We don't just dress ourselves up for Christmas - we dress our houses up too!

Putting up the festive decorations is as much a part of the traditional preparations as preparing the turkey and buying gifts.

Whether you take it extremely seriously - a themed , colour-co-ordinated and tasteful look, like to go OTT - a glitter/tinsel bomb has exploded in your house - au naturelle - festooned with beautiful evergreens, berries and pine cones, or make your own - paper chains, felt stockings, you can't deny that whatever your preference, there's a decoration out there for you..

Some decorations have all kinds of symbolism attached to them, and, quite often, go back centuries.

On the next page we look at some of those traditions and a few interesting facts surrounding some of the items we use as decorations.

Remember, safety, too, wth all these extra draperies and electrics around the house for a few weeks. We've also got a 12--point safety plan as a handy reference guide.

Deck the halls

A Christmas wreath on your front door, mantel or window represents welcome and long life to all who enter.

Wreaths of holly, red berries and other decorations date from at least the 17th century. Holly symbolised the thorns in Christ's crown of thorns, red berries His blood.

Trees were first decorated with lights in the 16th century, an act attributed to Protestant reformer Martin Luther when he added lighted candles after being so taken with the Christmas night sky that he wished to bring "the lights of the stars" into his home. Decorating the tree with ornaments, messages and notes, and small gifts emerged in later centuries.

Edward H Johnson caused a sensation in 1879 when he displayed electric Christmas lights on his tree at his New York Home. He had them especially made for him as he worked for Thomas Edison, who had invented the electric light bulb three years earlier. It would still be some years, however, before the mass-manufacture of tree lights.

Did you know: Korea, Taiwan, or Hong Kong are the main manufacturers of artificial Christmas trees.

In 1822, the postmaster of Washington, DC, complained that he had to employ an extra 16 mailmen at Christmas just to cope with the cards alone. He called for the number of cards a person could send limited by law. "I don't know what we'll do if this keeps on," he wrote.

The tree and decorations come down on January 6 - also known as Epiphany. It is considered to be bad luck to do it any earlier.

The 12 days of Christmas safety

On the 1st day of Christmas: Check your tree lights conform to the British Standard.

On the 2nd day of Christmas: Never place candles near the tree or furnishings and leave them burning unattended

On the 3rd day of Christmas: Ensure family and visitors know what to do in an emergency. Make a fire escape plan.

On the 4th day of Christmas: Decorations can burn easily - Don't attach them to lights or heaters

On the 5th day of Christmas: Never overload electrical sockets.

On the 6th day of Christmas: Celebrate safely. The risk of accidents, especially in the kitchen, is greater after alcohol is consumed.

On the 7th day of Christmas: Most fires start in the kitchen - never leave a cooker unattended.

On the 8th day of Christmas: If you are planning to celebrate with fireworks, store them in a metal box, read the instructions, never go back to a lit firework and keep a bucket of water nearby.

On the 9th day of Christmas: Make sure cigarettes are completely extinguished before going to bed.

On the 10th day of Christmas: Check the battery in your smoke alarm every week and use Christmas as a reminder to clean it and remove dust.

On the 11th day of Christmas: Keep candles, lighters and matches out of reach of children.

On the 12th day of Christmas: Check on elderly relatives and neighbours this Christmas - make sure they are fire safe.