Christmas Tree Decorations Guide 2023

Everything you should know about Christmas decorations

You have found your perfect tree? 

Christmas tree ornaments are available in countless styles. Decide on a style to narrow down your choices. This guide covers the different types of tree ornaments and what to look for before you buy.

Christmas tree decorations - origin and meaning

All over the world, decorated Christmas trees are placed in living rooms, department stores or public places every year. Certain motifs of the tree ornaments have a long tradition and symbolic meaning.

Christmas tree ornaments are all decorative elements with which the Christmas tree is decorated. These include mainly fairy lights, glass balls, pine cones, tinsel, candy canes and figurines.

The origin of this Christmas custom has its beginnings in the 16th century when the first Christmas trees were decorated with apples and nuts.

Origin of the custom of decorating the Christmas tree.

Already in the Middle Ages evergreen branches the Christmas tree appeared only in the Middle Ages and at that time first as Christmas decorations in public places. Decorations for evergreen branches is much older. Edible fruits and crafted flowers were the first recorded forms of Christmas tree ornaments. From the 16th century, the popularity of the Christmas tree, and therefore Christmas tree ornaments, increases. Many ornamental forms are hung on the branches as symbols, such as apples as a summer symbol or nuts for fertility.

The Christmas tree ball as an ornament for the Christmas tree is pictured from the 19th century. It was probably invented in the Thuringian glassblowing town of Lauscha. As a substitute for the apple symbol, it conquered since then the favorite place on Christmas Eve before most other Christmas tree decorations. The spherical shape and the shine of the glass thus make decorated Christmas trees shine especially brilliantly in the light of the candles.

History of the Christmas tree ball

Before the invention of the Christmas tree ball, glassblowers from Lauscha made their living by producing ornate decorative objects made of glass. Their poverty did not allow them to own such Christmas tree ornaments themselves. But in the winter time, when orders were low, there was time for new ideas. During the winter, the glassblowers always competed with each other. Many a new piece was left over for the otherwise unpresented children of these families. Silvering and painting gave the baubles their uniquely precious optical character.

The first Christmas tree decorations with baubles and lace or birds and glass trumpets still could not afford the manufacturers. But in the meantime, the production of glass Christmas tree decorations has become an industry all its own, especially in Germany and German-speaking countries. Every year, the worldwide popularity of Lauscha Christmas tree ornaments continues to grow.

Types of Christmas tree decorations

Christmas tree ornament origins can be traced in part to Christian symbolism, but in part to much older, pagan imagery. Many ornaments originally hung on the Christmas tree for lack of. Others were invented out of a desire to have an individual Christmas tree and thus a distinction from other families. These Christmas tree ornaments are particularly common around the world:

Fruits and flowers

Apples, nuts and other dried fruits are proven to be the first Christmas tree ornaments. This symbolizes fertility on the Christmas tree, whose meaning is that of eternal life. Paper flowers and sweets are supposed to conjure something alive in the cold, actually lifeless winter. In many cases, the treats hung on the tree only for lack of other Christmas gifts. The hungry children of the respective families were allowed to pick them from the branches on Christmas Eve instead of another gift.

Symbolic tree figures

Christmas is celebrated by people in Christian countries as a festival of promise, confidence and new life in Jesus Christ. Accordingly, symbolically lucky charms should express this wish for a new, blessed year until the next Advent season. What people imagine under happiness is quite different. Ladybugs, for example, decorate the Christmas tree symbolically for good tidings from God. Small purses are supposed to bring financial blessings into the house. Glass birds or bird shapes made of other materials promise peace, wisdom or magical moments of happiness.

Glass ornaments for the Christmas tree

The Christmas tree ball is the most popular glass ornament for the Christmas tree. However, the inventors of this glittering Christmas tree ornament remained tireless in their ideas. With the help of fireclay molds, it was now possible to create Santa Claus faces in addition to the baubles, or hemispheres with the help of "punches". Silvering, varnishing, painting, printing or sprinkling and wrapping glass baubles makes the shiny baubles look like winter snow. At the same time, this enhances the shine on the illuminated Christmas tree. The glass Christmas cucumber is a very young Christmas custom. It is hidden on the Christmas tree. The finder is the first to get his Christmas present at the gift-giving ceremony.

Conclusion:
The Christmas tree ornament origin is even older than the first mention of a Christmas tree itself. Traditionally, the choice of ornamental shapes represents Christian symbolism or wishes for good luck and blessings. Especially the Christmas tree ball and other glass shapes are becoming increasingly popular as Christmas tree decorations around the world.

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