Christmas Ornaments

Christmas ornaments are decorations used to adorn Christmas trees, homes, offices, and outdoor spaces during the winter holiday season. Christmas ornaments can be secular or religious in nature, and many depict images of snow, Santa Claus, reindeer and candy canes in addition to religious icons such as crosses and images of the baby Jesus.

History

The first reported sphere-shaped ornaments were produced in 1847 in Germany. The earliest ornaments in the early 1800’s,were nuts, fruits and candy. These, along with the evergreen trees themselves, represented the certainty that life would return in the spring. Over time other fruits began to be added, along with paper streamers and bits of shiny metal foil. Whether a tree was lighted or not, the idea of reflecting the light in the room where the tree stood grew in popularity. Another concept began to take hold with German families in whose homes the first “popular” trees resided. Food, often gingerbread or other hard cookies, would be baked in the shape of fruits, stars, hearts, angels and bells. Glass baubles were first introduced in the United States in the 1880s by Franklin Winfield Woolworth.A Social History of Christmas Ornaments: The Earliest Ornaments

Tradition

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.

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