The History and Evolution of Seasonal Decorations: From Ancient Traditions to Modern Trends
Here at Heaven Sends, we love to discover the history of where the foundations of our business originally began.
Seasonal decorations have been a part of human culture for centuries, dating back to ancient civilizations right through to modern times, and have always been a significant part of creating a positive atmosphere and celebrating the changing seasons.
The use of evergreen began as the first trend of Christmas decorations, consisting of Christmas trees, mistletoe, wreaths and holly, a use of greenery that has continued to retain festive significance to this day.
Did you know, wreaths can be traced back to ancient Egyptian times, where they were created from evergreen plants to symbolize the cycle of life… particularly during the winter solstice. interesting!
Wreaths can also be dated back to ancient Rome where they were given as rewards for military success, and also celebrated the festival of saturnalia where we saw the introduction of elaborate decorations such as wreaths, garlands and candles.
The tradition of decorating Christmas trees began in Germany in the 16th century. The first known Christmas tree up in England was documented in 1800 by “Good Queen Charlotte” in Windsor, which then grew in popularity amongst the upper classes and the trend of decorating a tree continued with candles and small ornaments. From 1840 the trend became a permanent fixture of Christmas tradition when Prince Albert began importing more trees from Germany for the festive period.
Around the 19th century we saw the introduction of the popular glass bauble, after centuries of decorating Christmas tree’s with objects such as fruit shaped ornaments, we finally saw the evolution of hand blown and hand crafted glass baubles which still remain a beloved festive tradition.
And we must say… they have evolved pretty nicely!
The 20th century brought new innovations in seasonal decorations, with an introduction to electric lights, artificial trees, inflatable decorations and much more. This commercialization of occasions such as Christmas ,lead to a proliferation of seasonal decorations in stores and homes across the world.
Of course, it is not just Christmas we have to thank for being a season of decorative joy, there are plenty more that have trended and became popular over the centuries!
Easter decorations began to emerging all the way back to the 13th century where the decoration of eggs became a common ritual during Easter Celebrations, and by the 18th century people began creating eggs out of paper mâché, to which they then morphed in to the infamous chocolate eggs when Cadburys decided to launch the first ever chocolate egg in 1875!
They have evolved in to Eggcellent Easter displays!
Whilst Halloween decorations date back to 2000 years originating during the Celtic festival of Samhain, Autumnal decorations are much more of a recent trend, with influencers and bloggers showcasing extravagant autumnal displays of wreaths, garlands, candles.
Even gonks can be for autumn!
Social media influencers have also set trends of DIY projects, seasonal crafts and budget-friendly decorating tips inspiring millions of people to normalise decorating for each and every season.
Whether it's decking the halls for Christmas, decorating eggs for easter, carving pumpkins for Halloween, seasonal decorations allow us to connect with our past, celebrate our present and look forward to the future. The history and evolution of seasonal decorations remind us of the timeless traditions and universal symbols that bring us all together in joy and celebration all throughout the year, which is why we are proud to be able to offer such a variety of products that can bring so much joy and happiness all year round.