Antiquers Seek Victorian Christmas Tree Ornaments

Many people enjoy antiquing - searching out rare treasures often at bargain basement prices. At an antique store, one can find many different items in various conditions. In antiquing, the old adage, one man's junk is another man's treasure, is definitely true. An increasingly popular item among antiquers is Christmas ornaments, especially Victorian Christmas tree ornaments.

Christmas Tree Ornaments from the Victorian Era

The long period (1837-1901) during which Queen Victoria ruled England - known simply as the Victorian era - is normally associated only with England, but the United States was also hugely affected by Victorian tastes and morals. Victoria was famously rigid, yet her era also saw extremely fine decorations, and Victorian Christmas tree ornaments often reflect this.

During most of the Victorian era, electricity was simply not available or at best, it was a luxury for the rich. So there weren't any strings of Christmas lights as we know them - instead, Christmas trees were adorned with actual candles. While very few candles survive from that time, the candles themselves were set in brass candle holders, and those candle holders are now prized as classic Victorian Christmas tree ornaments.

"Father Christmas" was another common theme on classic Victorian Christmas tree ornaments. The characters of Father Christmas and Santa Claus are essentially the same -- they are both based on the real person known as Saint Nicholas -- but they do not have similar appearances. There was no familiar red suit with white trim and a black belt -- instead Victorian era "Father Christmas" ornaments showed a man with a long beard and flowing robes. This resulted in an appearance that people these days would associate more with an ancient wise man or wizard. And a decent number of Victorian Christmas tree ornaments based on this image of Father Christmas still survive and can be found by the determined antiquer.

One type of Victorian Christmas tree ornaments that are rather hard to come by these days are velvet ribbons. Crimson colored velvet ribbons were prized tree ornaments, and were placed decoratively throughout the Christmas tree. Velvet does not keep for a very long time, so if you do find any examples of these antique Christmas tree ornaments, they will probably need to be restored.

Thus, it might be easier just to visit a fabric supply shop and get some new velvet for your Christmas decorations and ornaments. In fact, if you or someone you know can sew, you can purchase a piece of velvet, cut some strips out of it, then just sew the sides, and you've just made your own velvet ribbons. Whichever method you choose, the key is to have fun decorating your Christmas tree! Remember there are always websites on the Internet that can help with any and all of your holiday decorating questions.