The Victorian Christmas Tree
What glorious Christmas trees we have in this wonderful modern age! My Christmas-loving heart is delighted each year, looking at all the beautiful trees in our stores, magazines and living rooms!
The Victorians had none of the sparkling lights, tinsel, ornament sets, nor even electricity.
But to each one their tree was splendid with its candles carefully clipped on the branches, bright hand made decorations on the branches, little treats hidden amongst the branches.
"The fir tree was put into a great tub filled with sand... The servants, and the young ladies also decked it out. On one branch they hung little nets, cut out of colored paper; every net was filled with sweetmeats; golden apples and walnuts hung down as if they grew there, and more than a hundred little candles, red, white and blue, were fastened to the different boughs. Dolls that looked exactly like real people-- the Tree had never seen such before-- swung among the foliage, and high on the summit of the Tree was fixed a tinsel star. It was splendid, particularly splendid. "This evening," said all, "this evening it will shine."
-- HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
A Christmas Tree
I have been looking at a merry company of children
assembled round that pretty German toy,
a Christmas Tree. The tree was planted in the middle of a great round table, and towered high above their heads. It was brillantly lighted by a multitude of little tapers; and everywhere sparkled and glittered with bright objects. There were rosy-cheeked dolls, hiding behind the green leaves; and...sugar-plums; there were trinkets for the elder girls, far brighter than any grown-up gold and jewels...there were teetotums, humming tops, needle-cases, pen-wipers...real fruit, made artificially dazzling with gold leaf; imitation apples, pears, and walnuts, crammed with surprises; in short, as a pretty child, before me, delightedly whisped to another pretty child, her bosom friend, "There was everything and more."
~Charles Dickens~Household Word
A Victorian Tree - Christmas Magazine
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