Holiday Decoration Products

The products within "holiday decoration" are difficult to categorize. A great number of products have, in one way or another, decorative value from a holiday perspective. People generally use these products to personalize their homes during holidays and they are also popular as gifts. "Holiday decoration" covers a wide range of products, it is therefore vital to define the term "home decoration". According to CBI, the term "home decoration" reflects to relatively small interior articles, which serve as a supplement to the large interior furnishing products. These small interior articles often form an important decorative and atmosphere-enhancing element in the interior of a house or a garden. In terms of holiday decoration products, they tend to be categorized in two different ways, according to different holidays and according to product materials.

Categorized by Holidays

There are many holidays in different regions and cultures in the world all year round. This article will mainly focus on major holidays that tend to be widely observed or celebrated by the North American regions and European regions.

Valentine’s Day

Saint Valentine's Day, often simply Valentine's Day, is observed on February 14 each year. Valentine's Day decorations tend to feature symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. However, due to the fact that Valentine's Day being a single day holiday, people are less likely to keep the decorations for a long time except for photo frames. Therefore, products of lower costs and have functional purposes are more favored.

Saint Patrick’s Day

According to Wikipedia, Saint Patrick's Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig, "the Day of the Festival of Patrick") is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on 17 March. It is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador and Montserrat. It is also widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora, especially in places such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand, among others. St. Patrick's Day decorations are most likely to feature the color of green, 3-leaved shamrock, copious consumption of alcohol and other elements related to the Irish culture. Easter Easter is a Christian festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion at Calvary as described in the New Testament. Easter decorations in the western world usually feature the Easter bunny, Easter eggs, candies, outdoor ornaments, and sometimes with bright colors to attract teenagers and children.

Fourth of July

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States. Fourth of July decorations usually feature the color of red, white and blue; stars and stripes; flag of the United States; the bald eagle and quite often related to patriotism and Americana.

Halloween

Halloween is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the eve before the Western Christian feast of All Hallows. Typical festive Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (also known as "guising"), attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films, as well as the religious observances of praying, fasting and attending vigils or church services. Symbols of Halloween decorations are usually derived from various sources, such as jack-o'-lanterns from the Christian souling custom; Frankenstein and Dracula from Gothic and horror literature, supernatural associated with the night, elements of the autumn season, such as pumpkins, corn husks and scarecrows. Black and orange are the holiday's traditional colors.

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. The holiday's history in North America is rooted in English traditions dating from the Protestant Reformation. It also has aspects of a harvest festival. Decorations for Thanksgiving Day tend to feature crops, vegetables, fruits, turkey and other foods. Yellow and orange are the holiday's traditional colors.

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated generally on December 25 as a religious and cultural holiday by billions of people around the world. Christmas decorations usually include Christmas trees, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly. In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season and have their own body of traditions and lore. Other elements associated with the winter season are often found in Christmas decorations.

Categorized by Product Materials

Ceramics and Porcelain

Ceramics have both a functional and a decorative purpose. This sub-sector includes products such as statuettes, ornaments, animal figurines, parts for lamps, candle-holders, desk sets, plates, pottery, (fruit) bowls, vases, flower pots, etc. Ceramics, especially pots and to a lesser extent statuettes, are also frequently used to decorate the gardens and terraces of European consumers' homes. Ceramicware also includes cookware, such as casseroles and oven-to tableware. It furthermore consists of non-china ceramics, like regular earthenware and stoneware. Other products, such as mugs, storage jars, jugs and pitchers are also included in this segment. China is also included and it is closely linked to ceramicware. It is defined as fine semi-transparent or white earthenware. It includes dinnerware and individual items of china tableware. Glassware Glassware, like to ceramics, also has both a functional and a decorative purpose. This sub-sector includes similar products to Ceramics and Porcelain.

Wickerwork

Wickerwork, both utility and decorative articles, includes products such as baskets, cradles, cases, shopping bags, glass mounts, table-mats, small tables, etc. The increasing interest in gardening has also boosted the demand for wickerwork for use in the garden. This product group is in demand throughout the year, although there is a seasonal peak at Christmas and, in the summertime, for beach articles and picnics. The product assortment offered is extensive, catering to a wide range of consumer preferences.

Candles

People in the EU generally burn candles to create a pleasing atmosphere in their homes. Candles are seen as decorative articles and the most common reason for their purchase is exactly this characteristic. The growing trend towards health and wellness, along with the popularity of incense, has had a positive effect on sales, especially for candles with a distinct scent. In the northern part of Europe, the Christmas season and Valentine's Day are the best selling times. However, new seasonal focus points are emerging. Driven by the rise of festivities and garden parties in the summertime, the candle is also becoming more popular for outside use. There are different types of candles, like: plain candles, tea lights, taper candles, pillar candles, column candles, votive candles, container jar or filled candles, floating candles, gel candles etc.

Woodware

Woodware has both a functional and a decorative purpose. In recent years, there is a generally growing interest in woodware, which is caused by the increasing demand for products with a natural look. The woodware sub-sector covers decorative products like statuettes, sculptures and carvings, as well as more functional articles, like: bowls, plates, boxes, bookends, picture frames, caskets and cases, etc. Woodware products are also frequently used outdoors. Wooden tableware, kitchenware and other household articles, such as chopping boards, bowls, bread bins and spice racks, all made of wood, are excluded Metalware

Home decoration and accessories made of metal consist of products like: statuettes, ornaments and picture frames. Metal articles like statuettes and ornaments are also often placed outdoors, and usually are larger compared to the ones indoors. The metalware segment includes all types of metals such as silver, silver-plate, stainless steel, hard anodized steel, aluminum, and so on. Metalware can be divided also into four main categories:

1. Cookware, including pots, pans and pressure cookers;

2. Bakeware, including baking trays and sheets;

3. Tableware, including plates as well as hollowware;

4. Accessories, such as bread bins, cocktail shakers, and trivets (three-legged iron stand).