Antique Nautical Décor: Fit for Celebrating a Holiday at Sea

Antique Nautical Décor: Fit for Celebrating a Holiday at Sea

Have you ever wondered how ancient mariners celebrated Thanksgiving or Christmas? Did they decorate with antique nautical decor or have feasts on land or at sea? Clues may be found in Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem, Christmas at Sea as well as whaling museums like the one located in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Stevenson’s ditty tells the tale of a sailor working in the frigid cold on Christmas Day, all the while longing for the comforts of home. 

Meanwhile, artifacts in New Bedford paint another picture. It’s one of men who decorated their ships with as much holiday finery as they could, exchanged gifts and then feasted on whatever rations were available with each other. Personally, we like the idea of sailors being able to take time away from their labors for a bit of celebrating. If you do too, why not set the stage for your own Christmas at sea celebration this year? Glass floats cradled in fish netting would make darling tree ornaments or festive window displays, while antique finish wooden paddles could be wrapped together with seagrass swags and decorated with bows. Brass anchor coat hooks could also be placed near the front door to temporarily hold visitors’ winter coats and fancy anchor brass hand bells could be used to call everyone to the holiday table.

The holiday table could be decorated with a boat propeller candle holder, shell balls, nautical linens and jute napkin rings. Glass shell serving plates filled with exotic cheeses and brass porthole ice buckets filled with French or Italian wines would certainly add to a Christmas at sea theme too. For an added touch, consider serving seafood appetizers along with them.And as for the seafaring themed gift exchange, there are a lot of options available as well. The list of gift ideas includes, but doesn’t end with compass paperweights, metal buoy piggy banks, nautical journals for children, nautical picture frames and seafaring themed wall art. 

To learn more about these items and others ideal for Christmas at sea celebrations, please contact us at Everything Nautical today.