Christmas ornaments may have had humble
beginnings however this much loved and popular tradition of hanging Christmas
ornaments has made people into multi millionairs today!
In the early 1800's fruit (particularly
apples) and nuts were the first Christmas ornaments used to decorate Christmas
trees. Soon to follow Christmas ornaments of foil and paper streamers cut and
made from the hands of family and friends were added. Among German families
(who popularized the Christmas tree) they made Christmas ornaments out of
gingerbread and other hard home-made cookies baked in the shape of fruit,
stars, bells, angels and hearts.
In other countries such as America, their
first lot of Christmas ornament additions were long strands of cranberries or
popcorn to circle their trees! They also added small intricately woven baskets
that they nestled in the crooks of boughs. In the UK people started to show off
their talents making creative Christmas ornaments from lace, paper and other
materials. With all the Christmas ornaments displayed it was often noted that
the Christmas trees themselves could be hardly seen!
It was not until the latter part of the
19th century that we saw mass produced Christmas ornaments being developed and
sold which started in Germany. Particularly in Lauscha, Germany known for its
glass making, they started by replicating fruit, nuts and other food items
followed later by the manufacture of hearts, stars and popular shapes that came
from the traditional cookie baked ornaments. Much later the glass blowers
created moulds of saints, famous people and animals.
The beautiful colored glass ornaments
were adopted quickly and became a popular favorite for the Christmas tree. They
became so popular that nearly everyone in the town was in some way involved in
the creation of Christmas ornaments. All the ornaments were handmade by people
who followed in the glassmaking traditions of generations of their families before
them. Each ornament had a touch of individual craftsmanship and became unique
and highly prized.
By the late 1800's they were exported
around the world. The famous Mr Woolworth is credited with part of his fortune
being made from the importation and sales of German glass Christmas ornaments
around the 1880's to 1890's when he sold more than $25 million worth of
ornaments in his Five and Dime Stores.The Famous Pickle Ornament!
There is a folk story that says for
generations people were hiding a glass ornament (most likely from Lauscha) in
the shape of a green pickle. The legend says that German parents started this
tradition. The first one to spot the pickle ornament hidden in the Christmas
tree got an extra present from St Nicholas at Christmas and were blessed with
good luck!
Not far from the famous Christmas
ornament glass blowers in Lauscha were the artisans in Dresden who introduced
pressed and embossed paper ornaments featuring bright colors. They introduced
new Christmas ornament shapes including birds and fish.
From the late 19th century the
appearance of pressed tin with brightly colored lithographic surfaces appeared
as ornaments. Thin foil strips were soon introduced (tinsel) and the German
creators called it "angels' hair". Then came an abundance of varying
materials including lace, wire and bead work which was often all used together
to make one ornament.
After
the war when American's were coming out of the great depression the German
ornament trade feared hostilities and so searched for a manufacturer who could
make the ornaments in America itself. They got together with the Corning
Company in New York who were then manufactures of light bulbs. By 1940 this
company was making 300,000 ornaments a day compared to 600 for a skilled German
glass blower. These ornaments were lacquered by machine and hand decorated.
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