The History of Christmas Decorations

Christmas decorations add colour, charm and creativity to the festive season.

But do you know where and when our Christmas decorations originated? We’ve put together this video to take you through the history of Christmas decorations. We hope you can use it in your lessons during the Christmas run-up for a bit of educational festive fun.

Follow the timeline to find out the origin of everything from candy canes to Christmas trees.

1500s – The early days of Christmas

Gingerbread originated in Germany in the 1500s. It became popular when The Brothers Grimm wrote Hansel and Gretel and it was published in 1812. Christmas wreaths were also invented in the 1500s. Some resourceful people in Germany created wreaths from foliage.

These days, Christmas wreaths can be seen on the front doors of homes around the world. There are plenty of workshops around the UK where you can learn to make your own wreath.

1600s – Christmas trees and tinsel

Christmas trees were first used in Germany in the 1600s. Germans also used thin strands of silver to decorate their trees. This was a powerful way to show wealth. It also formed the basis of what we know today as tinsel.

Looking for an eco-friendly alternative to tinsel? Why not make your own paper chains to decorate your tree? You can decorate these or use metallic spray paint for a shiny finish.

1800s – Christmas decorations take off

The 1800s saw the birth of many Christmas decorations we still use today.

It is believed that candy canes were first given to children during long church services in the 1600s to keep them quiet. They became more widely known in the 1800s when people around the world used candy canes to decorate their Christmas trees.

In the 1950s, a Catholic priest called Gregory Keller built a machine to automate candy cane production. Today, America alone produces 1.76 billion candy canes each year. And about 90% of these are sold in the weeks before Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Christmas stockings, cards, crackers and baubles became popular in the 1800s. In the 1880s, Germans began making artificial goose feather trees. But it was the 1950s and ’60s that really saw artificial trees take off.

Christmas lights were invented in 1882. Edward H. Johnson put the very first string of electric Christmas tree lights together. He was a friend and Business Partner of Thomas Edison. Johnson hand-wired 80 red, white and blue light bulbs and wound them around his Christmas tree.

1900s to present day

During the war and the sixties, Christmas decorations became a lot more down to earth. Shortages and economy troubles meant cash was tight. So, many people started making their own decorations and gifts.

As people consider the effects of climate change today, the tradition of homemade and scaled down Christmas decorations continues. There are loads of fun ways to get creative and make your own decorations, crackers and cards.

Recyclable wrapping  paper is a must for every eco-friendly Christmas decorator, and many people are opting to send digital cards as a sustainable alternative to paper cards. Some people even make a donation to charity in lieu of sending Christmas cards.

Merry Christmas to all!

From the Promote Your School team, we wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Hope you enjoy a fun festive season filled with colour and creativity.

And do get in touch to find out how we bring creativity to schools through bespoke Wall Art.