GING STAG Other Christmas animals
This Christmas, many people are choosing hygge-focused Scandinavian decor
Looking for that perfectly trendy piece of Christmas decor — the one that makes other people say, “Hey, where’d you get that?’ ” This year, it’s stags. Sorry Santa, not reindeer, although they’ll never disappear. We’re talking about a mature male deer, preferably with a full rack (that means large, many-pointed antlers for those of you who aren’t stag-savvy).
Evidence is widespread, though not all sources distinguish between reindeer and stags. For the record: reindeer antlers (and, by the way, female reindeer grow antlers, too) are generally smaller, their points grow farther apart, and they’re located near the ends of long stalks. Stag antlers are more close together and bristly, with points that often overlap.
British lifestyle magazine Country Living identifies forest themes and Nordic-style simplicity as trends this year, “from owls and stags to fircorns and acorns.” (Other sources say the trend is 2-3 years old in America.)
Anne-Marie Classen of Anthology Interiors in Newport Beach, Calif., defines the movement more precisely. She thinks the stag theme is part of the Nordic concept of hygge.
“This year I am seeing a lot more hygge-focused Christmas decor. That is the Scandinavian term that loosely translates (as) ‘cozy’ and is usually characterized by a log-burning fire, lots of knit and fauxfur sweaters and blankets, snowflakes, softness and light colors. Think the classic log cabin but in clean whites as in Scandinavian décor. And along with … the traditional Christmas reindeer we are seeing cute woodland animals.”
Pinterest and other online image sources are showing hundreds of possibilities for stags in Christmas décor, from full-size lawn ornaments to cuddly plush toys whose antlers wouldn’t harm a newborn. Locally, a quick look through Williams Sonoma, Bristol Farms and Starbucks reveals all manner of stags — full bodied, head shots, in rugged silhouette — on everything from accent pillows to cocktail napkins and coffee mugs. Especially popular are variations of the faux mounted stag head, many with stylized colors and glitter.
The stag’s head is actually a longtime Christmas ornament favorite, especially in Germany (where the Christmas ornament industry began in the late 1500s) and in Great Britain. On its gift store website, London’s Natural History Museum offers a 5-inch-tall version as a “Christmas classic, finished with antique gold style coloring.” Its provenance isn’t mentioned. Another British website for online retailer notonthehighstreet.com features hundreds of stag ornament possibilities as well as stag items that go well beyond the Yuletide season: necklaces, rubber stamps, cuff links. Those Brits are stag crazy. In the U.S., the possibilities for stag decor are endless. Want a actual-size stag for your front lawn? Wayfair, an American e-commerce company that sells home goods, offers a “life-like red stag (that) stands approximately 7 feet tall from the tip of his hoof to the top of his antler. Made of a fiberglass/ polyresin blend, the red stag looks beautiful pulling a sleigh or standing alone.” Don’t worry, this majestic 18-pointer weighs only 8 pounds — though he could command a healthy dose of respect if posed facing the neighbors.
Christmas has long been associated with certain animals for historical, literary, mythological and Biblical reasons.
In Christian art through the centuries, the Three Kings are often shown traveling to Bethlehem on camels. And many depictions of Mary arriving in Bethlehem show her riding on the back of a donkey. Until the 19th century, Saint Nicholas was often shown riding a donkey or in a horse-drawn sleigh. Literature solidified the reindeer’s role in Christmas gift delivery. In 1821, New York publisher William Gilley released an anthology of poems. One anonymous verse stated, “Old Santeclaus with much delight, his reindeer drives this frosty night.” Two years later, Clement Moore’s classic, “A Visit From Saint Nicholas” (better known by its first line, “Twas the night before Christmas…”), named the reindeer, and the names stuck.
More modern animal/Christmas associations are rooted in cuteness rather than history. Penguins make it simply for that reason, and through their association with snow. So do polar bears (though the two species live on opposite sides of the world). “Polar bears and penguins have always been my fave,” said Robin Strickler at Irvine’s DesignWorks. “I’m using (them) for my motherin-law’s boat parade home with the caption, ‘I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.’ ”
As for those trendy Christmastime latecomers, Scottie dogs, dachshunds and cats, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. They’re often dressed up in little antlers — which brings us back to reindeer. And stags.
“Think the classic log cabin but in clean whites as in Scandinavian décor. And along with … the traditional Christmas reindeer we are seeing cute woodland animals.”
— Anne-Marie Classen of Anthology Interiors in Newport Beach, Calif. London’s Natural History Museum offers a 5-inchtall version of a stag’s head as a “Christmas classic, finished with antique gold style coloring.” COURTESY OF NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM