CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS - INDIANSHELF

Christmas ornaments take different forms, the most commonly used decorations are baubles, red and white candy canes, figures of Santa Claus and his reindeers, angels with wings, glittering snowflakes and stars. Christmas lights or fairy lights and candles play an important role in decorating a place, they are displayed in almost every house, street and city during the holidays. Lights illuminate the streets adding a touch of warmth and hope.Christmas decorations are incomplete without shiny and sparkly Christmas Ornaments. These beautiful decorations were introduced in the early 16th century, and since then, these are a significant part of the celebrations.

Significance of the Christmas Ornaments

Germany in the sixteenth century is where we can find the origins of the Christmas tree custom and ornament usage as we know it today. Christians used to decorate evergreen trees with fruits, nuts, and tiny religious statues in their homes. Glass christmas decorations could be made due to better glassblowing methods in the 17th century. Lauscha, Germany, developed a reputation for its glassblowing skills and began producing delicate glass ornaments, fruits, and other holiday-related designs. Electric lighting was invented in the late 19th century, replacing dangerous candle use on trees. Christmas trees and ornaments are now safer and more beautiful. Decorations started to show popular culture with patterns ranging from religious symbols to animals, toys, and characters. Christmas ornaments today feature a variety of designs, materials, and styles. They exhibit personal tastes, cultural customs, and the joyous and festive spirit surrounding the holiday season.

Each ornament carries a unique meaning and value, including the rich symbolism of Christmas. Here are some common symbols and their significance in Christmas tree ornaments.

No family celebrations of the Big Day are complete without these beauties. Many choose to Buy Christmas ornaments, while others choose from their family treasures. Many craft their own using DIY solutions, whereas smarter ones choose personalised versions to make their celebrations unique and exciting. 

Many cultures compare these Xmas Decoration Ornaments with the fruit of the tree of paradise. These can also represent the forbidden fruits of the Garden of Eden. However, English culture soon took over, and the triangular shape of the trees was used as a festival symbol. The tree's shape represents the Trinity and Christ's birth.

The earliest European Christmas Ornaments included the ones designed from yummy fruits, candies and baked items. Later, the glass industry recognised the demand and started bringing exciting ornaments. These were handblown, and Christian symbols and faith inspired their shapes. 

Slowly, the glass ornaments were sold in the USA by businessman - F.W. Woolworth. His genius idea saw an opportunity in the nation, and he bought new and exciting glass ornaments from Germany to the USA and started a chain called five-and-dime!

The popularity of the Xmas Decoration Ornaments has made them a favourite experiment with artists and designers. For example - in 2013, a British designer launched unique Christmas ornaments. These were designed from diamond rubies and priced around $100k!

Today people Buy Christmas ornaments in bulk from ass-produced versions. These commonly include angels, stars and symbols. 

Read More : HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS

Many families re-use Christmas decorations every year, they are usually not thrown away unless broken. The old ornaments are saved to be re-purposed for the next year and they look as good as new, opening the storage boxes filled with old ornaments bring back joy and memories. If not store-bought, ornaments can also be hand-made or passed on from generation to generation, saving us from breaking the bank. Like other activity, dressing a tree or decorating the interiors with oranaments is fun for every member of the family and brings each one close to the other. Every ornament with its own design and colour hold its own significance and symbol.

Types of Christmas Ornaments to Choose from

Most modern Christmas Ornaments are designed from glass, metal and plastic. These are available in exciting shapes and designs, yet the standard versions available at stores near you are - 

Ball ornaments 

These represent the familiar shape of Christmas instruments. These can be hand-painted or multicoloured. The original ball Christmas Ornaments are designed to show the form of apples. Despite this, these are essential items that can be bought online to create the base decor for the festival. To add excitement and drama, choose name or monogram ball ornaments that allow you to display your or your family name or initials on the ornament. Such ball ornaments are a great way to add a personal touch to your Christmas tree. They can also be decorated with various designs, patterns, or decorations.

Photo ornaments

Such Christmas ornaments are a popular choice for all. You can create ornaments featuring family photos, pictures of loved ones, or memorable moments from the past year. These ornaments can be shaped as frames, circles, or other decorative designs per your requirements.

Uniquely-shaped ornaments

Such Xmas Decoration Ornaments are designed from exciting materials but in extraordinary shapes. These can be shiny, clear or multicoloured. Common forms include snowmen, snowflakes, bells, teardrops, etc. However, custom-shaped ornaments can reflect your hobbies, interests, etc. These also make for interesting gifting items on Christmas. For example - if they love gardening or painting, you can have custom ornaments shaped like a pot, gardening tools, paintbrushes, etc. These ornaments are exciting and memorable. This help showcase your interests and add a unique and personal touch to your Christmas decor.

DIY ornaments 

Christmas ornaments can be handmade as an exciting activity to engage your kids. Choose from hand-painted items to wool decorations to create a unique touch to the tree. You can choose a favourite quote, a meaningful verse, or a special message to be painted or embroidered on the DIY ornament. These ornaments inspire you and your kids to learn about the joy and love of the holiday season.

Keepsake Christmas ornaments 

If you believe in celebrating Christmas by creating an exciting tradition, such keepsakes can make charming decor items. These carry special family memories and sweet moments that make your celebrations memorable. Such ornaments are often custom and handmade, which makes them so unique.Commonly used ones are handprints or footprint ornaments. These are a fantastic way to capture the memories of your little ones. 

These ornaments are often made with a child's handprint or footprint. They are a timeless reminder of their childhood and can be used for years. Similarly, these ornaments can also be designed with a photo of the family pets. Such ornaments can be made from materials that can be shaped as paw prints, bones, or other pet-related symbols.

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Novelty items

Novelty items are unconventional items that are shaped to suit your most cherished memories. These can include mini animals, your favourite soccer team logo, musical items, etc. 

Milestone Christmas Ornaments: 

Milestone ornaments are a meaningful way to celebrate significant life story events. They can be custom designed with names, dates, or particular messages for events like graduation, weddings, or the birth of a child. 

They can be designed as hearts, bride and groom, wedding bells, baby bottles, cartoons or rings, symbolising the love that you share. These ornaments serve as exciting reminders of essential moments in your life. These also make for unique gifts for newlyweds, new parents or spouses to celebrate your exciting moments with custom ornaments. 

Experts do the modern production of handmade decorations. They melt the tubes into the desired shape for the ornaments. Later, the same is spun on a gas-powered torch. The glass is softened and then put in the mould. The blower puffs on a pipe to expand the glass in the mould. This results in complex casting. The result is glass in the exact shape of the Designer versions, using various colours to ensure uniqueness. The same is used for slow drying and then painted using hand to give a unique look. Further, glitter can be used to get a fine product.Unlike mass-produced items, these items depend on the skill of the designer. The glass blower also ensures that the final product has the best quality. There are a tons of different types of baubles, ranging from traditional single coloured ones to intricately designed pieces.

Read More : CHRISTMAS: A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION AND DECORATION 

The sight of other ornaments like the figures of Santa Claus, tiny wrapped gifts and snowmen spreads the holiday cheer around. There is no specific rule or design of an ornament that has to be used or put up during Christmas, people creatively use figurines of teddy bears, musical intruments, sport related figures, and so on as long as the items complement the Christmas atmosphere with its colour and sparkle. Other commonly used ornaments are the stars, they hold a symbol for light, hope and love which makes it quite important for it to be present in and around the house. It is rather a tradition to top the Christmas tree with a huge golden star or any other colour to symbolise the star of Bethlehem. Auspicious or not, using star ornaments effortlessly creates an aesthetically attractive display. Other traditional decorations include bells, candles, garland, stockings, wreaths, snow globes and ribbons.

Lights are extensively used in almost every corner of the house and neighbourhood, they illuminate their surroundings and enhance the decorations. Fairy lights are hung up on the edge of chimneys, wrapped around the tree or hung on the front part of a house or building, they stand as a decoration and a flicker of hope during the cold winter season. Particular plants have been associated with Christmas, playing an important role as a type of ornament. Due to its red and green colour combination, poinsettias are commonly used and they go well with the festive air, other plants include holly and mistletoe. Christmas wreaths are either made of real branches and flowers or are artificially done. They are a wonderful way to adorn your front door and welcome friends and family with warmth and generosity.

Why do custom holiday ornaments work well for your business?

Custom holiday ornaments are an affordable and exciting way to promote your brand affordably. These also show your customers that you appreciate their partnership with you. 

Placing custom Christmas ornaments that reflect your brand on your store entrance can be a great way to lift the spirit and spread the holiday cheer. You can even choose to customise the colour of these ornaments to suit your brand or add taglines to help promote brand recall.

Such ornaments are perfect for decorating trees, desks, holiday wreaths, etc. These can also be included in your order shipments to promote your brand image. 

For a travel agency, such ornaments can be designed as replicas of famous landmarks, maps, or suitcases with brand tags. They serve as a reminder of your brand and promote their excitement to seek adventures and the places they hold dear.

Such ornaments can also be created to raise awareness or support a charitable cause. These ornaments can feature symbols, ribbons, or logos associated with the reason your organisation wishes to help during the season. 

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You can quickly spread awareness by giving these exciting decorations or adding these to your holiday office decor. Hence, your small investment contributes to making a positive impact on the poor and weaker sections of society.Christmas ornament symbolism differs depending on a person's culture and religious beliefs, but they all add to the holiday season's joy and more profound significance.