Be a Tree Fad of the 1900's

Whoever said history was boring, must not have researched very long. I can't tell you how many times I have come across some of the most interesting, random and comical things while researching for a story or article. Since holiday decorating is now in full swing, I thought I'd share one of my favorites.

Christmas decorations haven't always been the way they are today. So when I was writing a Christmas story set in the early 1900's, I had to do a little bit of research and see what kinds of decorations were popular at that time period. It was just during the emergence of Christmas lights, so those were yet sparse. But I did run across one method of Christmas decorating that took me completely off guard.

Most of us are familiar with the couture and fashions of the holiday season. From the simple and elegant black dress, to the ugly sweaters, to those new holiday outfits that we love to shop for, fashion has been as much a part of Christmas as turkey and eggnog. However, some of these fashions are more...shall we say...interesting, than others.

It seems that during this Edwardian, Titanic era, folks had a fascination with dressing up in Christmas tree costumes. And some of the costumes are very authentic, if nothing else.The Christmas tree during this era had a lot of tinsel and a lot of homemade ornaments. The days of pretty, uniform, professional looking ornaments was not yet upon us, and only businesses or the more astute citizens would have lights on their trees. So perhaps the people were seeking a way to make the Christmas tree more exciting and full of life. What better way to do that than to actually BE a Christmas tree?!

While I was unable to find any particular reason or history behind this fad, I did find numerous pictures. From children, to full grown women, it seems that people of all ages joined in on the idea.

My best guess is this fad was much like the "ugly sweater" contests of today. The embarrassment and oddness of the costumes became part of the game, and part of what made it "cool" and festive.

Photos source: vintag.es.com

What do you think...would you dress up as a Christmas Tree for your next holiday party?

*****

Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  She lives in Colorado and spends half her time volunteering in the Ozarks. Check out Solve by Christmas on Amazon for a great holiday read.

 

Decorating for Christmas in the Early 1900's

Now that December is upon us, everyone--even those of us who have the staunch belief that it should wait until after Thanksgiving--will be decking the halls and streaming the lights. Decorating is a huge part of the Christmas season and the focus of so many lasting memories. So when I was writing Solve by Christmas, I knew some of the decorations needed to be included in the book. It just couldn't be a Christmas book without experiencing Christmas decor in Denver during 1913! But you know what? All of our electronic dancing reindeer and light-up gingerbread houses weren't real popular back then. ;)  I found I needed to do some research on what decorations were popular (not to mention invented) back then. It ended up being interesting, so I thought I'd share a bit of that information with ya'll.

 The Christmas Tree

Copyright: liligraphie / 123RF Stock Photo

Yes, even then, the Christmas tree was most celebrated. However the decorating of said tree looked a little bit different. Ornaments might be homemade, or look much like the ones we have today, minus the glitter. The family might also hang pine cones as ornaments. Popcorn strings were also popular, but what seemed to be the favorite was tinsel. Many of the pictures I found had brow-raising amounts of tinsel strewn all over the tree.

Electric Christmas lights were just becoming popular, but mostly for indoor displays by companies or people who could afford them. Otherwise, you'd have to use candles to light up the tree. Hopefully only in a figurative sense. According to the Smithsonian magazine,

"A string of 16 vaguely flame-shaped bulbs sitting in brass sockets the size of shot glasses sold for a pricey $12 (about $350 in today’s money) in 1900. But in 1894 President Cleveland put electric lights on the White House tree, and by 1914, a 16-foot string cost just $1.75."
(Read more here)

Sometime between 1900 and 1914, they figured out how to make electric Christmas lights affordable.

Source: Ladies Home Journal Dec. 1910

Christmas Greens

Holly, garland and wreaths were fashionable. The Ladies Home Journal in 1910 claimed, "There is scarcely a home in the whole country that does not have its holly wreath at Christmastime" But their wreaths were not only hung on doors, but also in windows so they might be seen from outside. 

Laurel leaves were also common. 

Store Toy Displays

Just as "Toys in every store" is iconic of Christmas time today, the extravagant toy displays in shop windows were so in the early 1900's.Many of the Christmas postcards depicted the shop window scenes with children peeking inside. There are some old vintage photos to prove it was a true-to-life sight.

There were other decorations, of course, such as stockings, ribbon or bows, and flower arrangements. With Solve by Christmas being set in Denver, Colorado, the best decoration of all was the snow left over from the blizzard of 1913. ;) But that's coming from a Colorado gal.

What are your favorite Christmas decorations? Share it, or a favorite Christmas decorating memory for your chance to win an ebook copy of Solve by Christmas!

****

Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  Her title, Dawn of Liberty, was awarded the 2017 CSPA Book of the Year award in Historical Fiction. She lives in Colorado and spends half her time volunteering in the Ozarks. Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at www.AmberSchamel.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!