A History of Christmas Tree Ornaments

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No matter who you are, if you celebrate any holidays around December, you probably put up holiday ornaments to mark the occasion.  In Western cultures, we often think Christmas trees are ubiquitous with the Holidays, but did you know that the tradition of indoor decorated trees has only been around for about 400 years?

The Christmas tree tradition is thought to originate in Strasbourg, Germany where a cut tree was brought indoors and decorated with paper flowers, lit candles and a variety of nuts and wafers.  Original Christmas Tree Ornaments were things that were at hand, or easy to make, like painted eggshells, cookies and candy.  The tree tradition carried on in Germany, spreading to England only when Queen Victoria took a German consort, and their decorated trees at the palace were covered by the British press.  This sparked a new tradition in England, and fueled the German ornament-making industry.

The Germans started making glass ornaments in a town called Lauscha in the 17th century, and it is a tradition that they carry on today.  If you visit Germany, and especially Bavaria in winter, you will find many handmade and one-of-a-kind ornaments on offer at the Christmas Markets(Weihnachtsmarkt), a kind of cross between a food hall and a craft fair.   The Christmas Market has made its way across the globe today, and you can probably find something similar close to wherever you live.

As Christmas has evolved, so has the meaning and symbolism of the tree.  Some legends have Martin Luther using the tree as a way to bring the forest and stars indoors, but these have generally been discredited.  The use of trees and boughs as symbols of rebirth and connection with nature pre-date Christianity, going back to the Egyptians who used green palm rushes to honor sun god Ra during the winter solstice, while the Romans used evergreen boughs to mark Saturnalia.  The Celts and Vikings both had winter traditions tied to evergreens.

So, do you decorate a Christmas Tree?  Let me know on Facebook.