HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-12-22, Page 48THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2005. PAGE B19.
Decorations create room for quiet reflection
Festive finery
The Edwardian home of Lois
and Con van Vliet with its
wood trim, archtectural details
and spacious entryway, lends
itself well to holiday decor.
Clockwise, from above: a
decorated garland festoons
the wood railing in the front
hall; van Vliet enjoys quiet
reflection and knitting in the
decorated living room; no
holiday decorations are
complete without Santa and
this quaint fellow enjoys a
prominent position among the
other festive touches ;
pointsettia, white lights and
reindeer welcome visitors
upon entry. (Bonnie Gropp photo)
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
With family departing for the
south each Christmas Lois van Vliet
has made it a tradition to have her
home ready for early festive
entertaining each year.
The other advantage to this is the
enjoyment it allows her before
Christmas. “I love to just sit
here, with the lights on and
reflect.”
While van Vliet’s decorating is
modest compared to some, she does
deck out the majority of the main
floor of her Edwardian home in
festive finery. “I have decorated like
this every Christmas since we
bought the house in 1972.”
She has also made it a habit to
look for something new to enhance
the decor each year, or to replace the
old and tired. “Especially when it
comes to tree ornaments. I like to try
to stay with a few things and keep it
Did you know? Have you wondered?
Have you ever wondered just how
the tradition to decorate a Christmas
tree began?
According to 16th century
folklore, Martin Luther is credited
as being the first to decorate an
indoor tree. After a walk through a
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classic.”
Gold is her preferred choice as a
colour and it carries through from
her tree ornaments to the dining
room table.
The focal point of this is a
centrepiece created by van Vliet.
This is complemented by festive
Christmas china on gold charger
plates.
forest of evergreens with a sky full
of stars, Luther wanted to describe
the experience to his family. He
showed them what it looked like by
bringing a tree inside their home
and decorating it with candles.