tree is booming. The Americans put in their own personal touch as they replaced the traditional fruits and berries with homemade trinkets. With the advent of electricity, lights soon became the popular choice when it comes to Christmas tree decorations. Before long, every important building and many houses were adorned with Christmas trees.
There was a legend that Martin Luther once became so enamored with the sight of stars shining through the branches of a fir tree that he set out to recreate it at home. Using candles placed on each branch, the founder of the Protestant faith had his own take on the tradition. Many more legends exist – some even pertaining to spiders of all things. No matter what tradition you subscribe to, it is ultimately up to you on how you decorate your tree.
To make sure that you have the very best Christmas tree you can have year after year, you have to start with the tree itself. Make sure that it gets plenty of water. Especially when it is freshly cut, it can absorb several quarts in a week and you have to make sure that the reservoir is always filled during this crucial time. You can also purchase added insurance in the form of a fertilizing preservative specifically made for Christmas trees.
It’s a good idea to start from the inside and work your way out when laying out the lights. This way, you start with the strongest part of the branch and avoid accidental breakage. Continuing with this, it’s a good idea to start weaving the lights from the base and work your way up.
For a more balanced look with a lot of depth, you should place ornaments on the inside of the tree and not just on the tips of the branches. Use traditional ornaments that are not too complex when doing the fill for your tree. Solid balls make great fillers and you should figure around at least a dozen for each foot of your tree’s height. After you have the lights and fillers in, it’s time to really go all out with your chosen theme.
If you decorate a tree according to your personality, it will be beautiful no matter what. For a novel way of decorating, try to place Christmas ornament cupcakes at the base of your tree in place of gifts. You can also tie strings to edible Christmas toppers like cookies or pastries and hang them instead of the usual ornaments. Experiment and adapt a whimsical mindset!
America saw its first Christmas tree when German settlers put one up in Pennsylvania in a bid to raise funds. Up until the 1850’s, the display of Christmas trees was seen as a symbol of paganism and the practice was often met with outrage. But things are quick to change and by the 1890’s, the popularity of the Christmas tree is booming. The Americans put in their own personal touch as they replaced the traditional fruits and berries with homemade trinkets. With the advent of electricity, lights soon became the popular choice when it comes to Christmas tree decorations. Before long, every important building and many houses were adorned with Christmas trees.There was a legend that Martin Luther once became so enamored with the sight of stars shining through the branches of a fir tree that he set out to recreate it at home. Using candles placed on each branch, the founder of the Protestant faith had his own take on the tradition. Many more legends exist – some even pertaining to spiders of all things. No matter what tradition you subscribe to, it is ultimately up to you on how you decorate your tree.
To make sure that you have the very best Christmas tree you can have year after year, you have to start with the tree itself. Make sure that it gets plenty of water. Especially when it is freshly cut, it can absorb several quarts in a week and you have to make sure that the reservoir is always filled during this crucial time. You can also purchase added insurance in the form of a fertilizing preservative specifically made for Christmas trees.
It’s a good idea to start from the inside and work your way out when laying out the lights. This way, you start with the strongest part of the branch and avoid accidental breakage. Continuing with this, it’s a good idea to start weaving the lights from the base and work your way up.
For a more balanced look with a lot of depth, you should place ornaments on the inside of the tree and not just on the tips of the branches. Use traditional ornaments that are not too complex when doing the fill for your tree. Solid balls make great fillers and you should figure around at least a dozen for each foot of your tree’s height. After you have the lights and fillers in, it’s time to really go all out with your chosen theme.
If you decorate a tree according to your personality, it will be beautiful no matter what. For a novel way of decorating, try to place Christmas ornament cupcakes at the base of your tree in place of gifts. You can also tie strings to edible Christmas toppers like cookies or pastries and hang them instead of the usual ornaments. Experiment and adapt a whimsical mindset!
