Top 5 Christmas Paintable Ceramics for a Festive Home

The Christmas season is the perfect time to be creative and add a personal touch to your Christmas decorations. One memorably creative way to do this is by painting Christmas ceramics. From ornaments to figurines, paintable Christmas ceramic pieces can be turned into unique, festive decorations that will make your home feel even cozier and more inviting. Not to mention, they can be a memorable part of the Christmas season with family. You'll be able to hand the decorations down through generations to come.

Here are, in my opinion, some of the top paintable Christmas ceramics:

New Hampshire Craftworks The Lovable Santa

Discover the charm of New Hampshire Craftworks' "The Lovable Santa," a delightful holiday ceramic keepsake that you can personalize with your artistic touch. This enchanting ceramic Santa figurine is the perfect canvas for your creative expression, allowing you to paint and decorate it to match your unique holiday décor. Embrace the joy of the season as you bring Santa to life with your favorite colors and designs, creating a cherished keepsake that will adorn your home with warmth and festive cheer.

Holiday Village Winter General Store Candle Votive Lantern

Elevate your holiday décor with the enchanting "Holiday Village Winter General Store Candle Votive Lantern," a ceramic keepsake awaiting your artistic flair. This picturesque ceramic lantern captures the essence of a winter general store in a holiday village, and you have the opportunity to paint and personalize it according to your festive vision. Infuse your home with the warm glow of the season by placing a candle or votive inside, and let your hand-painted masterpiece become a cherished part of your holiday traditions, radiating cozy charm and the spirit of the holidays.

Bright Creations DIY Paint Your Own Ceramics for Kids, Ready to Paint Holiday Ornaments (26 Pieces)

Engage your child's creativity with Bright Creations' "DIY Paint Your Own Ceramics for Kids," featuring ready-to-paint holiday ornaments. This exciting kit offers an ideal canvas for young artists to express themselves during the festive season. These ceramic ornaments are primed for personalization, and children can have a wonderful time adding their unique touches to these holiday treasures, creating not only beautiful decorations but also cherished memories that will last for years to come.

The Lovable Reindeer - Paint Your Own Wintery Ceramic Keepsake

This charming ceramic reindeer figurine is your canvas to unleash your creative spirit and decorate it to match the wintry theme of your choice. Bring this lovable reindeer to life with your favorite colors and artistic touch, making it a treasured addition to your holiday décor, radiating warmth and the magic of the season.

Christmas Crafts Paint Your Own Nativity Kit - 10 Figurines

Experience the joy of the season with the "Christmas Crafts Paint Your Own Nativity Kit," a complete set that enables you to create your own nativity scene featuring 10 figurines. Dive into the spirit of Christmas as you bring each figure to life with your own flair. This kit provides an ideal canvas for your creativity, allowing you to paint and personalize each piece to craft a nativity scene that will hold a special place in your holiday decorations, conveying the true meaning of Christmas with your unique touch.

Why are hand-painted Christmas ceramics are better than ordinary ornaments?

They can be more personalized. When you paint your own ceramics, you can choose the colors, styles, and designs that that get you into the festive mood for the holiday season.

Hand-painted Christmas ceramic ornaments and figurines will become treasured keepsakes in your family that are attached to Christmas memories. They will hold sentimental value and can be passed down through generations, becoming a part of your family's holiday traditions.

Some tips for painting Christmas ceramics:

You'll need paintbrushes, paints, water, paper towels, and a palette.

 
Here's a paint kit that I recommend: Washable Paint Set for Kids Arts and Crafts - 6 Acrylic Paint Sets of 12 Colors, Mixing Palette, Brushes

Lay down newspaper or a drop cloth to protect your work area from paint spills.

Once the figures are dry, apply a sealant to protect the paint and add a glossy finish.

My recommendation: Mod Podge Gloss 4-ounce Squeeze Bottle

When painting these decorations, remember to let your creativity shine. Whether you're good at painting ceramics or a beginner, each piece you paint will add a personal and heartfelt touch to your holiday décor. So, grab your brushes, pick your favorite Christmas ceramic project, and let the festive painting begin. Your home will be transformed into a winter wonderland filled with your unique, hand-painted decorations.

St. Lucia Day History and Traditions

Christmas in Sweden and most of Scandinavia begins on December 13th. The 13 is the feast day of Sankta Lucia (Saint Lucia), bringer of light and patron saint of vision. Born in 283 in Syracuse, Sicily, Lucia was known to bring food and supplies to persecuted Christians hiding underground while wearing a wreath of candles upon her head to light the way.

She was betrothed to a wealthy pagan but vowed to remain unmarried, wanting to dedicate her life to helping others. Refusing to be married and named a Christian, she was tortured by having her eyes removed and finally martyred. Before the Gregorian calendar reform, Saint Lucia’s feast day fell on the winter solstice, the shortest and darkest day of the year in Sweden, a country she is rumored to have visited in her short life. Today, many in Nordic countries and elsewhere continue to honor her as the virtuous bride, bringing joyful light to their dark winter days.

On the morning of her feast day, in family observances, the oldest daughter in each family dresses in a white robe and wears a wreath of candles on her head while delivering sweet rolls (called lussekatt) and coffee to her parents by candlelight.

The sisters of the Lucia Bride wear a wreath of tinsel in their hair and a piece tied around their waist, while the boys have tall pointed caps sprinkled with stars. Awakened by the lights and the singing, the parents arise and eat the breakfast served, thus ushering in the Christmas season.

As Lucia Day comes at the darkest time of year, the candles of the ministering Sankta Lucia portend and witness to the True Light-the birth of Christ. On the morning of the thirteenth of December, the strains of "Sankta Lucia" are heard everywhere in Scandinavia as the white-robed maiden comes out of the night with her burning crown of candles. In honor of her martyrdom, It has long been the custom to donate money on Lucia Day to institutions working for the blind.

Source, including traditional songs and recipes: http://www.angelfire.com/ne/elkhorn38/stlucia.html

The Legend of Sankta Lucia
Christmas in Sweden
Sankta Lucia: The Survival of a Nordic Sun Goddess

Christmas Television - Blackadder's Christmas Carol

This Christmas special, Blackadder's Christmas Carol, is from 1987 and stars a few names that are recognizable. Rowan Atkinson, best known for his Mr. Bean character. Hugh Laurie, best known for playing Dr. Gregory House on the TV series, House. And also Stephen Fry, who I know mainly from seeing him in V for Vendetta and Stephen Fry in America.

As for Blackadder's Christmas Carol, think of it as the reverse of A Christmas Carol.

"Blackadder's Christmas Carol" is a comedic adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" within the British sitcom "Blackadder." It humorously twists the original narrative by portraying Ebenezer Blackadder, played by Rowan Atkinson, as a kind and generous man who is exploited by those around him, particularly his deceitful servant Baldrick. Unlike Dickens' Scrooge, Blackadder's encounters with the Spirit of Christmas reveal that his virtuous nature leads to exploitation rather than learning lessons of greed and selfishness. This unique take satirizes the concept of redemption in Dickens' story.

You can watch it at archive.org. at https://archive.org/details/BlackaddersChristmasCarol

Blackadder's Christmas Carol is a one-off episode of Blackadder, a parody of Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. It is set between Blackadder the Third (1987) and Blackadder Goes Forth (1989), and is narrated by Hugh Laurie. Produced by the BBC, it was first broadcast on BBC1 on 23 December 1988.

In addition to Blackadder's Christmas Carol you may also be interested in watching one of the many adaptations of A Christmas Carol and especially Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean.

Vintage Christmas TV Specials from the '60s, '70s and '80s

These are a few of my favorite retro/vintage Christmas shows and specials from the 60s, 70s, and 80s that I remember watching the reruns of growing up. This post is inspired by the article on Click Americana, "100 vintage Christmas TV specials & holiday episodes you might remember from the ’70s & ’80s"

A Charlie Brown Christmas



The 1965 Christmas special starring the Peanuts gang. It's about the true meaning of Christmas, with Biblical elements. Specifically, Luke 2.8-14. In recent years, it has received some criticism for the segment about the birth of Jesus, the story of the Nativity. Some schools have also chosen to no longer show the Christmas special in classrooms.

But the apprehension about the Biblical element being included goes as far back to 1965 when the special was being made. One producer was hesitant about including it. Schultz practically had the convince them to keep it in. The whole, detailed story behind it can be read at How the Bible Almost Got "A Charlie Brown Christmas" Canceled Without that part of the special, and how it adds a depth that ties everything together, A Charlie Brown Christmas would have (more than likely) been forgotten long ago.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer




First premiered on December 6th, 1964 and is the longest-running Christmas special. It's the one everyone has seen and is a must-watch every December. Though I also recommend watching the 1948 version
Click here to read the history of Rankin-Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

The Little Drummer Boy



Also produced by Rankin-Bass and premiered on December 19, 1968. It showed every Christmas season on television until the late 1980s and didn't air for a few years until some time in the 1990s. It also had a 1976 sequel, The Little Drummer Boy, Book II.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas



How the Grinch Stole Christmas is the Grinch special that people are most familiar with. It first premiered on December 18, 1966. On top of watching on television growing up, we'd also watch in school on the last day before Christmas break in the 90s,.

Frosty the Snowman



Premiered on December 7, 1969.

A Christmas Carol (1971 Cartoon)



Premiered on December 21, 1971. This one didn't air often when I was growing up and I haven't seen it in a long time. The two other memorable ones I would watch every year though was the 1951 version starring Alastair Simm and the good but really eerie (at least when to a younger me) the 1954 version with Fredric March and Basil Rathbone, which we had on a videotape bought from Ames (remember them?).  Of course, then there's the 1938 adaptation starring Reginald Owen.

And I cannot forget Mickey's Christmas Carol



Twas the Night Before Christmas



Premiered on December 8, 1974 (See also: Twas the Night Before Christmas from 1946)

The Year Without a Santa Claus



Premiered December 10, 1974

Rudolph’s Shiny New Year



Premiered December 10, 1976

One more, though it's not from the 1960s-1980s, is the 1936 Christmas cartoon Christmas Comes But Once a Year. Which we also had on one of those Christmas collection videotapes. The parallax animation and real objects included in the animations always stood out about the cartoon to me (and still does). Which they were creative and complicated effects back in 1936.

Here are a few Christmas commercials from the 1970s, 1980s. There are plenty of Christmas TV variety specials and Christmas cartoons from the 60s, 70s and 80s available on YouTube and streaming platforms. 

Restoring the Traditions and Meanings of Christmas

As hard as it may be to imagine, Christmas celebrations and observances had more meaning in the past in the United States. Even as recent as a decade ago. Before what we call this 'progressive' age. Progressing towards what? At one time, the Christmas season was more about connectedness and not about the materialistic aspect. Which, in turn, makes Christmas feel like a chore to so many. I would be lying if I said that most families try to stay close to traditions. To spend the day away from ordinary distractions and attentive to each other instead. Most of them don't even have traditions anymore (if they ever did).

Yes they, more often than not, hurry to open their gifts. Then they head off to do their own thing and pay each other little mind. They flip on the television or power on their smart devices and sink into those escapes. They act like Christmas is over after those few moments of opening gifts. Then they'll have a so-called special dinner in the evening and that's it. A few moments in the morning and nothing else feels special about the day. Christmas should be more than that.

The trend of materialism has been a problem for a long time in the United States. We all know that it is only getting worse. It is a trend that needs to be undone. It always leaves people feeling like Christmas is a chore rather than a joy. To change that, we do need to go back to our roots or to find a better way to observe the holiday.

For those of us in the USA we need this change the most. We need to celebrate Christmas the way past generations of our respective families did. To celebrate the way the first-generation immigrants of our families would have. Be it that the "first generation" was a few decades ago or over a century or more ago. If your ancestors didn't celebrate Christmas then research Christmas celebrations around the world and mix and match as you please to give Christmas Day a meaning. It doesn't have to be centered around money.  Because, for most of us, past generations of our families came to these shores with little or no money at all.

Most of all, don't let people make you feel like you're not allowed to celebrate or observe Christmas over politically correct/shaming notions either. You're allowed to be happy as the year winds down through New Year's Eve. You're allowed to celebrate the holiday without being shamed for it. In fact, all of December should be a celebration.

Here's the article that inspired this post.

Mixing Polish and American Christmas Traditions in the USA | Traveling Mom

Many immigrant families across America try to preserve traditions brought from their countries of origin. It is easier said than done, especially when children, first generation Americans, are born. They do not want to be different. Parents need to be creative to find a balance between their culture and needs of their children.

Regarding Christmas celebrations and customs around the world, you can check out the entry on Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_traditions. 

It's best to go to the sources linked on Wikipedia to get the full, unfiltered picture of respective Christmas traditions around the world. From there you'll be able to dig deeper and find more about the Christmas traditions that you're exploring. Or even find out about traditions that you never even knew about.

Christmas 2018 Holiday Livestreams by Mree

These are the live streams that the singer Mree did leading up to Christmas. To sum it up: her voice is amazing and beautiful.

More about her from Wikipedia:

Marie Hsiao, best known as Mree, is an indie folk singer-songwriter from New Jersey. She is of Taiwanese and Bulgarian descent. Mree began writing her own songs at the age of 14 and released her debut album, Grow, in October 2011. The album debuted at #18 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter Chart.