Victorian Christmas decorating is firmly identified with Queen Victoria within the public mind. Fair enough. After all, it absolutely was during her reign that Christmas arrived to its very own in Britain. Before her time, Britons didn't celebrate Christmas with the exact same enthusiasm and opulence she came to be known for.
Victorian Christmas trees adorned Windsor Castle yearly starting around 1840 and royal Christmas celebrations were featured prominently inside the newspapers. While poorer families couldn't afford Christmas trees during Victoria's reign, they followed the royals' lead and begun to decorate evergreen branches, holly and mistletoe with Christmas candles and ornaments in much the same way.
Victoria was familiar with the Yule tree because her grandmother Queen Charlotte had introduced it around 1800. In time, Victorian Christmas ornaments and Victorian trees came to be regarded as British through-and-through, and they also were strongly associated with the Queen. But ironically, the royal embrace with the Christmas tree had more related to Germany than Britain. In fact, the Victorian Christmas Tree actually "infiltrated" the House of Windsor from Germany.
Though Victoria is credited with being Britain's Christmas taste-maker, it was her husband, Albert, the Prince Consort, who had previously been ultimately to blame for popularizing the Victorian Holiday Tree in England. Albert was German. The son of minor royals, he was raised in the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha inside central part of Germany, where German Christmas traditions were strong and deeply rooted. Albert had matured decorating trees every holidays. When he joined the British royal family, marrying Victoria in 1840, he transplanted the Germans' love for the tree to England and asked Victoria to adopt German Christmas traditions.
When it came to Christmas lights, candles were the sole choice at that time. Electricity hadn't been harnessed for domestic use, so like several good Germans, Albert put candles on the royal tree. And, as we say, the remainder is history.
If you choose traditional Christmas decorations this season and decide to adorn your tree with Victorian Christmas ornaments, stop and say a nice word of due to the good Prince Consort. Victoria was the Queen, however in all things Christmas, Albert was the ability behind the throne.
Victorian Christmas decorating and Christmas Tree Candles go hand-in-hand. If you want to keep your Victorian Christmas decorations true to tradition, go for real Christmas Candles for your tree this season. It's a magical sight and also you won't regret it.
You could possibly be tempted by other Christmas lights. God knows there are numerous other available choices - colored Christmas ights on strings, green, blue, red or purple LED Christmas lights, miniature electric Christmas candles, bubble lights, and LED Christmas lights inside a net - the options are endless. But let's imagine you're determined to stay with tradition and make use of real Christmas Tree Candles. What are the alternatives and where can you discover their whereabouts?
We are referring to a product or service with zero business that is certainly basically considered "obsolete," so you won't find your Christmas Candles in the neighborhood shop. If you do not have considerable time and want to ensure you have your candle in hand soon enough for your Christmas festivities, it's probably advisable to make an online purchase.
When you're ready order, be sure what will you need. You can't just melt the final with the candle and glue it to the tree with hot wax (even though this is what Martin Luther is claimed to get done). You'll need both Christmas Candles and Christmas Candle Holders. Make sure they're from Germany. The Germans are already manufacturing them for ages and theirs are the most useful.
There are a few web stores that provide original Christmas Tree Candles and traditional Christmas Tree Candle Holders from Germany. Find the web shop you wish to use and order early to stop a last-minute rush. I know from experience that some people go empty-handed since they wait too long to put their order and the stock sells out.
If a Victorian Christmas can be your theme, pick candle holders that have been designed and employed in that period. You can choose the Clip On Christmas Tree Candle Holder, or Candle Clip, which grips the branch and it is adjustable. Or you might choose the Pendulum Christmas Tree Candle Holder, which balances the candle because it hangs in the tree. Both of these are often for sale in gold or silver and so they are suitable for other Victorian Christmas ornaments.
Whichever design going for, your Christmas candles will radiate a lively, warm glow that can't be matched by LED Christmas lights or electric candle. Of course, you have to use wise practice and care during the entire holidays (squeeze candles on the tree so the flame won't get near to anything and grow inside the room while the candles are burning). But the result will be a genuine Victorian Christmas that can warm the house during the entire Christmas season.
All rights reserved. Copyright (c) Kurt Donner. Free for use with attribution and without changes or deletions.
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