Christmas
Decorations
The Origins of
A
t the start of the 19th century, most
people did not consider Christmas
to be a holiday, let alone a time for
celebration. And yet, just a hundred years
later, it had established itself as the biggest
and most popular holiday of the year.
The Victorians can be credited with taking
the Christian celebration of the birth of
Christ and turning it into Christmas as
we know it today. Many of the Christmas
traditions still around originate from the
19th century.
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Charles Dickens’ book A Christmas Carol also
contributed to the popularisation of the
holiday and really encapsulated the feel of
the Victorian Christmas, promoting themes of
family, generosity and goodwill.
The idea of the Christmas tree was born in
17th century Germany. The evergreen was
considered a symbol of life during the long
winter months and the red, gold and green
decorations a representation of eternal life.
The Norway Fir Tree became an essential
part of Christmas in Britain during the
19th century when Prince Albert brought