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History of Christmas Ornaments

Christmas ornaments are decorations (usually made of glass, metal, wood or ceramics) that are used to festoon a Christmas tree. Ornaments take many different forms, from a simple round ball to highly artistic designs. Ornaments are almost always reused year after year, rather than purchased annually, and family collections often contain a combination of commercially produced ornaments and decorations created by family members. Santa Claus is a commonly used figure. Candy canes, fruit, animals and snowflake imagery are also popular choices

Lucretia P. Hale's story "The Peterkins' Christmas-Tree" offers a short catalog of the sorts of ornaments used in the 1870s:

There was every kind of gilt hanging-thing, from gilt pea-pods to butterflies on springs. There were shining flags and lanterns, and bird-cages, and nests with birds sitting on them, baskets of fruit, gilt apples, and bunches of grapes."

The modern-day Christmas ornament was originally invented in the small German town of Lauscha in the late 16th century.

Bauble

A bauble is a spherical decoration that is commonly used to adorn Christmas trees. It is one of the most popular christmas ornament designs, and you can find at least one bauble on virtually any Christmas tree. Baubles can have various designs on them, from "baby's first christmas," to a favorite sports team. It has been produced since 1847.

Invention

Glass baubles were first made in Germany by Hans Greiner who according to legend, began hand blowing glass into christmas decorations because he was unable to afford usual ornaments such as nuts, apples and candy.

Greiner originally started by blowing glass into the shape of fruit and nuts. The inside of his decorations were made to look silvery, at first with mercury or lead, then later using a special compound of silver nitrate and sugar water.

As demand for Greiner's ornaments grew, he began blowing the glass into new shapes including the sphere which is now the most popular.

Export

Other glassblowers in Lauscha recognised the growing popularity of christmas baubles and began producing them in a wide range of designs. Soon, the whole of Germany began buying christmas glassware from Lauscha and after Queen Victoria's christmas tree was pictured in London paper decorated with glass ornaments and baubles from Prince Albert's native Germany, Lauscha began exporting its products throughout Europe.

In the 1880s, American F. W. Woolworth discovered Lauscha's baubles during a visit to Germany. He made a fortune by importing the German glass ornaments to the U.S.A.

Mass Production

By the 1920s, traditional handblown methods gave way to mass production and before long there was competition from other regions of Germany and from abroad as well. The demand for the decorative items grew steadily, especially as new colours regularly became fashionable.

Post World War II

After World War II, East Germany turned most of Lauscha's glassworks became state-owned and production of baubles in Lauscha ceased. After the Berlin Wall came down, most of the firms were reestablished as private companies. Today there are still about 20 small glass-blowing firms active in Lauscha that produce baubles.

The Modern Bauble

A bauble decorating a Christmas tree

Although glass baubles are still produced, baubles are now mainly made from plastic and available worldwide in a huge variety of shapes, colours and designs.

Christmas pickle

The Christmas Pickle is an American tradition related to the Christmas tree. In this tradition, a family decorates its Christmas tree with ornaments including one glass pickle. On Christmas morning, the first child to find the pickle on the tree would get a special gift and would supposedly have a year of good.

This tradition is commonly believed by Americans to come from Germany, but this is probably apocryphal. In fact, the tradition is widely unknown in Germany.

An original Christmas Pickle

Source: From Wikipedia