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The History of Christmas Ornaments
Every year during the holidays, people get out their Christmas trees, string them with lights and garland, and display ornaments on the branches. It’s a centuries old tradition that is looked forward to all year long, and the cheer that Christmas trees bring is enjoyed by people of all ages and all across the globe. The ornaments themselves also bring lots of joy, and in many homes, these small decorations have a lot of historic or sentimental value. As you hang them on your tree, you’ve probably never stopped to think about the significance of the act. But there’s an interesting story behind Christmas ornaments and why we use them to decorate trees. Keep reading to learn more about this tradition and how it came to be.
Christmas trees themselves have a longstanding tradition as symbols of life and harvest, dating back to the 16th Century. Since the evergreen tree doesn’t lose its leaves in the winter, these trees were reminders of the warmer days to come, along with the abundance of plants that were relied upon for survival. It wasn’t long before the tradition expanded to include decorating the tree, and people in that time period began to adorn their trees with natural items like fruits, nuts, and flowers. Candles and paper decorations were also added, and soon it became the norm for people to bring their evergreen indoors and decorate it for the season.
The popularity of decorating Christmas trees didn’t hit America until the 1800s. During this time period, people still used mostly natural items to adorn their trees, but soon there were variations. Hard cookies, such as gingerbread, were baked into shapes and added to the trees, along with other foods. During the later part of the century, however, Christmas ornaments closer to the ones that we know today began to appear. German glass blowers began creating unique and beautiful ornaments, and soon the idea of manufacturing them for mass consumption began to form. These ornaments were an instant hit, and the varying shapes, styles, and colors appealed to people in both America and Europe.
From that point, manufactured Christmas ornaments became the norm in most homes. There were the fragile yet beautiful glass ornaments, durable lead cast ornaments, and a whole range of other ones that were working their way into the market. In the early 20th Century, the Christmas season began to be celebrated in earnest, and there was increased focus on decorating. Ornaments came to be viewed as lasting keepsakes that could be handed down from generation to generation. They took on even more special meaning as they were given as holiday gifts or used to commemorate special occasions, and they could even be personalized.
Today you can find ornaments of all shapes, sizes, and styles on Christmas trees everywhere. Many hold significant value for their owners, while others are simply used as decorations and nothing more. There are all different kinds of ornaments available, from the traditional glass balls to fun and funky Christmas (and non-Christmas) shapes. Christmas ornaments, with their interesting history that spans centuries, are a definitive part of the holiday season, and this is a tradition that won’t be going away anytime soon.