Christmas Ornament Meanings: An A–Z of Symbols
Ask a European ornament collector why there's a pickle on the tree and you'll get a story. Ask about the owl, the house or the teddy bear and you'll get a story too, though some are much older than others. This A–Z covers the ornaments we're asked about most, and each one is marked by where its meaning comes from:
- Folk tradition: rooted in European custom or religion.
- Collector's meaning: a newer association, popular with ornament collectors but without a long history behind it.
Angel
Meaning: Protection (Folk tradition)
Angels announce the birth of Christ in the Christmas story, and they have watched over European trees, often from the very top, for as long as trees have been decorated. Browse our angels and figures.
Apple
Meaning: Health and plenty (Folk tradition)
Long before glass baubles, trees were hung with real apples, a link to the medieval "paradise tree" used in plays about Adam and Eve on 24 December. Many early glass ornaments were shaped like fruit for the same reason. Browse our fruit and food ornaments.
Bird
Meaning: Joy (Collector's meaning)
Glass birds with real feather tails are a classic of Central European glassmaking, clipped onto the branches rather than hung. Browse our clip birds with feather tails.
Butterfly
Meaning: New life (Folk tradition)
An old Christian symbol of resurrection, and a cheerful splash of colour on a winter tree. Browse our nature ornaments.
Candle
Meaning: Light in the darkness (Folk tradition)
Real candles lit European Christmas trees for centuries before electric lights. Glass candle ornaments keep the look, without the fire risk. Browse our candle holders and bells.
Cat
Meaning: Affection (Collector's meaning)
A favourite for cat lovers, and for anyone whose cat has ever climbed the tree. Browse our pet ornaments.
Champagne
Meaning: Celebration (Collector's meaning)
For the year that deserved a toast. Browse our drinks ornaments.
Chimney Sweep
Meaning: Good luck (Folk tradition)
In Austria and Germany, meeting a chimney sweep is lucky, and sweeps are a classic New Year Glücksbringer (good-luck charm). Browse our figures.
Church
Meaning: Faith (Folk tradition)
A reminder of the religious heart of Christmas, and often a model of a real church close to the giver's home. Browse our buildings.
Dog
Meaning: Loyalty (Collector's meaning)
A tribute to the most loyal member of the family. Browse our pet ornaments.
Fish
Meaning: Good fortune (Folk tradition)
Fish are one of the earliest Christian symbols. In the Czech Republic and Poland, where carp is served on Christmas Eve, some families keep a carp scale in their wallets for a prosperous year. Browse our under-the-sea ornaments.
Flower
Meaning: Beauty and joy (Collector's meaning)
A touch of spring in the middle of winter (or, for Australians, a fair reflection of the garden in December). Browse our nature ornaments.
Fruit and grapes
Meaning: Generosity and plenty (Folk tradition)
Like the apple, fruit recalls the earliest decorated trees, when food was the decoration. Browse our food ornaments.
Heart
Meaning: Love (Folk tradition)
Think of the iced gingerbread hearts (Lebkuchenherzen) sold at every German and Austrian Christmas market, given to someone special. Browse our heart ornaments.
House
Meaning: Home and shelter (Collector's meaning)
A popular choice for a family's first Christmas in a new home. Browse our buildings.
Mushroom
Meaning: Good luck (Folk tradition)
The red-and-white Glückspilz is one of the best-known luck symbols in Germany and Austria. Read the full story of the lucky Christmas mushroom. Browse our glass mushrooms.
Owl
Meaning: Wisdom (Collector's meaning)
The owl has stood for wisdom since ancient Greece, which makes it a favourite gift for teachers and graduates. Browse our birds.
Pickle
Meaning: A prize for the finder (Collector's meaning)
Hide it in the tree and whoever finds it first on Christmas morning wins. It's usually called German, but the custom is far better known in the United States. How to play the Christmas pickle game. Browse our food ornaments.
Pig
Meaning: Luck and plenty (Folk tradition)
In German, Schwein gehabt ("had pig") means "got lucky". Read more about lucky pigs at Christmas. Browse our animal ornaments.
Pine cone
Meaning: Patience and new growth (Collector's meaning)
The seed of the evergreen itself, and a natural fit for a rustic tree. Browse our nature ornaments.
Rabbit
Meaning: Hope (Collector's meaning)
A gentle symbol of new beginnings, and just as much at home on an Easter tree. Browse our animal ornaments.
Rose
Meaning: The Virgin Mary (Folk tradition)
The 16th-century German carol "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" ("Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming") uses the rose as a symbol of Mary. Browse our nature ornaments.
Santa
Meaning: Generosity (Folk tradition)
In Austria and Germany, St Nicholas visits on 6 December, weeks before Christmas, to reward children who have been good. Browse our Santas.
Snowman
Meaning: Winter fun (Collector's meaning)
Pure fun, and in an Australian summer, the closest most of us will get to building one. Browse our figures.
Spider
Meaning: Good luck (Folk tradition)
In a Ukrainian legend, spiders decorated a poor family's tree with webs that turned to silver and gold, which is often given as the origin of tinsel. Wear the legend with our spider brooch.
Star
Meaning: Guidance (Folk tradition)
The Star of Bethlehem led the wise men to the nativity, and a star is the classic tree topper. Browse our Christmas collection.
Teddy bear
Meaning: Childhood (Collector's meaning)
A favourite first ornament for a baby's first Christmas. Browse our gifts for kids.
Building a tree with meaning
There's no rule that says a tree needs a theme, but a few meaningful pieces make it yours: an ornament for each child, one for each trip, or a lucky mushroom and pig to see in the new year. For the stories behind Europe's most unusual ornaments, read our guide to traditional European Christmas ornaments.
Updated November 2026