Il Blog di Holyart.com
The scapular has evolved throughout time, from being a work garment for monks to becoming a devotional object used also by lay people. What is its meaning? And most of all, how can we wear it without falling into error? At the beginning, the scapular…
What could be a not too expensive gift, but which can also let the people we love know that we think about them? Have you ever thought of a religious key chain? Small, practical, useful, it is the perfect gift for any occasion. And for…
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Murano is one of the most populated town in the seven islands of the Venetian Lagoon. Its islands are situated along the Marani Channel, divided by channels and connected with bridges. The whole area is part of the Venice municipality, and in particular the Venice-Murano-Burano municipality. The particularity of Murano has been the artisanal glassmaking for centuries, famous and renowned all over the world.
The Venetian glassmaking art was probably originated by the Roman art of the Upper Adriatic. Since ancient times, that area was the stage of commercial trade between the Western and the Eastern coasts of the Mediterranean. Already in remote times, glass was one of the most precious materials among the many treasures coming from the East. The Venetian glassblowers learned the use of the sodium tempered glass from the Eastern people, which is particularly suited for hot works. What is actually only Venetian is the intuition of the endless artistic possibilities of that malleable material, which can be easily colored and the colors last over time. They added the aesthetic taste and artistic sensitivity to that, developing an unrivaled glassmaking art since the early medieval age. In particular, Murano glassmakers have dominated the market in this activity since the XIII century. The State of Venice, in order to prevent fires, decided to concentrate the glassmakers in this area.
Given the particular structure of the Venetian Lagoon, it was necessary to import all materials from the beginning, that is wood, vitrifying silicium and soda for flux. The inhabitants of Murano made their technical and artistic skills available for the purpose.
Since the Renaissance, Murano glassmakers were commissioned any type of objects, which were destined to embellish the palaces of all Europe, and not only. In 1400, the objects produced here were only for artistic-aesthetic purposes. In 1450, the invention of crystal boosted Murano glassmaking even further, and the request for glass objects grew dramatically. Specialized painters worked on crystal glass and experimented fusible colored varnish. Crystal glass was in fact blown transparent and colored afterwards or left natural. Its lightness and fragility required lighter decorations, with varnish or gilded dots, and great mastery.
In the sixteenth century, Murano glassmakers began decorating glass by carving it with diamond or flint points, and began producing ice glass, which looks cracked on the outside.
In the same century, the first glass decorated with pens appeared, where the milk-glass was enveloped with ‘combed’ threads in festoon patterns thanks to a special tool.
At the end of the XVI century, three thousand out of the seven thousand inhabitants of the Murano island were glassblowers. This monopoly brought them many financial and social benefits. For example, they were allowed to carry swords and could benefit from some immunity, but for a long time they were not allowed to leave the Republic, in order to preserve the secret of their art. The study and research never ceased. Besides the studies to perfect the quality of glass, new types of working were gradually introduced. Besides the already mentioned crystal glass, they were: enameled glass, glass worked with gold threads (aventurine), and multicolored glass (millefiori). They even began making glass precious stones, as amazing as the real ones.
During the Baroque period, also milk-glass object became very famous, which were compositions based on silicates, tin and lead that were called milkwhite due to their color, particularly suited to decorate baroque houses. Other appreciated and popular techniques were aventurine, where the vitreous mass was enveloped in copper threads, and filigree, decoration technique where the milk-glass or colored glass were hot worked with sticks in order to create thin threads.
Many glassmakers were called to work in other countries, contributing to the prestige and fame of such unbelievable art.
With the fall of the Republic of San Marco in 1797, glassmaking went through a period of crisis, but started again in the second half of the XIX century and never stopped.
Murano glassmaking is complex and requires many passages.
Glass is made of silicium melted at high temperature. The right moment to work it is the short time before it goes from liquid to solid. That’s when the glass is soft at the right point, and the artisan can shape and model it. The glassblower can add other substances to help the glass melt, and thus helping the modeling process. The sodium oxide for example, slows the solidification process down, allowing more time for the artist to complete his work. Sodium makes glass opaque, while nitrate and arsenic eliminate all bubbles. Substances called flux allow the silicium to soften at lower temperatures.
The main technique to work Murano glass is blowing. Silicium dust melts at about 1600 °C. Before the glass begins solidifying, the glassblowers model it by blowing into a stick to shape it as they want. The passages that are carried out as ‘hot work’ are called ‘First stage‘. Then comes the ‘Second stage‘, which involves all those techniques that are carried out in a non-hot environment, such as coloring, carving and grinding.
In our online store, you will find a wide variety of wonderful glass crucifixes, all of them handmade in Italy. They are glass crucifixes created according to the ancient technique of the master artisans of Murano. Many have a modern style, made even more unique and exclusive by the choice of the materials and the care in the working.
Among the multitude of products that can be made of Murano glass, a special mention goes to jewels.
At Holyart, we are particularly interested in the wonderful Murano glass rosaries, which you can find on sale in our online store. The beads of these rosaries are made of real Murano glass, or Murrina style glass, which is obtained through a particular working technique that melts monochromatic or colored vitreous sticks that are later sectioned horizontally, or by uniting pieces of glass of different colors.
Holyart Murano glass rosaries are precious and characterized by bright colors and high quality. You can find the mastery of the glassblowers and the typical Murano style in each bead. You can choose among the many types of working to find the perfect rosary for you, or as a gift for a beloved one. It will surely be a special and appreciated gift. Each Holyart Murano glass rosary comes with a guarantee of provenance label.
In our online store you will also find a wide variety of wonderful glass crucifixes, all handmade in Italy. They are made according to the ancient technique of the master glassblowers of Murano. Many of them have a modern look, made even more unique and exclusive by the choice of the materials and the care in the working.
Contents1 Artistic value2 Characteristics and peculiarities3 The dynamism of shapes Saint Peter’s Baldachin is one of the most spectacular monuments we can admire inside Saint Peter’s Basilica. What is it? Who made it? Let’s get to know this sumptuous baroque art piece, which is admired…
The guardian angel. An imaginary friend when we are young, a constant and comforting presence next to us when we grow up. Let’s find out (and rediscover) the importance of such celestial presence that protect us for life. When we are young, it is easy…
We talked previously about the importance of the blessing, that is, the gestures and words a priest, or someone who acts in his place, performs to bless, meaning the invocation of God’s protection over one or more people, but also things and places.
The blessing is then a way to address God’s favor, His benevolence or a Grace upon someone or something. When the priest invokes the Lord’s Blessing on a house, he says: ‘May God’s blessing descend upon this house.’
Holy Water: a constant renovation of Baptism
Each time we get sprinkled with holy Water we remember our Baptism.
This liturgical ritual aims to obtain some sort of benefit for the blessed ones on one side, and consecrates the person(s), or even the object or the place receiving it, to God on the other side.
The ritual usually implies the priest to cross himself and then sprinkle those who wish to receive the blessing with blessed water. The sprinkling with blessed water recalls the Christening, the rebirth that God allowed us to set us free from the original sin.
Depending on the occasion, particular formulas and prayers come with the blessing.
Blessings (of people, canteens, objects, places) are nothing but sacramentals, that is, sacred signs through which people obtain spiritual effects and gifts, and the various circumstances are sanctified. The blessing itself is a prayer, a praise to God, since it comes from Him and goes back to Him, in a continuous circle of love. The priest, in fact, gives the blessing invoking Jesus’ name. By blessing God, we consequently bless whom He loves, which must be protected and placed under His aegis.
Sometimes blessings involve not only people but also objects, places, the countryside, animals, and even working tools. That is because all that is related to life and men sustenance is worthy of God’s love, and needs His benevolence and protection.
There are also special and solemn blessings, such as the Apostle’s Blessing, given by the Pope himself, for example the famous urbi et orbi blessing, addressed by the Pope to the whole world during specific occasions, or the papal blessing, given by bishops or priests in the name of the Pope.
The blessing of a family and the blessing of homes also belong to the Christian tradition. They usually take place in specific times of the liturgical year, close to the most solemn feasts. However, we might feel the need for a blessing on our home or family in other times. It is a way to strengthen people’s faith and spirituality, but also the place they live in, invoking Jesus’ strength and help, who was able to defeat death and resurrected, destroying all evil. Asking for a blessing to our priest can give us new energy to face difficulties, for example, when we experience a tragedy, a loss, or just during a hard time that involves members of the family. Blessing our homes can also limit evil actions upon them and those who live in them. Of course, we must not consider a blessing like some kind of magic formula that pushes all evil away from us and from those we love. It is our faith and the way we carry out our lives within the community that push evil away. People living in a house must keep together and faithful to the Lord, to the Virgin Mary and to the Saints. The blessing will have then the desired effect.
A special mention goes to newlyweds’ homes. The sacrament of the Wedding make them somehow able to bless their own home. Christ Resurrected is close to them and works through them. The spouses acquire the ability to bless their home, food and children as embodiment of the love of Jesus for the Church. In the article about blessed olive branches, we mentioned how the head of the family can bless the feast meal and, more in general, the house and its inhabitants, by sprinkling everyone with the olive branch dipped into blessed water received during Palm Sunday. Even widowers can do that, because they are still included in the grace of the sacrament of Wedding.
Blessed olive branches at Easter: should you keep them or throw them away?
When we go to Church on Palm Sunday, the last one before Easter, we receive a blessed olive branch.
The habit of blessing homes and families during Lent and Easter is very ancient. The Council of Trento already claimed how the Easter Blessings was important to strengthen the connections within the Christian community. Five hundred years ago, this particular care was mainly a way to prevent bad influences of heresies; today, it is a moment of communion and dialog between the faithful and the priests who go to their homes to give the Easter Blessing.
The priest enters the houses during Easter, but the presence of those who live in them is also fundamental. It is just as if Jesus himself went to their homes bringing joy and peace: it is fair that those who live there welcome him with just as much love and joy such an occasion requires!
When the priest enters the house, he greets the people with formula: ‘Peace be unto this home and unto all that dwell herein.’ The church brings then a message of peace to all the homes during the Easter Blessing.
But the Easter Blessing also recalls the need to recognize the importance of the family itself, united and consolidated within the Lord. That is why the priest reads or recites short passages of the Gospel, involving the members of the family in a moment of prayer and meditation.
This is a very important moment for the life of the families and the whole community. The Easter Blessing allows families to consolidate their relationship with the Church, keeping the dialog alive and open, which is too often forgotten due to the frenzy of modern life. It is very important to give ourselves this moment of communion, meditation and spiritual renovation. The sprinkling of holy water upon our home and us lets us remember how precious and strong the gift we received is, and makes us feel once again as a part of something big, strong and invincible: the Church.
Contents1 But why olive branches?2 And once Easter has passed, what should we do with the olive branches?3 How can we keep the olive branch without ruining it? When we go to Church on Palm Sunday, the last one before Easter, we receive a blessed…
Contents1 Latin Cross2 Greek cross3 Tau cross, also known as Saint Anthony the Abbot cross or Crux Commissa.4 Tree of Life Cross5 Eight pointed Cross6 Cross of Saint Aemilian of Cogolla7 The Coptic Cross8 Cross with trilobed terminals9 Russian Cross10 Marian Cross11 Papal Triple Cross12…
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Ampullas for celebrations or ampullas for liturgy are those two small sacred vases that contain the water and the wine used during the Eucharist celebration. Usually, the wine ampulla is made of glass and is bigger, while the water ampulla is smaller; ampullsas are made of transparent glass so that their contents is immediately visible. In ancient times, when they were not made of glass, they used to mark them with a distinctive element, such as a pearl for the water ampulla and a garnet for the one used for the wine.
Usually, the deacon or the minister prepared ampullas for liturgy before the Mass, along with the other sacred objects, on a table, so that they could easily reach them when needed. They are usually placed on a tray next to the folded manuterge, the small cloth used for drying the hands.
The deacon or minister takes the ampullas from the table to the altar during the Offertory, as written in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, along with bread, chalice, pyx and all of the other necessary objects.
Once the ampullas for celebrations have been taken to the altar, the priest pours a few drops of water in the cup of wine. The habit of mixing wine and water dates back to the origins of Christian ceremonies, when they used a very alcoholic wine and was therefore necessary to mix it with water. Besides the practical aspects, such gesture of mixing water and wine contained in the ampullas for liturgy became the object of theological speculations.
First, there is a gospel reference to that (John 19,34), where water and wine both spill out from Christ’s chest, wounded by Longinus’ sword. In general, water defined human nature, wine defined divine nature. Clement of Alexandria, in the II century A.D., recognized the salvation that Christ’s blood can give to all those trusting in Him in the union of water and wine. In the III century A.D., Cyprian and the agnostics claimed that wine mixed with water recalled the image of Christ, who, ‘merging’ with the faithful, collected all of their sins upon him, creating an indissoluble and inseparable connection, just like the one between water and wine once they have been mixed.
In the Roman Missal, when the priest pours the water into the chalice, he utters the following words: ‘By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity’. Therefore, we can read the mixing of water and wine as a clear reference to Christ reincarnation, to His double divine and human nature showing themselves.
The water inside the ampulla must not be used for any other purpose, such as washing the hands. To purify his hands and the sacred vases, the priest will use water from a pitcher. The ampullas for liturgy must be cleaned very often, and their contents must be replaced frequently, in order to avoid the wine becoming sour.
The word ampulla comes from the Latin word ampŭlla (diminutive for amphŏra, that is, “amphora”), meaning small amphora.
The ampullas for celebrations were first used in the Catholic ceremonial only in the XI century. Earlier, and since the origins of Christianism, faithful used to bring the wine for the Mass themselves in containers called amulae. The priest or deacon poured the contents of the amulae into the chalice from where everyone would drink later, mixing it with water; or else, they collected the wine in a bigger bowl, the hama, and then gave the container back to its owner. The wine collected were later used for consecrations, and then distributed to the poor of the community. The water that was mixed with wine was contained in the so called fons.
During the Würzburg Synod in 1298, it was established that the ampullas for celebrations must be made of glass, pewter, gold and silver, while there are no specific instructions concerning the shape they must have, as long as they are small enough. We can distinguish three main types of shapes:
flask, with a long neck whose upper edge is a bit opened to create a small spout, and no handle;
pitcher, with a rounded body placed on a foot, long neck with a regular or S-shaped spout, and a volute handle;
mug, usually with no foot, spout upper edge and handle.
Ampullas for celebrations are often adorned with decorative patterns, in particular wine shoots and grapes.
Look at the gallery!
The roles of Altar Servers
Altar Servers, more commonly known as altar boys, are children or teenagers who assist a priest during Mass.
The altar servers are in particular the Masters of Ceremonies. Their duty is to take the sacred objects to the altar after the Offertory, and take them back after the Communion.
Who are the altar servers? As we deepened in a previous article, they are the altar boysor ministers, who help the priest during Mass. They owe their name to the Latin verb ‘ministrare’, that is, ‘to serve’, and are recognized by the Conciliar Constitution as an integral part of the liturgical ministry. The altar servers take the objects with the following order from the sacristy to the altar: the chalice and the corporal (the square cloth that covers the chalice and that is later laid on the altar during the Offertory), the purifier (the small cloth used by the priest for drying his lips after drinking, and to clean chalice and paten), the paten (the plate containing the host), and then the ampullas for wine and water. Plus, they prepare the water and the purifier that the minister will use to wash his hands.
Holy Water: a constant renovation of Baptism
Each time we get sprinkled with holy Water, dipping our fingers in a holy water font and cross ourselves, we remember our Baptism.
We underlined the importance of water in the Christian religion in many articles. And not just holy water, which renovates the value of our Baptism every day, and fosters a direct contact with Jesus. We must keep in mind that water is the element that determines life par excellence, because without that, men could not survive. Furthermore, it has the power to purify and wash away the dirt from our body, but in a spiritual meaning, also from our souls, washing it from all sins, first of all the original sin, washed away thanks to the water of the Baptism font. It is not a surprise then if it is so important and precious!
Contents1 Tradition and history of an Italian dessert2 Online monasteries products – Jams and marmalades3 What is the difference between jams and marmalades?4 Let’s make a nice pie now! The pie is an ancient dessert, but still very much appreciated by everyone, especially when it…
Contents1 History of olive oil2 The olive oil in Christian religion: symbolism and meaning3 Online monasteries products Considered as food for millennia, but also as a cosmetic and healing ally, olive oil has so many beneficial properties that it is considered as an elixir of…
Reading the Bible is a precious and important habit for any Christian. Such practice induces a dialog with God, but also a moment of deep introspection and reflection that helps us better face our anxieties and daily adversities. The importance of reading the Bible is such that during the last few yeas, real tutorials appeared online helping people doing it for the first time. Many of those tutorials suggest beginning the reading with the New Testament, of an easier comprehension, especially for novices. Other propose a real reading plan, with a list of Bible books to read in succession for a better understanding. Since we live in a hectic world, where every action is dominated by rush and urgency of what is next, some sites recommend a daily plan to read the Bible, of twenty or even ten minutes. This plan includes a few minutes of reading, the confession of sins, meditation and listening to God’s voice and prayer.
Actually, those who believe should be able to dedicate much more time to the Bible, but as it happens in other contexts, it is not important how much you do, but how you do it. Psalm 37:7 says: ‘Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him’. With this attitude, you can easily listen to God with serenity and awareness in any moment of the day, with no anxiety of doing too little or not look devoted enough. God does not need that we clock out, especially concerning our faith!
Plexiglas or wooden lecterns? Your commodity is priceless
Have you ever been fascinated by a wooden lectern holding a ponderous, ancient tome?
Having said that, there is no doubt that the Bible is an inexhaustible source of quotes and passages that can come to our rescue in any moment of the day and can give us strength to face the small and big problems we encounter every day. Faith supports us and comforts us, especially during hard times; it helps us overcome difficulties. And reading the Bible can be a precious help in this case. Not the whole Bible, of course, and not every day.
Each one of us can find some quotes or passages that have a particular meaning. Powerful sentences, of intense and passionate spirituality, but with a further meaning for each one of us because they’re tied to a special moment, feeling, a good or a bad event, and that make us reflect, inspire and console us. Sentences taken from the word of God which we can take comfort from when life seems too complicated.
Here are the benefits of a religious bookmark. Remembering in any moment where we can find those precious words, giving us the chance to read them again and again every time we feel the need, until they become part of our day. Can just one sentence influence a whole day? Can it become the base for a new conception of life? Clearly, we are not taking about common sentences.
Here is our proposal: put bookmarks on the pages of the Bible that have the sentences that are most significant to you. That way, you will be able to find them in no time any time you will feel the need. You’ll be able to feel all the strength and courage they express within yourself, and feel the power they release.
A few example? It’s hard to find one, because reading and meditating on the Bible, and anything else, is a very subjective matter. But there are some sentences in the Bible that can fit into any battle, for anyone facing a hard time, or just the beginning of a new week. We tried to collect some to give you an idea of where you could put your bookmarks.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. He Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. (Deuteronomy 31: 6,8)
Fear the Lord, and you will have nothing else to fear. If your trust is in him, you will never act like a coward. (Sirach 34,14)
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. (Psalm 28:8)
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41: 10-13)
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23: 4-6)
Test me, Lord, and try me. Examine my heart and my mind. (Psalm 26:2)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27)
I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. The Lord will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life; The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121: 1,2,7,8)
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (Corinthians 15: 57-58)
The Nativity scene is one of the most famous and spread traditions connected to Christmas. At least in our country, there are very few homes that have no box containing the wood and cork hut, small rocks and pieces of bark, moss turned gray because…
Let the do-it-yourself mood get to you this Christmas. It doesn’t matter if you’re good at it or not, just put a lot of fantasy and emphasis in it. You can recreate enchanting atmospheres to add that extra touch of elegance to your Christmas. Decorating your…
Christmas light projectors are very impressive machines with many possible options for decorations. These objects let us create a nice atmosphere in an inside or outside enironment immediately and with not much effort. They are perfect to create the right atmosphere in joyful events such as Christmas, a birthday, Halloween, or a wedding.
They are not toys, and are made of a lighting source such as halogen, led or laser bulbs, inserted into a lamp usually made of plastic or aluminium. This led halogen light projects a ray of light at a certain distance on a wall or on plants.
As we mentioned earlier, you can create spectacular images in just a few seconds, with no effort at all, and you don’t even need an electrician or a technician to set them up since they are very, very easy to use. It’s actually a big pro, given the fact that the installation cost is usually the highest cost in such settings.
Thanks to light projectors you can easily light up difficult areas such as very high walls, and also in a safe way given the low tension needed by the projector.
You can find two types of projectors in stores: led and laser.
In Holyart catalogue you can find various types of projectors: led and laser.
Light projectors can be used both for indoor and outdoor use.
With this devices you can decorate your house, your garden, public places, the dancefloor of a bar, a gazebo ceiling, a pool, walls, either internal or external, trees and plants, windows, Nativity scenes.
In Holyart catalogue you can find various types of laser and led projectors:
Indoors projectors come with a support base or fixing support. Outdoors projectors are inserted into the ground with their stake or into a vase with soil or gravel.
between 1 and 5 Watts consumption indicates low power and brightness. The lower the consumption, the lower the distance between the course of the light and the surface to light up has to be.
Advent has always been one of the most important moments of the year for Catholics all over the world. It is the time we get ready for Christ’s coming, for the renovation of his miracolous birth, which will be celebrated on Christmas, but not just…
The Nativity scene is an ancient and everlasting tradition, especially in our counrty, but in general in all Catholic countries. It is a reenactment of the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem set during Christmas. The setting includes the hut, the manger where the statue…
We are almost there. Winter hit us after a long and hot summer, and fall seemed hesitant to drive away the warm season. It will soon be the time to begin thinking about how to decorate our home in view to Christmas, the ultimate holiday.
Just like evry year, we will face the dilemma of how we should decorate our Tree, but most of all, of how we should place the lights on it so that it looks sparkling and creates a perfect atmosphere; lastly, it has to be safe. It seems easy, but it’s not. If you want to proceed the best way possible, you need to set an exact goal and adopt a technique that lets you create what you have in mind and get the best results.
First of all, you need to choose your Christmas Tree. We already wrote much about that, especially lingering on pros and cons of real trees on one side, and artificial trees on the other side. The choice of the tree will be tightly connected to what we plan to do with lights. In fact, many artificial trees are already equipped with LED lights, solving a long series of problems mainly concerning the issue of wires connected to the light strings; being already integrated into the branches, there is no risk to find them hanging down, and look awful, besides being a dangerous threat to children, pets and… distracted friends.
If you prefer a real tree, or an artificial tree that has no integrated lights, you will need to plan an efficient technique to place the lights on your Tree and get a final uniformity and a great effect.
Lights will have to be in harmony with the decorations of course, and will have to be placed so that they are emphasized, highlighting brightness and colors.
First, you will have to decide how many lights your Tree will need, what type (LED or incandescent), cold or warm light, monochrome or multicolored.
Modern LED lights are surely brighter than the traditional incandescent lights. They also offer a remarkable advantage in price, as they guarantee a great saving on your bills. They are then worth the initial investment, which is anyway quite limited, considering that for a Christmas tree that is about 2 meters tall, you will need to spend about 60-90 Euro.
Incandescent lights require more attention, especially concerning safety, but offer a warmer light compared to LED, and a more traditional atmosphere. Plus, energy saving lights will not cost much more than the modern LED lights.
There are also solar-powered lights, ideal for trees on the outside, and globe lights, which are delicate and offer a great scenic effect.
Concerning the choice between warm or cold lights, you can choose them based on the furniture and color of your home, or the decorations that you chose to hang on your Tree. Cold colors, such as white with blue shades, enphasize elegance, while warm colors, such as yellow and red, create a more enveloping and suffused atmosphere. It is imprtant to choose the color trying to avoid violent contrasts.
Safety regulations must be kept in mind while choosing any kind of light. Better to avoid lights of questionable origins. You always have to remember that they are electronic devices with tension inside that can reach up to 230V, and that will be switched on for weeks in our houses, therefore it is fundamental to know how they were made. First, you need to check the CE marking, which guarantees the respect of the safety regulations established at European level concerning the minimum necessary requirements so that lighting decorations can be sold inside the EU. Some producers of lighting decorations send their products to independent labs, which give them further certifications, guaranteeing higher quality. Periodic controls at the production fatories allow other certifications such as GS and IMQ.
Check then that the CE marking is correct and not counterfeit, that the producer country and the details of the import are clearly reported, and that all information are written in Italian.
Once the box is open, it is good practice to test the traction of the wires connected to the controller to make sure they don’t come out, and the resistance of the controller itself, pushing it hard.
If the lights will be placed outside, they mush have the Schuko plug. Besides the generic instruction “for external use”, they must report the grade of protection against wheater events: from IPX3 (againts spraying water), to IPX4 (against splashing of water), IPX5 (water jets), IPX7 (immersion).
Lastly, but that is not to be taken for granted, you must be careful when installing. You need to be cautios, protecting wires, sockets, especially with children around, and if you plan to decorate your tree outside, remember to protect plugs and transformers from temperature changes.
If one of the bulbs on the string is burned or broken, it must be replaced with one of the same kind, or just give up using that string at all.
How many lights are necessary to decorate a Christmas tree? It depends. It depends on the size of the tree, of course, but also on the personal taste of who will decorate it. For a small tree, around fifty lights are enough; for a tree about 2 meters tall, you might need even three hundred. There is no fixed scheme, also because the effect changes a lot according to the type of decoration chosen and the effect you want to obtain. The important thing is to distribute them well, leaving no empty spaces that would create an ugly effect, and keep in mind that after the lights, we will have to place decorations and garlands, which should be illuminated and enlighted by the lights.
Remember that LED lights are much brighter than incandescence lights, so you’ll need fewer.
There are different techniques, different schools of thought.
You can begin from the top of the tree and wrap the light strings all around it, going down in a spyral until the base and fix the wire to the pedestal. The string can be placed among the bigger branches and hidden behind the smallest branches. The same effect can be obtained starting from the base of the tree towards the top, but hiding the wire could be more difficult. A beautiful effect can be obtained by creating an internal and an external spyral, that will evenly fill all the areas of the Tree.
Starting from the top, you can draw a triangle with the light chains and then fill it with lights fixed to every branch.
Alternatively, you can take many short light strings and wrap them following a spyral pattern around each single branch, so that the wire is hidden by the needles.
In addition, it is very popular to drape the lights among the branches, starting from the top or the bottom, using at least two light chains, one for the inside and one for the outside of the branches. Also in this case the wire will have to be placed properly so that it is not visible, maybe using some bands to fix it to the branches.
The most precious decorations should be placed near a spotlight
Watch out for empty and dark areas.
