How to Decorate a White Christmas tree

Christmas is a time of year that is awaited by a large number of people, both because it is a time of gifts and because of the happiness that is breathed in the environment, both in the streets and in stores and homes. In the latter it is customary to place different types of decoration, being practically essential to have a Christmas tree in the home.

Decorating the Christmas tree is one of the most beautiful actions that Christmas has, a traditional fact that brings together the members of the house on many occasions, who enjoy a good time together both in the choice of trees and in their subsequent decor.

Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus in Christian culture, which means that a large number of the motifs used to decorate the home refer to it. The tradition of putting the Christmas tree in the home is very old.

Currently there are a large number of different options and models when choosing a tree for this holiday, both natural and artificial. In fact, one of the most popular in recent years is the white Christmas tree.

This makes you have a feeling more related to cold and snow, a color that this type of tree recalls. For this reason, in this article we bring you different tips so you know how to decorate a white Christmas tree.

Meaning of decorating a Christmas tree

The Christmas tree is a symbol of this festivity, although many people are unaware of its true meaning, unaware of where this tradition comes from, beyond the entire commercial spectrum that surrounds Christmas itself. In its beginnings it was only linked to religion, prosperity and hope.

In ancient times, the Germans considered that the Earth and the Stars hung from a giant tree, whose roots were in hell and its top in heaven. To celebrate the winter solstice, they decorated an oak tree with torches and danced around it, in what may be the origin of the Christmas tree as we know it today.

However, in the year 740, Saint Boniface pulled down the oak tree, which represented the God Odin, and replaced it with a pine tree, which became a symbol of eternal love for God. This tree was decorated with apples and candles. The former represents temptation in the Catholic religion and the latter the light of the world and divine grace. In addition, the pine is a symbol of eternal life.

In the middle Ages this custom was spreading throughout the old continent and, after the conquest of America, it reached the United States.

The first Christmas tree to be decorated as we know it today was seen in 1605 in Germany. At that time it was used with the aim of giving atmosphere to the festivity in a time of extreme cold. From that moment on, given its visual impact and beauty, it spread to other territories.

It arrived in Spain in 1870, almost 30 years after it arrived in England, where it was seen for the first time in 1841.

Meaning of each ornament

Each traditional ornament that the Christmas tree has a meaning, which is the following:

• Balls: These traditionally represent the Gifts that God gives to men. In turn, each ball has its own meaning: blue (repentance), silver (thanks), gold (praise), and red (requests).
• Star: It is usual that it is placed at the top of the tree, signifying the faith that it is the one who guides us in life.
• Ribbons: These are responsible for symbolizing the union in the family, as well as being surrounded by loved ones, something common on these dates, where families usually meet.
• Little angels: They are symbols that act as messengers between heaven and people, being also a symbol of protection.
• Lights:  Regardless of the color or if they are intermittent or of their type, the meaning of the lights is to illuminate the path of faith.

However, it must be taken into account that today many of the ornaments are placed only for their design and not so much for their meaning, although there are still those who maintain the same and try to place it on their tree.

Instructions for decorating a white Christmas tree

If you want to know how to decorate a white Christmas tree, here are a series of steps that you must follow, so we advise you to take them into account.

1. First of all you must choose the lights of the tree. The Christmas lights that you are going to use in the decoration of your tree must have a white cable or, at least, as clear as possible. In this way it will be possible to camouflage better between the branches, making it impossible to see the cables with the naked eye, which would negatively affect its design. In addition, it is recommended that they be LED lights, since they allow you to save a lot of energy, something key in this type of element that will be on for many hours.
2. Once you are clear that you are looking for LED lights with white or very clear cable, you must determine if you want to opt for a bright white decoration or opt for lights of various colors. To do this, you must take into account the decorations that you are going to place on your tree, so that you look for the option that is much more appropriate.
3. When you have already chosen them, you will have to wrap the branches with them and surround the tree with the light guide. Christmas lights are a fundamental element of a white Christmas tree, and today there are many types and colors, some of them even with music.
4. On the other hand, you must choose a theme to decorate. You should never leave this aside, since it is important that you have a clear theme of your tree to adapt all the decorations to it. You should look for an idea and try to find Christmas decorations related to it. In this sense, it is common for this type of decoration to opt for decorations related to snow, although you must bear in mind that in the case of white trees, totally white decorations will go unnoticed. For this reason, you have to look for decorations that combine white with another color, or that are directly of another color.
5. Look for colors to decorate the tree. Depending on the chosen theme, you can opt for elements of a certain color that go according to it, being advisable that if you choose to decorate the white Christmas tree with more than one color, it is recommended to opt for silver or gold colors. However, you should bear in mind that, in addition to a color tone scheme, other decoration criteria can be taken into account. Everything will depend on the personal taste of each person, although you should look for a tree that is harmonic and with an attractive and not overloaded aesthetic appearance.

What do you need to decorate a white Christmas tree?

• Silver and gold ornaments and balls (or the color you like the most).
• Lights that have white wire for lighting.

Tips for decorating a white Christmas tree

Some ideas that you should have when decorating a white Christmas tree are the following:

• Use silver and gold ornaments and balls: One of the great advantages of white is that it goes with practically everything, but you should try to create a combination for your tree that does not look too boring or stuffy. For this reason, it is highly advisable to opt for the combination of decorations and balls in gold, silver or raised gold. You can also combine them with wooden decorations. You must know how to hang Christmas balls in the correct way, looking for a design that is pleasant and not too busy.
• Lights with white cable: The color of the lighting cable of a white Christmas tree should be white, so that it can be camouflaged among its own branches, which will make it imperceptible to the naked eye and only the lights can be seen when they are turned on. It is advisable not to exaggerate with the number of lights, but rather to look for lighting that can make the different Christmas decorations placed stand out.
• Combine with home decoration: When placing a white Christmas tree you should consider the different decorations that you can place, but you should try to find that all the decoration of the tree goes in combination with the decoration you have at home.  Depending on whether you have a home with a modern look or one with a classic style, you should opt for one or the other decorations, trying to achieve a synergy between the two.
• Decorate the feet of the tree: A very common mistake is to focus on decorating the branches of the tree and leave aside the feet of the tree. For this reason, to achieve the best possible finish and appearance for this basic element of Christmas decoration, it is advisable to also place decorations at the foot of the tree, with different figures or decorative elements that you can place on them.