From spiders to seashells: Curious Christmas ornaments

Although this US holiday tradition dates back to the 1800s — with corn being an easy household item to pop and repurpose — popcorn garlands became popular in the 20th century thanks to the tree trimming practices of German-American immigrants. Fresh cranberries, known for their bright red color, were also added to the garlands as their waxy coating gave them a longer shelf life.

Kerstkransjes — Dutch for 'wreath cookies' — are scallop-edged cookies resembling Christmas wreaths with a hole in the middle, through which red ribbons are threaded to hang them on Christmas tree branches in the Netherlands. These butter-based cookies, which some describe as similar to shortbread, can be decorated in many ways but traditionally feature a crunchy almond sugar topping.

The modern Christmas tree owes its origins to western Germany. Encyclopedia Britannica says it was the main prop of a popular medieval play about Adam and Eve. Known then as the "paradise tree," the fir tree was decked with apples, representing the Garden of Eden. Thus, apples became part of the plethora of Christmas ornaments.

It's widely believed that Martin Luther, the German 16th-century Protestant reformer, started this trend. The oft-retold story goes that he was walking home one winter evening and was awed by the stars twinkling amid the evergreens. To restage the scene for his family, he placed a tree in their home and added lighted candles to its branches. A likely fire hazard, today LED candles are preferred.

For countries in the Southern Hemisphere, December 25 falls during summer. These include New Zealand, South Africa, Angola, Bolivia, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Samoa. This means instead of snow and sleigh rides, you're likely to be enjoying sun, sea and sand as is also the case in Australia, for instance. Not surprisingly, Christmas decor also feature beach themes like seashells or starfish.

"Himmeli" are geometric shaped mobiles made of rye straw. Though the name has Germanic roots — "himmel" means "sky" or "heaven" — himmeli feature widely in Nordic countries, and are most associated with traditional Finnish Christmas decor. The mobiles are usually hung above dining tables at Christmas and remain there until midsummer in the hope of delivering a bountiful harvest.

Western missionaries introduced the concept of Christmas trees to China and Japan in the 19th and 20th centuries. Adapting local customs, the trees here are often decorated with intricate paper designs. The tree in this picture, for example, is festooned with Japanese origami cranes. Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding and the crane symbolizes honor, good fortune, loyalty and longevity.

In Ukraine, Christmas trees are often decorated with beaded spiders and webs related to a folktale about a poor widow who could not afford to decorate a tree for her children. Legend has it that the spiders in the house took pity on them and spun beautiful glistening webs all over the tree, which the children awoke to find on Christmas morning. Spiders are also considered good luck in Ukraine.

Though cats are perhaps a decked Christmas tree's worst enemy, in Iceland there's the folkloric Yule Cat, which is a fashion police of sorts. Apparently huge and vicious, legend goes that it lurks about the snowy countryside during Christmas time (Yule) and eats people who have not prepared new clothes to wear before Christmas Eve. Thus, the feline is an addition to Icelandic Christmas decor.

Besides the Yule Cat, Iceland's Christmas trees also feature miniature figurines of the "Yule Lads" or Jolasveinar. These are actually 13 mountain trolls with different characteristics — think Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs — who bring gifts to well-behaved children in the 13 days leading up to December 25. Pictured here are human men playing said trolls.

And finally, who says Christmas trees themselves must be pine or fir? In India, people are said to decorate mango trees and pictured here are chichilaki — a Georgian traditional Christmas tree made of dried hazelnut or walnut branches that are shaved to form a wispy coniferous tree. Georgians believe a chichilaki resembles the beard of St. Basil, widely revered in the Orthodox Christian nation.