Guide Note

Christmas ornaments are decorations used to adorn Christmas trees.

Fast Facts

1. First used in the 1500s
2. Used to decorate Christmas trees
3. Made of glass, metal, wood, or ceramics
4. Come in various shapes
5. Santa Claus is often used as an ornament
6. Handed down from generation to generation
7. Re-used each holiday season
8. Can be homemade or purchased
9. May depict family memories

The first reported baubles, the sphere shaped class ornaments, were produced in 1847 in Germany. Christmas trees were previously decorated with nuts, fruits and candy. Glass baubles were first introduced in the United States in the 1880s by Franklin Winfield Woolworth.

Ornaments are commonly handed down from generation to generation as family keepsakes. Modern ornaments may feature photos on glass baubles or in frames or inscriptions on metal or wood ornaments commemorating a baby's first Christmas or the specific year they were purchased. Ornaments can also be homemade, often by a child as a present to the family.