Creole Christmas Ornaments

Author: Urjani Chenier Mickle`

Update: 18 November 2023

Time: 12:43 pm

Red & Green Paper Ornaments

Orange and Apples

Crochet Snowflakes

Hand crochet snowflakes are one of the few Christmas Ornament that adorn a Creole Christmas tree. Since no snowflake is the same or identical, a different variety of snowflakes are crochet with a crochet hook and crochet thread. If crochet thread is not used thin creole cotton thread is used by Louisiana Creoles of New Orleans as a substitute.

Tatted Snowflakes

Just like a crochet snowflakes, tatted snowflakes are hand made using a tatted or sewing needle. Like crocheting and knitting, tatting is one of the many handcrafts that Louisiana Creoles learn as little girls.

Egg cups

Egg cups might be something to most as unusual. Well, several things in Louisiana and at time New Orleans are anything but usual. Egg cups are tiny circular cups without a bottom, painted on the outside and dainty lace glued along the lip of the cup. The purpose of these unique egg cups is to house our most beloved pillow mints. Well, Americans and Most Europeans drape their Christmas trees with white and red, or multi colored Candy canes, us, Louisiana Creoles get out mint fetish satisfied by indulging in delicate powdery pastel pillow mints.

Shaped Fabric Ornaments

Heart shaped or not, hand stitched fabric ornaments make their way onto a Creole Christmas Tree. The shapes are equal measured and cut out of the choice fabric. The creole Cotton batting or gulf coast wool felt is used to fill the inside of the fabric ornament. Last but least the edges of the fabric ornament is hand stitched and fastening closed. The shaped fabric ornaments are hung on the Christmas tree by ribbon. A ribbon is hand stitched on the top of the fabric ornament in a shape of a loop.

Wooden Christmas Ornaments

Handmade and hand painted wooden Christmas ornaments such as a Traditional colors of rouge and blanc Papa Noel (Santa Claus), are placed on a Creole Christmas tree. The type my parents use to have and are long gone since the levels broke in August of 2005, eBay finds may get you anything close to what I am taking about. I have saw a wooden nutcracker on Amazon as a result in unpainted wooden Christmas ornaments. The body build was very similar to the Santa Clauses we use to have adorn the many Christmas tree we have had over the years. Other wooden Christmas ornaments would also be hand carved by the many hand wooden carvers in Louisiana. Like us Creole girls, the most Creole boys learn to hand carve wood. Hand carved natives are also used as Christmas decoration in a Creole home.

Ribbons

Ribbons are used as a Christmas ornaments for the Creole Christmas tree. The are not wrapped around the tree like garland would have been but the ribbons are tied as bows. The ribbons are also made into star such as the Froebel Star that most of us are familiar with seeing in drug and grocery stores to stick on Christmas gifts. The ribbon stars and bows are hung on the Christmas tree.

Candles

Candles are handmade with mouton or beef tallow or suet., especially if the beloved max Myrtle (Americans call Bayberry) is not available. Wax Myrtle (Bayberry) candles are handmade and tied on to the limbs of the Christmas tree branches. The same is said for suet or tallow candles. Some times a mixture of bayberry and tallow is used to create candles. The candles are tied onto the Christmas tree branches with or with out the German glass Christmas candle holders.

Sugar Coated Almonds

Small tiny gifts

Since Christmas which as Traditional celebrated on New Years Day and more of a religious day of commemoration, small gifts, candies and fruit were traditionally given amongst family members. Well just like the pillow mints cupped inside the egg cups ornaments mentioned above, tiny gifts are hung on a Creole Christmas tree.

Hand beaded glass Christmas Ornaments

A tradition that is passed down to us, as with most of our traditions, from our French and Italian ancestors, head beaded glass Christmas ornaments are made in the same way we make our Famous and Renounced hand beaded glass immortelles for La Toussaint, All Souls day.

Poinsettia

Louisiana Creole Poinsettia Christmas trees are well known and documented. The use of artificial pointsettia flowers of plastic or glass such as hand beaded poinsettia flowers are used to decorate our Christmas trees. One of ma Maman's favorite ornaments are artificial poinsettia flowers. She once, dressed a tall furr Christmas tree with nothing but realistic looking artificial poinsettia flowers with long green stems. These poinsettia flowers were gifted to me to dress my first Christmas tree as a married mother, I just had my first petit.

Lagniappe:

The Christmas Topper

Like most Christmas trees dressed in American homes, to finish the dressing of the tree, a topper is needed. Depending on the tree, we may Not adorn the top of the Christmas tree with a Christmas tree topper. It is the finishing touch. It is so true for Creole Christmas tree, add a beautiful soft but elegently dressed angel which represent our beloved Archangel Gabriel, rest upon the top of the tree. The Archangel is an remind us of Les Trois Rois (Mages), the Three Kings' journey to search out the enfant Jesus, Isreal's Roi & Messiah,whom was safely in a Sukkoth and resting in his creche.

Spanish Moss Garland

The Spanish moss, angelic hair that drape the Louisiana Oak trees around New Orleans and the surrounding parishes are at times used as garland to drape around our Christmas trees. The Spanish moss is treated first before gently draping across the branches of the arbre de Noel.