Besides the snow, it’s not hard to know that it’s Christmas time. Stores, homes, and really anything that can support a garland will be festooned with some sort of decor. While these can range from cheap and tacky to intricate and ornate, there are a few people out there who take it upon themselves to make something new and special for the holidays.
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Oftentimes people forget or perhaps aren’t even aware that Christmas is a sort of Christian “rebranding” ofSaturnalia, the Roman holiday celebrating the winter solstice. Both gift-giving and some decorations were, reportedly, part of this holiday long before it was associated with the birth of Christ.The Romans weren’t the only culture to celebrate the winter solstice, for example, the Germanic people had the concept ofYule, a word which we still use today. Similarly,the Celtsunderstood the significance of this time of year and would even decorate trees in its honor. All in all, some form of “Christmas” can be found all over the world.
Oftentimes people forget or perhaps aren’t even aware that Christmas is a sort of Christian “rebranding” ofSaturnalia, the Roman holiday celebrating the winter solstice. Both gift-giving and some decorations were, reportedly, part of this holiday long before it was associated with the birth of Christ.
The Romans weren’t the only culture to celebrate the winter solstice, for example, the Germanic people had the concept ofYule, a word which we still use today. Similarly,the Celtsunderstood the significance of this time of year and would even decorate trees in its honor. All in all, some form of “Christmas” can be found all over the world.
Indeed, the tree is perhaps the most enduring symbol of Christmas. Its current incarnation, as an evergreen tree with some decorations most likely originated with Protestant Germans in the 15th century in North Eastern Germany or in what is now the Baltic States. The rest of the decorations would evolve over time as various craftspeople tried their hands at making something unique.
The faces are resin prints from 3D models I sculpted digitally. The rest of the head is a combo of construction foam, wood filler, and Bondo attached to Styrofoam. Then I painted them with an airbrush. This was the first time doing something like this for me, so I mostly just made it up as I went along. There are probably better ways of doing something like this but I had fun and learned a lot. The bodies are PVC pipe, pool noodles, cushion foam, and rebar.
One of the most wonderful parts of Christmas is just how festive everything begins to look. If you are lucky, many public spaces will be lit up and decorated to brighten up the longer winter nights. Flashing lights, candles, and banners all play their part in turning a normally gray and somewhat depressing time of year into something much more enjoyable.
No “L” - Noel.
If you live in North America, it can often feel like you don’t even get a break from the festivities. Between Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas, there is always something going on, from events to just decorations all over the place. It might not be to everyone’s taste, but it can be a nice way to spice things up visually.
At the same time, depending on one’s religious denomination, the exact date of Christmas will vary. This can even extend to when one opens gifts. In much of Latin America, one might open them on Christmas Eve. The Easter Church, which operates on a different calendar, doesn’t even celebrate Christmas until January 7th.
The first electrically lit-up Christmas treeoriginated in the United States, which had 80, hand-wired light bulbs, in red white, and blue. Its creator, Edward H. Johnson, who set it up in 1882 was ignored at first. But within two decades, electric lights on trees, windows, and practically everything else had become the norm in the US.
Since then, material innovations, disposable income, and accessible tutorials have all “banded together” to allow people with that spark for DIY to impress the internet. So if you are interested in more clever Christmas ideas,Bored Pandahas you covered, check out our articles about the best creations for Christmas of2022and2021.
That must make my husband and me, no decorations, no kids, Todd and Margo.
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I live in a one-bedroom apartment but I still go all out for Christmas. I ended up replacing the lights around my bedroom window with c7 vintage-style ceramic LED lights (last pic). The building lights in my complex are absurdly bright but hopefully, my Christmas lights compete with them.
Got a few new things so we leaned into the Christmas spirit early this year instead of putting them away.
So many strangers walking past wished us a merry Christmas.
Added the “sparkle lights” on the small trees and the lighted wreath on the main house.
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