Christmas decorations
Preserved but no longer current.
The great feast of Saturn was held in December, when the people decorated the temples with such green things as they could find. The Christian 'custom is the same transferred to Him who was born in Bethlehem on Christmas Day. The holly or holy-tree is called Christ's-thorn in Germany and Scandinavia, from its use in church decorations and its putting forth its berries about Christmas time.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Christmas decorations” mean?
The great feast of Saturn was held in December, when the people decorated the temples with such green things as they could find. The Christian 'custom is the same transferred to Him who was born in Bethlehem on Christmas Day. The holly or holy-tree is called Christ's-thorn in Germany and Scandinavia, from its use in church decorations and its putting forth its berries about Christmas time.
Is “Christmas decorations” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.