Decorating for
the Holidays!

If you're tired of the usual Santa Claus decorations, or just want your
home to look festive minus the traditional Christmas clutter, the Sheffield
School of Interior Design suggests you look to the winter solstice, which usually
occurs around December 21, for new possibilities borrowed from ancient traditions.

According to the Sheffield School, trimming a tree with real fruit, nuts
and berries, dried flowers, or with silver and gold ornaments like the
Romans did, transforms a tree from a display of Christian (and Christmas)
iconography into something more in keeping with the pre-Christian solstice
celebrations. After all, the people of northern Europe decorated trees in
sacred pine groves with fruit and dried flowers in honor of the earth gods
and goddesses who would bring nature back to life in the spring, and
evergreen branches, which symbolized life, were used to adorn homes.

But if you need to decorate for Hanukkah - maybe you'll be hosting a big
dinner sometime during the holiday - the Sheffield School offers this tip:
make your table more festive by putting together a centerpiece using an
attractive menorah, a kiddush cup, a few dreidls, and a few pieces of gelt
(chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil). Like with any centerpiece, some
winter foliage or flowers might work well as accents.

And speaking of holiday centerpieces . . .

"A centerpiece is used in Kwanzaa celebrations," points out Chuck DeLaney,
Editorial Director of Sheffield's Designer Monthly Web site magazine. "Each
part of the centerpiece - the ears of corn, the cup of wine - is intended to
represent a specific value associated with the holiday. Plus, a refreshing
aspect of Kwanzaa decoration is its emphasis on homemade items, something
that can be fun for every family, no matter which holidays you celebrate".

For more information on the Kwanzaa centerpiece, and for additional hints
and tips on how to decorate for the holidays, visit the Sheffield School of Interior
Design Web site at http://www.sheffield.edu

"Reprinted with permission from the Sheffield School of Design Web site at http://www.sheffield.edu

 

Return to Home Page

E-mail Me