Decor – English Christmas Decorations and Traditions

Posted on December 18, 2014 by barbara

Many of the Christmas traditions that we celebrate here in the United States came started centuries ago in England. Here are some of my favorite traditions and wonderful ways that I use these ideas to decorate our home during the holiday season:

Father Christmas/Santa Claus –

Across the world Santa Claus is known by many different names and in England he goes by the name of Father Christmas, in Ireland it is Daidi na Nollag, in Italy it is Babbo Natale, in Spain it is Papa Noel and in France it is Pere Noel.

In 16^th century England, the feast day of Saint Nicholas was no longer celebrated due to King Henry VIII’s break with the Catholic Church centered in Rome. Centuries later, the Father Christmas character, normally associated with the feast of Saint Nicholas, was revived during the reign of Queen Victoria and generally pictured as a large man wearing a crimson robe lined with fur.

Today in America, the character known by Kris Kringle or more commonly by the name Santa Claus became famous in the 1823 poem, “A Visit From St. Nicholas” and later by an 1897 editorial in the New York Sun newspaper that answered the important question of his existence with the response, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus”. The popular character which has become a major part of Christmas in the United is usually depicted as a large man with a white beard wearing a red coat trimmed with a white collar and cuffs matching red trousers also trimmed in white and a black leather belt and black leather boots. The story of Santa Claus was written in the famous 1934 song, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” is said to have a list of children throughout the world, the naughty ones get a piece of coal in their stockings and the nice ones receive wonderful gifts of toys and candy on Christmas Eve. Santa lives far away in the North Pole and the elves help to make the toys and the presents are loaded onto Santa’s sleigh which is pulled by eight reindeer that fly.

During the Christmas season, I use several Santa Claus decorations throughout our home. This year the fireplace mantel in our living room is decorated with an artificial pine garland, red berry sprays and ceramic ivory and hung above is a whimsical sign that I made a few years ago that reads, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” trimmed with bronze jingle bells. On either side of the garland I have placed a Santa Claus figurine and two reindeers to complete the display.

Another Santa Claus decoration that is a family favorite is my Department 56 North Pole Village which this year is displayed on a table near the window in the library room of our home. I love setting up the North Pole display and in past years I have usually set it up on the bookshelf on the left side of the fireplace in the living room or displayed on the fireplace mantel. Every year I like to change our Christmas decorations, sometimes I add accessories or change the arrangement display … I’m already wondering where I will put the Department 56 North Pole display next year! (For more information about Setting up a Department 56 Village, please click on the links)

Christmas Tree –

The tradition of the Christmas tree was brought to England by Prince Albert and became popular during the reign of Queen Victoria. Christmas trees during that time where decorated very differently from the ones seen in the United States today. In Victorian England, Christmas tree were cut from the nearby woods and brought indoors to be decorated with natural items such as nuts, berries, apples or possibly oranges and illuminated with candles clipped to the branches of the tree.

Things have changed considerably over the years, lite candles on Christmas trees have been proven to be a fire hazard and it was determined that cutting down trees was not good for the environment. Today, artificial Christmas trees have become popular and there are a variety of light styles and colors to string on the trees, our Christmas tree was bought pre-lite so my husband doesn’t have to spend hours un-tangling the lights to put on the tree! The decorations for the Christmas tree have also changed throughout the years, my mother used glass ornaments and shiny silver tinsel and I have been purchasing Hallmark ornaments for almost forty years now for our Christmas tree. (For more information about my Hallmark ornament collection, please click on the link)

Themed Christmas trees have also become popular and the variety of themes and styles are endless. When decorating for the Christmas season, I use several Christmas tree in various rooms of our home. My husband has his “Star Trek” themed tree, my son has his “Star Wars” themed tree and my daughter alternated between her “Disney Princesses” and “Barbie” themed tree. (For more information about these themed Christmas Trees, please click on the link)

Christmas Cards –

In England, children would often write letters to Father Christmas with their wishes for toys or other items. Traditionally, these letters would be “delivered” to him by putting them in the fireplace so that the ashes from the burnt letter would fly up the chimney because (as everyone knows, right?) Father Christmas can read the messages in the smoke!! Since the Victorian times, sending Christmas card in England has become very important custom and a wonderful way to send “Happy Christmas” wishes to family and friends. English families would make their own Christmas cards to send and the ones that were received were these were often used as decorations within the home during the holiday season and displayed on fireplace mantles or shelves located near the Christmas tree.

Children in the United States have been known to mail their Christmas requests to Santa Claus in the North Pole. Of course, there are other ways to get a message to Santa, sometimes children wait to give Santa their gift wish lists when they go to have their picture taken with him at the mall or sometimes they will write a special letter to him on Christmas Eve with their list and they will set out with a plate a cookies and glass of milk for him and a couple of carrots for the reindeer. (Magically, I have been able to save these letters to Santa that my children have written over the years!)

Next year, I plan to use several of the Christmas cards that we have received from friends and family from years past, I have also saved one card that we have sent out each year, and these cards are so beautiful that I hope to create some wonderful craft projects with them. (Be sure to check back next year to see how I use these Christmas cards!!)

Christmas stockings –

In England, the custom of hanging stockings above the fireplace started centuries ago mainly out of necessity because this was generally the way for the children to dry them overnight. Of course, Father Christmas used this as an opportunity to leave small presents of fruit, nuts, candy or other small gifts for the good little boys and girls. Traditionally, on Christmas Eve the children would leave a snack of cookies or small meat pies for Father Christmas near the fireplace.

In the United States, the custom of hanging Christmas stockings is a wonderful tradition to celebrate during the holiday season. Christmas stockings can be bought in a variety of stores and are available in styles ranging from inexpensive simple ones to expensive and elaborate ones. For those that wish to make their own Christmas stockings they are several sewing patterns available in different styles that could be used to create special ones for family or friends in fabrics ranging from inexpensive felt and denim material to expensive silk or satin material. There are also embroidery and needlepoint kits that can be purchased at craft stores that can be used to create custom Christmas stockings for family or friends. The gift of a custom Christmas stocking makes a wonderful gift for a child’s first Christmas, my son received one these and I am planning on having it framed.

Christmas dinner –

In England, on Christmas day a special meal is served usually in the afternoon. Traditionally, the meal consists of a roasted goose, duck or pheasant. Side dishes could possibly include stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce or currant jelly, potatoes, brussels sprouts or parsnips and for dessert of Christmas pudding or English trifle. This meal is very similar to one served to the British Royal Family when they gather together at Sandringham in Norfolk to celebrate during the holiday season. (For more information regarding the traditions associated with the annual British Royal Family Christmas at Sandringham, please clink on the links)

The Christmas dinner table is usually set with the home’s finest dishes, flatware, glasses and table linens. Also placed at each of the place settings is a very special item known as a Christmas cracker. A Christmas cracker is a paper tube filled with three items usually a small treats such as a spinning top or simple puzzle, a special joke or humorous limerick and finally a paper crown. The filled paper tube is then covered with foil that is twisted at both ends to seal. Traditionally, the crackers are usually opened at the Christmas dinner; each cracker is held between two people and pulled. As the Christmas cracker is opened there is a small device inside which makes a loud pop sound.

The custom of the English Christmas Cracker is a wonderful idea to add fun and excitement to a Christmas dinner.

For more ideas on decorating inspired by an English Christmas, please check out the following links: Victorian Table Decoration and Christmas Mistletoe Ball.

Decor – My Christmas Decorations from Past Years (Part Two)

Posted on December 3, 2014 by barbara

As previously mentioned in Part One of My Christmas Decorations From Past Years series, I like to challenge myself every holiday season by using my Christmas decorations in different ways and sometimes in different rooms of our house every year. Shown in the photos below are a variety of decorations from several years of Christmas past.

Pine Garlands –

Some of my favorite Christmas decorations start with simple artificial pine garlands and at our home in California I frequently used them to decorate the entertainment center in the living room, the china cabinet in the dining room, the fireplace mantel in the family room and even above the bay window in the kitchen. Every year I used different Christmas items to decorate the garlands, such as a variety of glass ornaments, artificial poinsettias, holly leaves with red berries in the living room and dining room, and one year I used artificial “sugared” fruit in the dining and wonderful artificial candy decorations for the kitchen for a fun and whimsical look. (For more information about these decorated pine garlands, please click on the link to Part One of the “My Christmas Decorations From Past Years” series)

Besides using pine garlands in the interior rooms of the house, I also used them to decorate the front door of our home in California. To start the display, I hammered in several nails above the front door which I used to hang an artificial pine garland which I decorated with several artificial red poinsettias and sprays of red berries. I also hung a large artificial pine garland decorated with more red poinsettias, sprays of red berries and real pine cones.

Pine Sprays –

Artificial pine sprays are also a versatile Christmas decorating accessory that can be used to create wonderful displays in a home. During the holiday season I use several pine sprays that I place behind the picture frames of several pictures in the family room, library and dining room throughout the years in both our former California and our new home in the Midwest. Some of these pine sprays that I have used are plain and others have pine cones attached to them, I have also added red berry sprays for additional decorations.

I have also used artificial pine sprays to decorate the tops of tables, curio cabinets, fireplace mantels and even kitchen cabinets. One year I decorated the pine sprays on the top of the tall cabinet in the dining room with the artificial “sugared” fruits that matched the pine garland I used above the china cabinet, the photo above shows the display.

When we moved to the Midwest, I decided to use the gingerbread and candy decorations from the previous year’s pine garland in a different way than I had previously used above the bay window in the kitchen of our California home. In our new home there was a space above the kitchen cabinets that was the perfect spot to create a new holiday display that used several pine sprays decorated with the gingerbread and candy decorations and finished with the gingerbread train from a previous year’s display. (Please click on the link, Christmas Home Decorations, to see a photo of this display)

Also on the fireplace mantel in our Midwest family room, I decided to use several artificial pine sprays instead of a pine garland. Below are two photos that show how I decorated the pine sprays in three different years. The first year, I used two sets of pine sprays place on either side of the picture above the mantel. I decorated them with red berries, real pine cones and I also placed two sets of candles on the mantel. The next year, I placed the four pine sprays across the mantel below the picture which I decorated with red berries. I also set several family Christmas photos on either side to complete the display. (Please click on the link, Christmas Stockings/Fireplace, to see photos of these displays in another Décor post)

Finally, the following year I decided to do something a little more elaborate to include a special Christmas sign that I had recently made. In previous years I had usually displayed my Dept. 56 North Pole Village in the built-in bookshelf to the side of the fireplace but this time I set up the North Pole display on the mantel.

Tabletop Christmas Trees –

Small tabletop Christmas trees are also a very versatile accessory that I use frequently in my holiday decorating throughout our house. As previously mentioned in another Décor post entitled Christmas Trees, during the season every year I set-up several special and unique trees for family members. My husband has a Star Trek tree placed on the deck in his home office and my son has a Star Trek for his room. My daughter has another small tabletop Christmas tree for her room that I have decorated with Barbie ornaments one year, Disney princess ornaments for another year and Snowbabies miniature figurines for a different year. (For more information about decorating with Department 56 Snowbabies, please click on the link)

Even more tabletop Christmas trees have decorated the various rooms of our house throughout the years. In the entry way on a wooden bench I have displayed a Santa in a beautiful white embroidered cloak with two elves. In another room is another tree placed on the fireplace hearth with an old fashioned Santa dressed in lovely red velvet cloak with two reindeer. In the dining room on the chest of drawers is a porcelain dark-haired doll dressed in a red wool coat, hat and black fur muff and displayed with a reindeer and a wooden sled. Even in the bathroom there is woodland small Santa dressed in a green corduroy coat with a fishing creel with a small Christmas decorated with red berries and a gold star on top.

I have also repurposed my holiday decorations from other displays from previous years to use as decorations for several more tabletop trees. Above the refrigerator in our California home I decorated a small Christmas tree with chocolate candy ornaments that I had used the year before in the pine garland over the kitchen window and finished the display bay placing a gingerbread train in front of the tree.

Another tabletop Christmas tree is decorated with the Boyd’s Bears ornaments that I had previously used on the fireplace mantel in our California home. In keeping with the bear theme, the next year I decorated another Christmas tree with small stuffed teddy bears.

Decor – Department 56 Snowbabies

Posted on November 25, 2014 by barbara

Several years ago I started collecting the Department 56 Snowbabies miniatures; I had already been collecting the Department 56 North Pole Village. Initially I started using these charming figurines to decorate our daughter’s bedroom during the Christmas season. But as my blog readers will know from previous posts, I am always changing my holiday decorations and using seasonal items in different ways from year to year.

Snowbabies are perfect for decorating a home for Christmas and shown below are some examples of how I have used them in a variety of different ways:

Snowbabies on a pedestal

For Christmas 2013 I used one Snowbabies figurine from my collection to create a special display which I used in my china cabinet in our dining room. I started the display using a silver pedestal which was the perfect size for the Snowbabies miniature figurine, “Jack Frost – A Touch of Winter’s Magic”. I used three ivory resin pine trees and arranged them toward the back of the pedestal and placed the Snowbabies figurine toward the front. To complete the display, I sprinkled artificial snowflakes around the pedestal.

Snowbabies under glass

For Christmas 2006 I decided to use small glass containers to display my collection of Snowbabies miniature figurines in my daughter’s bedroom. I started the display by covering the plastic liner with a layer of artificial snow, then I arranged the Snowbabies in the container and finished by adding several small resin Christmas trees that I had found in my local craft store.

Since I always like to change my holiday decorations from year to year, for Christmas 2008 I used the same long glass container. I started the display by covering the plastic liner with white velvet material. I had recently purchased a larger Snowbabies figurine and centered it in the container. Next I arranged several additional Snowbabies figurines to the right and the left and scattered several small resin Christmas trees. To finish the display, I added three larger ivory resin Christmas trees.

Small Snowbabies Christmas tree

For Christmas 2010, I once again changed the way I display my Snowbabies collection. For this year’s display I started by using a small tabletop Christmas tree which I placed in a small container/vase. Next, I decorated the tree with ¼” wide gold ribbon and small miniature gold Christmas ball ornaments. The tricky part in using the Snowbabies miniatures for this display was that the core of the figurine is made of pewter and can be rather heavy considering their small size. I decided to use very thin wire to attach the Snowbabies and evenly spaced them around the small tabletop tree to complete the display. More importantly, by using the wire for attaching the Snowbabies to the tabletop tree I was able to avoid damaging the figurine. To complete the display I used the Snowbabies figurine, “Star on the Top” as a tree topper. (Special Note: Unfortunately I do not have a photo of that year’s display but there is a photo taken a few years before of the same tree decorated in the same way but minus the Snowbabies figurines which were being used in another display that year)

Snowbabies Christmas wreath

For Christmas 2012, I decided to try something a little different. I started by using a smaller Christmas wreath that was only 12” in diameter. Next, I used the same gold ribbon and gold Christmas balls from the tabletop tree display from a previous year to decorate that year’s Christmas wreath. Then, using the same method that I used to attach the Snowbabies on the tabletop tree, I used thin wire to attach them to the Christmas wreath. (Special note: Unfortunately I do not have a photo of that year’s display)

The history of Snowbabies

Snowbabies are a Christmas tradition that is believed to have started in Europe in the 17^th century. In England there is a celebration known as Twelfth Night which was when the three wisemen arrived in Bethlehem after the birth of Christ bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Snowbaby figurines were used as cake decorations that represented the Christ child and were made of marzipan and sprinkled with “snow” sugar. Around the same time in Germany, Christmas shoppers were traditionally given small sugar biscuits depicting the infant Jesus. These snowbabies were originally intended as a sweet treat to eat but eventually customers started to use them instead as decorations for their Christmas trees.

By the late 1900s, these snowbabies gained in popularity and manufacturers began to produce fine porcelain figurines depicting small childern usually dressed in a snowsuit shown riding sleds, skiing or otherwise frolicking in the snow. The manufacturing process involved pouring bisque into molds and then finishing the piece with a sprinkling of finely ground bisque to give the impression that the figurines had received a special dusting of “snow”. The snowbabies usually had delicately painted faces and sometimes the figurines were decorated in soft pastel colors.

Just as the snowbabies popularity started to wane before the turn of the century there was an unexpected boost that would increase their sales. In 1893, an Artic explorer named Robert Perry was on a quest to discover the North Pole and a figurine is said to have been created showing Admiral Perry and his fellow explorer, Dr. Frederick Cook, dressed in snowsuits and grasping a world globe between them. To further the story, while Perry was on his famous expedition into the Artic his wife, Josephine, gave birth to their daughter Marie. She was the first Caucasian child to be born that far north and the native Eskimos in the region remarked about her pale white skin and she became known as Ah-poo-Mic- kaninny or the “snow baby”. With newspaper accounts of the birth and later Perry’s discovery of the North Pole in April 6, 1909, snowbabies once again became popular this time with American buyers.

Then, during World War I manufacturing of snowbabies stopped and unfortunately when production resumed afterwards the quality of the figurines was greatly compromised. Over the next few years the sales of snowbabies continued to decrease and finally with the start of World War II and the loss of European and Asian manufacturers the production of snowbabies was discontinued.

Then in 1986 a Minnesota based company named Department 56 started a new line aptly named Snowbabies which featured 11 figurines designed and inspired by the original antique and vintage snowbabies. Over the years the Department 56 Snowbabies line had proved to be very popular with collectors. Kristi Jensen Pierro, a Department 56 designer, usually starts with a drawing. Those first drawing were inspired by her children and later they were designed and created for specific themes or special celebrations. Once the sketches are approved they are then made into a clay figure and further refined. When the final design is determined a mold is made of the clay figure and then sent into production. The Snowbabies line includes full sized figurines, water globes, picture frames, ornaments and even miniature figurines. Over the past decades licensed pieces have also been produced incorporating Disney and Sesame Street characters.

Decor – Fall Mantel Decoration

Posted on October 2, 2014 by barbara

For this Décor post I would like to highlight a 2004 Fall Mantel Decoration from our old house in California. In the family room three animal prints were hung above the fireplace, a large duck print and two vintage prints of a peasant and quail that I had purchased at an antique store. Using the artwork as inspiration, I went shopping at my local Craft store for themed accessories to use for the mantel decoration. I start assembling the decoration by using a pine garland placed across the mantel. Next, I intertwined a string of amber pine cone lights and laced brown autumn 2” wide ribbon throughout the garland. Then, I added several bunches of berries, red apples and yellow pears. The final touch was a family of stuffed quails which were the perfect way to tie in the mantel decoration with the animal prints.

This 2004 Fall Mantel Decoration is a wonderful example of using existing home accessories as inspiration for seasonal decoration. So, take a look around your house and maybe you will find ideas for some holiday decorations to create for your own home!

Decor – Seasonal Front Door Decorations

Posted on September 23, 2014 by barbara

Festive decorations on the front porch are a wonderful way to welcome guests during the holiday seasons. In this post I will showcase the seasonal front door decorations that I have used for our home throughout the year.

Shown below are three photos from past Christmas front door decorations I have used. The first photo was taken in 2003 and shows the Christmas wreath and front door garland I used for our home in California. Both decorations feature pine boughs, poinsettias and red berries. The second photo was taken in 2008 and shows the Christmas wreath I used for our new home in the Midwest. The grapevine wreath is covered entirely with pine cones and I added red berries and holly leaves. The third photo was taken in 2012 and shows the pine wreath and I added several pine cones and red berries. (For more information about my home’s Christmas decorations, please click on the following links: Christmas Home Decorations, Christmas Wreaths Décor post, Christmas Wreaths Craft post, and More Christmas Wreaths and Christmas Decorations from Past Years)

The next photo shows the Valentine’s Day wreath that I used for the front door of our home in 2012. It is the same pine wreath that I used for Christmas the previous year and I just added some large red glitter hearts. I used the wreath as a front door decoration for the Queen of Hearts Party that I had for Valentine’s Day. (For more information about the Queen of Hearts Party, please click on the link)

Below are two photos that show two of the different front door decorations that I have used during the Spring and Summer months at our home in the Midwest. The first shows a very special and sentimental wreath that was originally used at my Mother’s funeral. The floral wreath that I made features white roses that were my Mother’s favorite flowers – six white full roses to represent my parents and their four daughters, nine white rose buds represent their nine grandchildren and finished with green hydrangeas and berries in a lovely pastel shade of rose pink. The second photo shows my most recent Spring/Summer front door decoration. I had purchased a metal cone-shaped container which I filled with white and purple tulips. (For instructions and supply list for this Spring Door Decoration, please click on the link. Also, for more information about my home’s Easter decorations, please clink on the link)

Finally, below are two photos that show two different shaped front door decorations that I have used for the Fall season. The first photo shows an unusually triangular shaped pine wreath that features several sunflowers, orange berries and a festive autumn bow. The second photo shows another unique door decoration, it is an oval grapevine wreath that features a pumpkin wall hanging, orange mums and autumn leaves. (For more information about my home’s Fall Decorations, please click on the following links: Fall Home Decorations, Halloween Decorations and Nightmare Before Christmas Wreath inspired by the classic Disney animated movie)

The Enchanted Manor

a lifestyle blog by Barbara Jones

Category Archives: Decor

Decor – English Christmas Decorations and Traditions

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Decor – My Christmas Decorations from Past Years (Part Two)

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Decor – Department 56 Snowbabies

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Decor – Fall Mantel Decoration

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Decor – Seasonal Front Door Decorations

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