Interior experts Hammonds Furniture have created six visualisations inspired by Christmas living room décor from different countries around the world.
Can you guess which country each living room represents?
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Traditionally, red soldier nutcrackers stand ready to crack any chestnuts you might be roasting, while their lesser-known counterpart, the Rauchermann, will keep your home smelling cosy and inviting – these charming figurines are designed as incense holders.
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A Christmas tree like the majority of countries but this nation has a tradition of decorating ships and boats. This maritime tradition symbolises welcoming loved ones home, and the boats are often displayed as centrepieces. The fire is kept burning throughout the festive period, bringing both a cosy atmosphere, and keeping the kallikantzaros away – mischievous goblins that roam the earth during the winter solstice.
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Christmas here is all about lighting. Parols, a specific type of Christmas lantern, create a warm, glowing and colourful space in which you can celebrate. Meanwhile, it’s a case of the bigger, the better when it comes to tree decorations. Think larger than life baubles, bows and flowers to stand out against a minimalist interior. While nativity scenes are popular internationally, they are an essential decoration in this country, usually placed on a table or under the Christmas tree.
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The Christmas tree with red apples, symbolising the Garden of Eden. In fact, the spherical, brightly coloured apples is what inspired the first bauble decorations, which emulated the fruit in glass.
Cake enthusiasts may well already be familiar with the yule log, a popular and delicious festive centrepiece. Traditionally, a yule log would be wooden, to be burnt on Christmas Eve – an easily DIY-able touch to add to your festive décor.
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A historic tradition takes place in this country with cobwebs and spiders, it’s likely that this tradition comes from the cultural belief that spiders and their webs are lucky, and there are various folk tales that back this up.
Another traditional decoration for this country is the didukh, made from unthreshed ears of grain. These can be braided into a sheaf, or even into a larger tree. Though they are simple in their materials, didukhs have a long and rich history. They can be made at home with a little bit of work, though many folk artists make and sell them today.
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A star on the tree and garlands over the mantlepiece. Mistletoe is hanging ready for the party season, while the presents sit wrapped under the tree. It wouldn’t be Christmas in this country without mince pies for Santa and carrots for Rudolph.
Answers:
- Germany
- Greece
- Philippines
- France
- Ukraine
- UK
Kirsty Oakes, Head of Product and Marketing from Hammonds said:
“The living room is the heart of the home, and the place where so many memories are made. For so many people, putting up the tree and decorations is the best part of Christmas.
We’re all used to digging out the same decorations every year, many of which date back to childhood. But there comes a time when we might want to shake things up a little, if only to add a new touch to our existing decorations.
Learning about different festive décor traditions from around the world not only brings us closer to other cultures but can provide inspiration when refreshing our own decoration collection.”
