Deck the halls with history
How about decorating your home for Christmas in proper period
detail? (Maria Fitzpatrick, telegraph 9 December)
The pagan tradition of bringing living things inside in
winter to celebrate new life and the wreath – or ‘circle of life’, was borrowed
from classical imagery, and it then influenced Christian advent. Each period of history has its decorative
hallmarks, so for an authentic touch to your home this year, step back in time
to Christmases past.
Tudor/Stuart: In your house with its low ceilings and dark
beams, you would have celebrated the Festival of midwinter, on December 21,
with boughs of holly, ivy, laurel and rosemary, which had mystical
properties. Make garlands and a ‘kissing
bough’, two overlapping hoops of foliage hung from the ceiling. Decorate with oranges, nuts, ribbons and
mistletoe. You’ll also need a decorative
centrepiece for the traditional ‘drunken, gluttonous feast’, perhaps baskets of
walnuts, pewter jugs, fruit and candles, taking inspiration from period
paintings. An ash ‘yule log’, wrapped in
hazel twigs, should be put in the fireplace on Christmas Eve, to burn for 12
days. If your home dates from 1644 –
1660, this will all have to be a clandestine operation as the Puriton
parliament banned the trappings of Christmas.
Georgian: Celebration was allowed again after the
Restoration, but the mood remained ‘modest’, especially during the age of
enlightenment, when the focus was on religious ceremony. Stick to unadorned spruce, holly, ivy and
pine to highlight your staircase and fireplace and a wreath, on that handsome
front door. Use your best candlesticks,
and don’t forget to display a pineapple (a symbol of propriety).
Victorian: Queen Victoria and Prince Albert releasing an
image of their family around their tree, in 1848, was a key moment in terms of
inspiring Christmas as we know it. Even
those in poverty would have displayed a bit of holly and ivy and hung simple
paper chains. For the rest, a tree was
dressed with bags of sugared almonds, ribbons, candles and flags. The cracker was invented, and new
manufacturing methods meant glass beads and baubles, painted decorations,
illustrated printed cards and intricate paper garlands to hang. Holly is fine, but step away from the
mistletoe – as an ancient fertility rite for betrothed couples, it was too
suggestive for the time.
Edwardian: This era
was restrained by comparison, people would have highlighted features like
picture rails, running garlands along them.
But this was also when Christmas shopping began in earnest, and the
influence of window displays in department stores lent a bit of romance, with
things like birds, mice and sugar plums.
Twenties and Thirties:
Pressed-metal baubles and lametta (this wine with shiny shredded metal)
were the big thing in the 1920s. In
1930, the invention of the brush-bristle tree made artificial trees popular.
This was the first time the middle classes were without domestic help, some to
help pick up the pine needles, so things needed to be convenient. Many others will have lived in flats and
mansion blocks, so lugging a real tree up stairs was a consideration. These trees could take heavier ornaments so
you can go to town.
Fifties and Sixties:
You can have your tinsel back (made with copper wire, it had been
requisitioned for the war effort), plus a deluge of Santas, snowmen, stockings
and novelty napkin rings. Europe had always led the way
on Christmas tradition: now the US
started to drive it forward with commercial imagery. The biggest influence on us was their idea of
using electric lights on the tree, around the room and on the outside of the
house.
Children also started learning about Christmas at school and
bringing home their own decorations, this added to the home made look that was
being encouraged in the ideal of the Fifties housewife creating a perfect
Christmas. (I remember making lots of paper chains)
New-Build: The
decorative mood followed fashion trends, from Eighties glamour to Nineties
minimalism. Then, the wacky Noughties,
with trends for upside-down trees, black trees or no tree at all. Nowadays, anything goes, from a start
Scandi-influenced paper decoration scheme to highly traditional swags and
centrepieces. Decorations are getting
bigger – our average tree is now 8 ft, two years ago it was 6 ft – which might
be to do with extensions and open-plan spaces.
People are using lots more lights, too.
But mostly they take a lead from their home’s architecture.
Despite that, this year’s big theme is nature, with lots of
birds, berries and greenery. All the
loud glittery stuff will be back, but when money is tight, we return to the
familiar.
to be continued
For Christmas
decorating ideas go to: telegraph.co.uk/property
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