Some classic Christmas decorations have remained somewhat unchanged through the years. Most people still do outside lighting for the holidays and the Christmas tree is still the standard decoration for the inside of the house. But what has changed over the years are the way people decorate.
Technology has had a dramatic influence in the way people decorate for Christmas. New innovations in lighting have made outside decorating both more attractive and safer. Christmas tree lights have also undergone some changes over the years.
There was a time in the early 1900’s when it was popular to get a Christmas tree that was as tall the ceiling would allow. The Christmas wreath became popular in America. Wreaths were mostly made from evergreen tree branches. The late 1920’s saw the introduction candy canes as part of the tree decorations.
Later in the 1900’s as times and attitudes changed, so did Christmas decorating. People used to cut down live trees and bring them home. As time passed, not only did the tree size change, but the type of tree as well. Most people started to buy artificial trees that they could assemble and take down year after year. In Europe and Japan, it became popular to hang ornaments that were hollowed out to feature a variety of Christmas scenes. It was by the 1960’s that outdoor lighting really took off and became a national trend.
Today people have begun to change their attitudes about the environment and many have now switched to artificial trees which come in a variety of colors and sizes. Indoor and outdoor lighting has also changed and now is mostly energy efficient LED lighting that can perform a variety of tasks. Now there are even lights that you can control using an app on your phone.
God only knows how Christmas decorating will change in the future. Maybe all the decorating will be virtual.
