Whether they’re “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” or keen to “Deck the Halls” of their homes during the festive period, Christmas decorations and ornaments now have a deeply rooted significance for people of the United States.
Likewise, alongside the more traditional and established ways to decorate homes at Christmas, personalized tree and hanging ornaments have become an intrinsic part of American popular culture.
What Makes Personalized Christmas Ornaments Truly Special?
The key answer to this question is based on sentiment. In modern popular culture across the United States, hanging ornaments at Christmas also has also reached a much deeper and personal significance.
While traditional designs like baubles and stars remain popular, many people now hang custom designed and personalized Christmas ornaments in their homes, each conveying a special message and even recollections of events or achievements throughout the year.
Popular choices for designs include ceramic and glass, which can easily be printed or engraved, featuring heartfelt festive messages or shared experiences between family and friends, neighbors and work colleagues.
Christmas is also a time for cherishing memories, such as celebrating the holidays for the first time as a married couple or fondly remembering the birth of a child, graduations or professional achievements, and anything else that genuinely touches the heart. This can include memorial decorations to remember the dearly departed.
But it’s not just people or places and individual or collective memories that are celebrated. Lots of Americans now have Christmas decorations that feature pets like their dog or cat, remembering that animals can enjoy Christmas too, just like their human counterparts.
These are just a few reasons why personalized Christmas ornaments have become popular in American culture, infused with moments and memories that have special personal significance.
When Did Christmas Tree Decorations Become Popular in America?
According to the most historically accurate accounts, the American passion for Christmas trees and decorations grew from German roots during the early 19th century, where the tradition had already been observed since the 15th century.
Interestingly, traditions for adorning trees with festive decorations actually predate the foundations of Christianity itself, mostly influenced by pagan festivals like the winter solstice. Most notable was the Roman festival of light, which even influenced when we traditionally celebrate Christmas Day each year in December.
But as for these European traditions taking a firm hold in the United States, there are historic references to German migrant families in Brooklyn during the 1830s, who captivated the imagination of New York residents with their decorative tree displays.
Another important influence came via British royalty, just a couple decades later. In 1850 a famous watercolor from the Royal Collection was copied and printed, featuring a decorated Christmas tree at Windsor Castle, surrounded by family portraits.
Queen Victoria was the reigning British monarch at the time, married to German-born Prince Albert, and she was fascinated by the tradition from his homeland. Keen to replicate European lifestyles, wealthy Americans began copying these tree decoration styles.
In 1853, Franklin Pierce is said to have been the first U.S. President to decorate a Christmas tree at the White House, while Grover Clevland lit the first with electric lights in 1901. By the 20th century, American innovation and commercialization was taking hold, beginning to shape customs and traditions for decorations that have continued to evolve.
Americans Love Unique Christmas Displays
Over the last century, it’s fair to say that Americans have shaped their own culture and traditions for Christmas decorations, including lavish and brightly lit displays across the whole country.
But nothing quite captures the imagination like uniquely made displays at home, particularly those which feature a personal touch, adding extra significance and meaning to festivities. And this is ultimately what has undoubtedly sparked a relatively new tradition.
The trend for personalized Christmas tree and home decorations continues to grow, captivating Americans with novel ways to customize ornaments, creating items that are just as individual as they are beautiful. And this is a trend that’s quickly spreading elsewhere around the world.
Published by HOLR Magazine.