A set of six stamps issued by Jersey Post depicts a selection of Christmas tree decorations on November 08, 2011. The stamps have designed by Colleen Corlett.
Modern materials combine with enduring designs to ensure that these decorations remain an indispensable part of festive celebrations.
Adults and children alike take great pleasure in decorating the tree at Christmas, an activity which dates back hundreds of years.
The stamps feature a variety of lights, garlands and baubles including bells, an angel and, of course, Father Christmas himself.
There are various tales of fir trees being decorated but the pivotal moments seems to have occurred in the 16th century in Germany when devout Christians brought fir trees into their homes, decorating them with sweets, nuts, paper roses and such like.
Two hundred years later and the Americans joined in. Again, decorations were mostly apples and nuts as they symbolised the regeneration of life and the coming of spring.
In 1610 shiny foil and paper streamers were added, leading to the idea of reflecting light from the room onto the tree and the tree came into its own.
In England, Prince Albert in 1841 decorated a tree at Windsor Castle with candles and a variety of sweets, fruits and gingerbread, and the pursuit was copied by wealthy English families. All sorts of decorations ensued: dolls, miniature furniture, tiny musical instruments, costume jewelry, toy guns and swords, with glass beads and hand-sewn snowflakes being added to the mix.
Until the 1880s, decorations were handcrafted by families and their friends. The only decorations which could be bought were found in German markets - hand-cast lead and hand-blown glass decorations.
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