Now that the hustle and bustle of Christmas is over for another year, families around the country will be debating when to get back to normal life; starting with the age old question of when to take down the Christmas tree. However, retailer Debenhams is not so concerned with when families will be consigning their Christmas staple to the scrap heap – rather, they want to know what decoration spent several weeks at the top of it.
At the beginning of December, the department store giant started a campaign to see the traditional angel tree decoration back on top after several years of being outshone by the star. When questioned, 87 per cent of Debenhams’ customers admitted that they had replaced their angelic tree topper with a star as the fashion for the decorated dolls subsided.
A further four per cent claimed to prefer the Christmas fairy, although this character did not appear in the Nativity at all. In fact, the fairy only appeared at the top of Christmas trees nationwide around 30 years ago – a good hundred years after the idea of bringing a decorated tree into the house during the festive season was introduced to the UK by Germany.
The angel, by contrast, has graced the top of Christmas trees since the beginning of the 18th century, when German families chose to recognise the Arch Angel Gabriel’s role in the Nativity above all others. This makes it the most traditional tree topper historically.
Furthermore, the angel may have been the most apt Christmas decoration for Christmas 2012, as many people could not afford to buy lots of lavish gifts for their loved ones thanks to the unstable financial situation. Instead, many retailer adverts focused on the family coming together and enjoying each other’s company – turning, for the first time in many years, away from the commercial Christmas that is so popularised in western culture.
At the launch of Debenhams’ campaign, spokesman Ed Watson said; “The Christmas angel signifies everything wholesome and dignified about Christmas – it is as equally important to the Nativity as the star and deserves to be celebrated as such.
“The angel signifies the true meaning of the festive period and is a way of reminding us as to what Christmas is really all about. In this respect the tree topper is more important than the presents underneath.
“We are calling for our customers to save a dying tradition of putting the Arch Angel Gabriel on top of your tree this festive season.”
While it is not yet apparent whether Debenhams succeeded in their mission of returning the angel to the position of honour on Christmas Day, it is certain that their customers took the true message of Christmas home with them upon leaving the store. Perhaps, by next Christmas, stores will be filling their shelves with angel tree decorations as consumers once more favour the angel during the festive season.
Did you have a star or an angel on the top of your Christmas tree this year, or did you go against tradition and have something completely different? Do you think the angel really helps consumers remember the true meaning of Christmas more than the star does, or are they both simply a matter of personal taste?
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