Evergreen Feelings: this seasons best Christmas tree ornaments

According to psychologists, families who put up their Christmas decorations early are generally happier than their counterparts who hold off until the last minute, and here at Gafencu, we don’t need to be told to be jolly twice. With the festive season mere weeks away, we’re setting out to embrace the holiday spirit in full by sharing our recommendations for the season’s most darling Christmas tree ornaments, alongside a complimentary history lesson of the beloved holiday tradition.

Most know that bringing home and decorating an Evergreen tree is a cherished holiday tradition, but where exactly did this long-held custom originate from? While the roots of today’s modern Christmas tree can be traced to Northern Europe thousands of years ago, the first documented use of such foliage for the festive season dates back to the 15th-16th century in Estonia and Latvia. A few decades later in medieval Livonia and early-Modern Germany, the custom of decorating trees in their homes was started by local Protestants. Fast forward to today, and families the world over have adopted the practice, including our very own Hong Kong.

In the 19th century, upper class families in the Western World began to partake in the tradition too, sprucing up their Christmas trees with ribbons, ornaments, tinsel, and sweets. In modern times, Christmas trees are a staple of many a household’s living room, decorated not only with heirloom ornaments from the past but with contemporary decor such as peppermint candy-canes and string lights.

With such a wide assortment of ornaments and decorations to choose from, we’ve put together our list of the prettiest items to hang from your Christmas tree.