Christmas Village Decor Is the Gift That Keeps on Giving
Following this success, Department 56 began introducing a variety of other series in the coming years through today—notable additions include their Dickens Village, New York City–based Christmas in the City, and a Disney series. The company also quickly implemented annual “retirements” of older models, which sparked an air of exclusivity and collectibility around the products. Collecting these miniature villages became a popular Christmas custom, with collections spanning from just a few small figurines to huge landscapes of sets.
The variety and collectibility of Christmas villages has contributed to their continuous popularity. Patti Priestman, co-owner of Christmas Village Shop in Ontario, notes how the growing range and sophistication of villages has maintained consumer interest. Her store prides itself as “offering the largest selection of Christmas village houses, figurines, Christmas trains, and accessory items in Canada.” “Animation is relatively new and growing in popularity, the houses and villages are getting more intricate and sophisticated,” she explains. “Shared family interests can come alive, since the product range has grown.”
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But besides the variety, what else makes Christmas villages so appealing today? Perhaps, as with other miniatures and artificial lives, the worlds they create allow one to live vicariously through them as a means of escape—it’s that sense of fantasy which resonates with collectors. Take for instance Varouj Baltajian, who runs the TikTok account @mrchristmasvillage. The 35-year-old’s Christmas village collecting spawned out of his obsession with playing the game SimCity 2000 as a child. “Being able to make my own city and keeping my citizens happy was so much fun,” he recalls. “So in 2015, when my mom downsized and gave me her Christmas village buildings, I saw it as an extension of that same experience. I get to make my own little city and come up with little stories for the townspeople.”
So, though Christmas villages may be associated with older generations, the growing variety and nostalgia they instill make them a worthy investment amongst younger demographics. What started as paper and wood figurines has evolved into porcelain villages that can go to lengths of lighting up, animating, making sounds, and playing music. Today, you can find them in all sorts of stores across the globe—from elaborate recreations of classic holiday films to more modern designs that lean minimalist. There’s a Christmas village for everyone. Like so many other variations of Christmas-themed decor, these landscapes prove to be timeless. As the miniature trend carries on with all the bells and whistles, the Christmas village offers a blissful escape where we can indulge in festive fantasies through small-scale collections.
