Can you believe the holiday season is already around the corner? Soon, you’ll be planning the how to avoid the crowds at the mall. Even before you start planning this, we here at KaBloom have been working hard to plan our holiday arrangements to make the season as festive as possible! You probably see those greens in your holiday arrangement, but never give them a second thought. But, dating back centuries, these Christmas greens have more of a story than you could ever have imagined!
The use of these Christmas greens follows the history of the Christmas tree, which dates back to ancient civilizations. At the time, people used tree branches to decorate their homes in celebration of the Winter Solstice, which takes place only a few days before what is now Christmas. As Christmas became a celebrated holiday, people in Europe brought cherry and hawthorn plants into their houses, hoping that they would bloom in time for the holiday. Somewhere in the late 1400s or early 1500s, the first documented Christmas tree appears in Northern Europe, as towns began to display large trees in honor of the holiday. Soon, Christmas trees moved indoors, where people would decorate them with edible things, such as gingerbread and apples, until glassmakers began making ornaments specifically during the holiday season.
The Christmas tree made its way first to the United Kingdom in the mid-1800s, and became popular after a drawing of Queen Victoria and her family decorating a tree made its way around the country and to the United States, where the practice became even more popular as imported glass ornaments started to appear. People also liked to put candles on Christmas trees in a tradition started by Martin Luther, who and saw the stars’ reflections against the trees one night, and liked so much that he wanted to recreate it. Thankfully, this practice went away with the invention of electric lights, because too many fires were starting! A lot of work went into making the Christmas tree what it is today!
Our favorite Christmas greens we use in our arrangements include the seasonally fragrant Pine and Cedar greens, and seeded Eucalyptus. Each are engrained in the holiday tradition and can be traced back to—you guessed it—the history of the Christmas tree!
These greens give the feeling of walking through a forest, but another common green used is the seeded Eucalyptus. It has a textured appearance with seeds that mimic winter berries While its color is more muted, it gives off a vibrant fragrance and lasts long, for while the first two have needles, these have leaves, which adds more dynamic versatility to the presentation.
Who knew that such a small detail as a pine green in a holiday arrangement has so much history behind it? Now, when you look at an arrangement from our talented designers, you won’t be able to forget the deep-rooted history behind these vibrant greens, a true Christmas tradition. Stay tuned for more updates!
Great Blog. Really Informative. Thanks for sharing this information with us.