Christmas interior in English. Christmas in the English style: plant decorations
The New Year and Christmas holidays are getting closer, and many of us are increasingly asking the question: how do you go about decorating your home? If the traditional Christmas tree is not enough, or you want to give it up altogether, it would be useful to read our guide to the traditional attributes of Christmas in English homes. They will help to add variety to the festive interior.
Traditionally around Christmas, garlands of spruce, juniper and ivy appear above the doorways of English houses. They are richly decorated with fir cones, ribbons and bells, as well as scarlet poisentia flowers and garlands.
In everyday life, poisentia is often called the "Christmas Star", as it blooms just in time for the end of December, and its scarlet holly flowers really resemble a star. In general, the British have a tender love for this flower and often arrange pots with these flowers throughout the house.
Another beautiful tradition is to decorate doorways with holly branches. Large bright red berries and dark green carved leaves, reminiscent of a royal crown, fit very harmoniously into the Christmas palette.
Four weeks before Christmas, wreaths of juniper or spruce decorated with four candles appear on the tables in English houses. During every Sunday dinner, the owners of the house light one candle. First one, then two, then three, and so on. This tradition gradually sets the household on a Christmas mood.
Kristling is another traditional attribute of Christmas in England, borrowed by the society for helping children from the customs of the German Orava church. A candle is fixed on an orange tied with a red ribbon. Four sticks decorated with leaves or colored paper point to the four cardinal directions. Often the top of the orange is sprinkled with small fruits, nuts and sweets. Such gifts seem to children to be something very special and carry the sweet aroma of orange around the house.
See the community for other interesting ideas for New Year's decor.
We have already talked about how minimalistic style is relevant even in the festive design of an apartment or house. And for those who are not very attracted to traditional red and other bright colors in winter decor, this article! The whole world is crazy about Scandinavian minimalism in the interior, and we also think the White Christmas idea is very beautiful, where all the elements are made in black and white or neutral colors, natural materials are used, as well as some geometric motifs. The main thing is not to forget about your own comfort and not to turn your house into a showcase. Here you'll find some tips on how to turn your home into a Scandinavian Christmas corner, plus lots of photos to inspire! You can also use these tips just to decorate a New Year's table or a party you want to throw for friends on the eve of the holidays.
1. Start with solid colors: in addition to white and black, green will be mandatory (although you can put white spruce, but this is already a little contrary to the idea of naturalness), which you can also dilute with neutral beige. With these flowers, your home will be filled with air.
2. Natural materials! Everyone knows how carefully and respectfully the inhabitants of the Scandinavian countries treat nature. Therefore, there will be no plastic in their homes, and leading role tree plays. Therefore, you should not hang tinsel - the best decorations will be branches (and not only spruce, even bare winter branches), cones, nuts, cotton, tree cuts, wooden structures, fabric or paper garlands, or even pastries that will definitely not be lost! A great option is to do something with your own hands, and here we will remind you of our DIY guides: and. Also, be sure to check out the Homey Oh My blog for lots of ideas on how to make your own jewelry and some of the photos in this post are from there.
3. Add geometric elements. It will be a very modern piece in your interior. And it will not seem so insipid if you add polygons to it in absolutely any manifestation!
4. Lighting and candles. This is what will truly add coziness to your space. Use perfectly simple white tall candles or many small ones in original candle holders. Artificial lighting is also welcome, but choose lights in a natural, yellow hue.
5. Some textiles will never be redundant. Yes, it’s usually not customary to decorate Scandinavian-style interiors with curtains, multi-layered tablecloths, etc. But still, just for the New Year’s mood, you can add a few plain pillows and a warm blanket, so your home will please not only the eye!
6. Simplicity is the key to success. Don't go overboard with decor. That's why it is minimalism, so that nothing catches your eye when you enter the house. Even black and white decorations can turn kitsch if you force them into every corner. So put your accents right!
Christmas is one of the brightest holidays. It can certainly be called traditionally family, able to gather everyone at a single table.
In order for the festive atmosphere to be fully felt, it is necessary to create the appropriate environment, which can be achieved through the festive design of the home. Surely, remembering such a holiday preceding Christmas as New Year, everyone will think about the following: a Christmas tree decorated with balls and garlands, fake snowflakes, a festive table, candles and the smell of tangerines.
And with what, first of all, is Christmas associated? In this article, we will understand this. And the main idea of the review will be precisely the traditional customs that have taken root over the years in the scenery, based on the symbols of the holiday. So, how to decorate the interior for Christmas and stay true to tradition?
In order to understand the specifics of Christmas decoration, for starters, it is worth looking at the pages of history and understanding the origins of the holiday, the nature of its origin, distribution, on which, first of all, the significance of the event depends.
On a note! Since in this article we will consider the Christmas interior of Europeans and Orthodox, it is worth noting that history connects the holiday of different branches of Christianity.
- Mary and her husband Joseph went to the census in Bethlehem. The city was very crowded with people and they could not find shelter. The exit was found, but they had to stop for the night in a cave. It was intended for cattle.
- It was in this environment that Jesus was born. The shepherds received such good news, according to legend, from an angel and brought gifts. That night, the star of Bethlehem rose in the sky, which showed the way to the Magi.
- Many people know that Christians and Catholics celebrate Christmas at different times: the first on January 7, and the second on December 25. Why is this happening? It's all about the different chronology and calendar.
- And it was like that. Pope Gregory, during the period of disputes over the calendar, translates the chronology into the so-called new style. The old style is the Julian version. The difference between them is about 13 days.
- European countries dutifully repeat the transition. Russia took this step only after the October Revolution.
- But the church did not want to change its traditions, which is why the Georgian, Ukrainian, Jerusalem and Russian churches celebrate the triumph on the night of January 6th to 7th.
Distinctive features of European and Orthodox Christmas
- As mentioned above, the first difference lies in the date of the celebration of Christmas.
- The second comes down to the strictest post. The fact is that according to the traditions of Orthodoxy, all believers (with some exceptions) must adhere to it. Fasting comes down to certain abstinences in food.
At the same time, a person must cleanse himself spiritually, realize all his actions. Before the rising of the Star of Bethlehem, you can’t drink or eat at all. This period is called Christmas Eve.
There is no such custom in Catholicism.
- Having carefully studied the traditions of the celebration, you can see that for European countries Christmas is a family holiday, more reminiscent of our New Year. But for the Orthodox, this is a holiday, first of all, a spiritual one.
Services are held in churches based on age-old customs. Thousands of people go to temples to purify themselves and get closer to the spiritual world. Catholic worship is much simpler, it can be said to be modernized for modernity.
Interesting fact! A logical conclusion can be drawn from the foregoing: for Catholics, it is more important that Jesus was born and not resurrected, but for Orthodoxy it is quite the opposite, since Easter is a more significant holiday for them.
Getting to know Western design
The period of preparation for Christmas among Catholics is called Advent. It lasts about 4 weeks, and during this time, European residents not only prepare for confession and other religious events, but also try to embody Christmas in interior design.
Surely, each of you saw foreign films popular on New Year's Eve? Remember the comedy "Home Alone", it clearly demonstrates the Christmas atmosphere in the house in a European and American way.
So let's talk in more detail about what constitutes a Christmas interior in Europe.
Baskets and wreaths
The interior of the house at Christmas is inextricably linked with wreaths. They may vary in size appearance, Scenery.
Christmas wreaths in the interior play a rather symbolic role. Their use has its own history, and quite interesting, though not so long ago.
- Johann Wiehern, a theologian who lived in the 19th century, took children from poor families to raise. They couldn't read or write, of course. But they constantly asked their trustee about when, finally, Christmas would come.
- Wiehern, tired of the same questions, decided to do the following: he placed red and white candles on the wheel. The first ones were small, and the second ones were bigger. On weekdays, it was necessary to light red, and on weekends - white.
- Soon the red candles burned out, and 4 white ones remained. This became a kind of prototype of a wreath on which candles are placed.
Wreaths can be decorated in completely different ways: artificial fruits, gifts, sweets, and so on. It is quite possible to make such an element with your own hands.
The basis, as a rule, are coniferous twigs, which are actively decorated. With their help, you can also transform Christmas baskets in which fruits are laid out.
Christmas socks
Europeans have a rather funny tradition, which consists in hanging decorative socks near the Christmas tree. In them, of course, Santa should put gifts.
If the volume of the latter is incomparable with the sock, it can be placed side by side. Each member of the family has their own sock. It can be made from any desired and suitable fabric for this.
Christmas interior decor in the form of wood-like elements is also welcome. With a certain design of the apartment, they can look very stylish and organic.
Note! A large number of people in Europe have long forgotten about putting gifts in socks. They are most often presented in the old Soviet way: they are simply placed under the spruce. That is, in fact, only the tradition of decorating the interior design for Christmas with the help of these socks has remained.
Take a look at the English-style Christmas interior, it reflects the above tradition as much as possible.
pomanders
Do you know what pomanders are? These are oranges, but not simple ones, but decorated with cumin, cinnamon and cloves. Thanks to this, the whole house is filled with a wonderful incense, with which the Europeans associate Christmas, just like the Russians associate with tangerines.
With the help of pomanders, you can easily decorate, or rather, complement the Christmas interior with your own hands. Entire compositions are composed, in which cones, pine needles, lemons, other spices and more also participate.
You can place such a peculiar fruit-aromatic craft anywhere: near the Christmas tree, on the table, on the windowsill.
Christmas tree
The best item of the Christmas interior, or rather, even the most important one, is, of course, the spruce.
You can decorate it:
- Apples and other edible decorations. Currently, this is no longer so relevant and natural products have been replaced with props, but it is quite possible to try.
It is interesting! Do you know why the Christmas tree was decorated with apples? Because it is the main symbol of the gifts to Jesus.
- Sweets, pomanders, nuts, cookies- all of these will work too.
- lights- a symbol of light that was sent by Christ, so they are one of the most important attributes.
- Bows, bells and other little things also relevant for decorating a Christmas tree.
- Christmas style in the interior of Europeans suggests the presence of religious themes, therefore, you can also hang on a spruce, for example, pipes that act as a symbol of the good news, the Magi, angels.
Symbolic plants
Do you know that in addition to the Christmas tree, there are other plant symbols of the holiday? The decoration of the interior for Christmas among Catholics is directly related to the poinsettia and mistletoe wreath.
- A wreath of mistletoe is a kind of symbol of inseparability. In accordance with the belief, if you kiss while under it, then the union that is bonded in the future will not be terminated.
- Now mistletoe can be bought in artificial form. It is hung in the house in the form of wreaths or separate branches.
- The poinsettia is the symbol of the Christmas Star of Bethlehem. It is often put on a festive table or hung in an apartment (house). It can also be used to make compositions and weave wreaths.
Note! Both poinsettia and mistletoe are poisonous and should be handled with care.
magic cookie
Just like our tradition of drinking champagne with the ashes of the paper on which the wish is written, the Catholics have their own counterpart. Only not a desire is written, but a prediction or a playful wish.
The papers are baked inside the cookies and served at the table. The prediction must be read without fail, because this is the traditional meaning.
Moreover, it is also a kind of Christmas decoration of the interior, even, it would be more correct to say, of the table. Cookies are skillfully decorated, and their presence perfectly complements the festive atmosphere.
Special composition - a symbol of the holiday
Christmas decorations for the interior must contain such a symbolic element as a nativity scene. This is a composition that reflects the scene of the birth of Jesus.
In ancient times, such a symbol was placed exclusively in the church, but gradually everything changed and people began to use similar scenes in festive decor.
Decoration of houses outside
Europeans actively decorate the facades of houses and cottages. They are hung not only on the walls of dwellings, but also on trees, fences and in other places suitable for this.
In a word, everything should glow and shine, and the brighter, according to Catholics, the better.
Traditional events and holiday symbols
And let's pay attention to the brightest symbols of the European version of Christmas.
Santa Claus
How can one not remember the famous Santa Claus, who on Christmas night climbs into the chimneys and lays out gifts. This symbol lives not only in the thoughts of millions of children - with the help of Santa's figurines they actively decorate houses.
They are placed in the garden near the house, at the entrance, near the festive spruce and in other suitable places.
Take a look at the photo and see for yourself:
advent calendars
We have already spoken above about the existence of the so-called Advent period, which lasts 4 weeks before the start of the holiday.
Because of this, there is a tradition to give children Christmas or Advent calendars. This is a peculiar method of counting the number of days left until the holiday.
- Such a souvenir, as a rule, brings children a lot of joy not only from the holiday approaching closer every day, but also from the mini-gifts that this calendar contains.
- It is a set of 24 pockets made in various shapes. A small present is placed in each. It can be candy, coin, chocolate and so on.
- Every day it is permissible to open one. And so for all 24 days.
- Such a souvenir can be bought ready-made or built with your own hands. You can also use bright decorated envelopes and hang them on a string or magnets.
- Santa hats or knitted bags are also suitable.
Such a calendar can also be given to an Orthodox child. And believe me, he will receive a lot of positive emotions.
Christmas in Orthodoxy
Interior decoration for Christmas in Orthodoxy can also become a whole ritual. Modern people they are used to decorating their homes with what is presented on the shelves, while no one thinks about the meaning of objects and their appropriateness: beautiful - well, okay.
Moreover, the use of Western European design techniques has recently become widespread, which is also not entirely good. After all, not only the atmosphere of Orthodox Christmas is lost, but also the sacred meaning of the elements.
However, like Catholicism, Orthodox Christians have an equally rich list of customs and traditional items that can be compared with home decoration.
What to use
- First of all, let's talk about the tree. It is fashionable now to acquire pine as well. These are the key symbols of the holiday.
- You can hang anything on the spruce: balls, garlands, props, lights and much more.
- Biblical religious topics will also be very helpful. This will make the Christmas interior design fit the occasion.
- The same figures of the Magi, trumpets and angels will be relevant for the Orthodox.
- Fresh flowers, bells and a nativity scene will help create a real Christmas atmosphere.
Angels
It is also a traditional ancient symbol and it means the joy of the holiday and the guests who have come to the house. Again, you can hang them anywhere. It is quite easy to build angels with your own hands, and almost any material you want can be used.
Natural flowers
Christmas is celebrated in the winter season, and it would seem that living plants are completely inappropriate, but this is not entirely true.
Icons are decorated with chrysanthemums, lilies, spruce branches. You can even compose a whole composition. It is not only symbolic, but also beautiful.
Build garlands of fresh flowers and hang them in your house or apartment. This will truly wow your guests.
