A History of Christmas Ornaments
We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post. This helps support what we do and in no way costs you a thing.
What we call the “Christmas tree” of today has a long history that stretches way before the 16th century. Though many see it as just a significant decoration of the season, it has a deeper meaning that we will explore. After all, nothing is wrong with wanting to know about some of the precious items we include in our yearly celebrations, right? For some Christmas trees, some ornaments are added for decoration and accessorizing to give it a touch of flair. Let us look at the History of Christmas Ornaments.
The presence of the evergreen goes back to ancient Egypt in a time when the winter season was almost like a torment. The trees seated in the homes were a form of solace that better days were ahead and that greener times were on the horizon after that bad weather. It also worked the same for pagans who just wanted the season to be over (the solstice rituals of Druids, Romans, and Vikings). As the years passed by, the reason for the trees in the season changed and gathered different meanings.
A History Of Christmas Ornaments
Spreading to the Western World
As for the modern Christmas tree, the tradition of adding to church plays during winter initially started in the 16th-century German history. When looking at the History of Christmas Ornaments, those early trees were decorated with small beauty items like candles, berries, nuts, apples, and more. It was not long after that Christians thought up the idea of adding them to their homes for the holiday. The new-found Christian ritual spread throughout Europe as a yearly thing.
Then during the late 18th to early 19th century, German immigrants brought the idea to the US, which they rejected right away. The rejection came as a result of the original reason behind why people used the trees…pagan rituals. However, small German communities continued to set up the trees during the season, as this was their tradition. But how did America get to adopt the practice? It was in the 1840s after the favored Queen Victoria was photographed with her German-born husband, Prince Albert, around a decorative tree with the family, that Americans saw the need to do the same.
It was then wealthy Americans decided it was an excellent, fashionable idea and adopted it right away. Also, merchants came on board with the idea of selling the trees as they saw the potential for profits. By the 1890s, the famous United States’ department store, Woolworths, had an average $25 million sales profit from the German-imported ornaments. These ornaments were mainly made of hand-blown glass and lead but later on adopted the style of using new materials to include silk, tinsel, and wool.
The production of these Christmas ornaments became a “hot bread” as Germany was now competing with the likes of Japan and other European countries for the US export market. By the mid-1930s, America saw over 250,000 trees imported into the country. Hallmark saw the need to have an input, and they designed and created their “keepsake” ornaments, which were a set of valuable collectibles. As the year went by, each item they created some ornament, it would be a success than the previous.
To date, the true meaning of the Christmas tree has lost its original Christmas-only culture and now is a decorative element for the season and by all faith. Different religious groups and families of all faith are using this annual moment to get those decorations out and bring a joyful cheer to the moment.
Christmas Ornaments of Today
Christmas brings festive cheer, and not only are trees made but also planted and reaped just for this time. The decorative ornaments of the modern age are now mainly made of wood, metal, ceramics, and glass. Also, the ornaments come in many different forms, from small crystal balls to animated and artistic designs. For sure, the ornaments are reusable each year and only need a little dusting off, inherited from friends and family members as a gift of love for the festivities. Also, many persons use a Santa Claus figure, fruit decorations (mostly made of hard plastic), snowmen, angels, candy canes, and snowflakes.
Over the years, the creation of Christmas ornaments has been a commercial practice, and the industry in 1996 recorded a total of over $2.4 billion in annual sales. We are sure many households in the US, and many around the world do set up trees during the festive season. Though many are of the perception that the reason for the season is not like it was, it still goes to show that the cheers and festivities are still intact. Also, ornaments of today fall under different categories to include hand-made (sewn or crochet), machine-manufactured, grown, and so much more.
Other posts you may enjoy:
- The History of Christmas
- Why Reindeer Farts Are Funny
- All About Operation Christmas Child
- Why Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a Champion to Us All
