Holiday Decorations in the 1800s

By Amaya Eckersley and Sheri King

Modern holiday decorations in America, including those used around Christmas time, have a long history. What did they look like in the 19th century?

It is worth noting the ancient origins of Christmas decorations in order to explore how they changed over time. Before Christmas became a tradition in early Christian groups, there were other winter holidays that were commonly celebrated. Druidic decorations, according to Ancient Roman historian Pliny the Elder, included mistletoe, which he claimed symbolized fertility. Holly was also a popular ancient decoration, used by the Romans in Saturnalia and possibly originating from Germanic tradition. Ancient Yule celebrations may have included strewing straw and lighting candles. Finally, Romans lit candles on trees during Saturnalia festivities in order to symbolize the return of light after the winter solstice – one of few traditions that has survived the test of time even though Saturnalia itself has not.

Christian celebrations adopted and changed these decorations, and adjusted the traditions to represent their own religious and cultural meanings. In the 1600s, mistletoe made a re-emergence as a decoration used in households and churches, far removed from its ancient origins. By the mid-1800s, people were hanging simple stockings with their names stitched on them by the fireplace and awaiting Santa in anticipation. After the Civil War, in particular, decorations flourished across the U.S. Windows were lined with boxwood and wreaths, holly trimmings were used in table settings, and where Christmas trees used to be set up on tables, they became larger and were stood up on the floor.

Surprisingly, it was not long after the Civil War that the first electric Christmas lights came to be. Edward H. Johnson, a friend and partner of Thomas Edison, hand wired a string of colorful lights to put on his tree in 1882. However, these lights were not only expensive, but there was still a distrust of electricity in the U.S. at the time, and it took a few decades for electric lights to become commonplace.

Image: Group of men, women, & children admiring candle-lit Christmas tree in parlor, Library of Congress

In the 1880s, the diversity and extravagance of Christmas decorations surged. Households commonly had accents of feathers, berries, and pinecones, they consumed sugared fruits and cookies shaped like animals, stars, and elves, and they decorated with strings of cranberries and dyed popcorn. There were also plenty of handmade ornaments in the shapes of angels, flowers, bells, cornucopias, and stars. Christmas cards became commonplace and were decorations in their own regard, sometimes tucked into garlands or displayed near the tree.

During this time, even gifts functioned as decorations. They were sometimes put inside of the tree, marked with the name of the recipient, to add to the whimsy and wonder of the holiday. Trees were wrapped in garland, had strings of lights or candles, and sometimes contained a reflective tin star. Finally, the tree would be topped with an angel or a star, both carrying significant

Image: Under the mistletoe, ca. 1898, Library of Congress

At the Hoover-Minthorn House Museum, we have put up garlands, wreaths, and holly to get into the holiday spirit. However, we acknowledge that the Quakers of the time period we represent would not necessarily have decorated even in this simplistic way. The Quaker focus on simplicity and generosity meant that during the holidays, they typically preferred using their resources to help the poor and needy rather than decorate or engage in anything they viewed as frivolous. This mindset of generosity and humbleness encapsulates a different part of the holiday spirit and translated through much of Herbert Hoover’s life as a humanitarian.

Image: President Hoover lights Nation’s Capital community Xmas tree, 1929, Library of Congress

References

Churco, Jennie. “Christmas and the Roman Saturnalia.” The Classical Outlook 16, no. 3 (1938): 25–26. Accessed November 29, 2024.

Golightly, Holly. “Holly.” Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrases & Fable. Edited by Susie Dent. Chambers Harrap Publishers, 2012.

Khederlan, Robert. “How Christmas Decorations Evolved Through the 1800s.” Curbed archive. December 9, 2016. Accessed November 30, 2024.

Lindow, John. “Yule.” The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages. Oxford University Press, 2010.

“Mistletoe.” A Dictionary of English Folklore. Edited by Jacqueline Simpson and Steve Roud. Oxford University Press, 2003.

Science Reference Section, Library of Congress. “Who Invented Electric Christmas Lights?” Library of Congress. First published November 19, 2019. Revised September 16, 2024. Accessed November 30, 2024.

“Timeline of American Christmas Lighting.” The Antique Christmas Lights Museum. Accessed November 30, 2024.