The first ornaments were used to add symbolism to a tree. Apples represented the tree of forbidden fruit in the Bible, stars represented heaven, and angels represented God's communication with man.
- Early ornaments.....People decorated trees with whatever they had on hand, such as apples, nuts, popcorn, cranberries, paper streamers, candles and metal foil.
- Glass ornaments....In 1847, a glassblower by the name of Hans Greiner made the first glass ornaments (called baubles) in Lauscha, Germany. He created garlands of glass beads and tin figures to hang on trees.
- Commercialization....The tradition became popular and was commercialized under Queen Victoria's reign. Shops began to sell ornaments seasonally.
- In the 1890s, Woolworth's Department Store (dime store) in the U.S. sold more than $25 million in German-imported ornaments made of lead and hand-blown glass each year. Soon after, other countries joined in. Japan and Eastern European countries were mass-producing glass Christmas ornaments to compete with Germany.
- Hallmark ornaments....Hallmark, in 1973, introduced a line of 'keepsake' ornaments that added collectible value to Christmas tree ornaments.
- Modern day ornaments....Today ornaments are made from glass, plastic, porcelain, metal, wood, and a variety of materials including paper. Family members create their own ornaments, which immediately become sentimental keepsakes and are placed on a premier branch of a family Christmas tree.
- Handcrafted tree ornaments are popular at craft fairs and online businesses.
- Ornaments can represent a family's interests in sports, hobbies or even favorite colors, as well as their personalities.
- Some families choose an annual theme for their tree, such as a coastal theme with seashells or a tree decorated with different kinds of birds.
- Today's ornaments also have special meanings, like the nutcracker represents strength and courage, and a gingerbread man symbolizes joy and happiness.
- The tree-topper is the one special ornament that crowns the tree, the most common being a star (representing the Star of Bethlehem) or a Christmas Angel.
