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The holiday season brings out the childlike glee in everyone, and the greatest way to envelop the holiday spirit is to decorate the Christmas tree. There is a special feeling that comes over us when the fragrant tree is brought indoors and put in a place of honour. The boughs just beckon us to decorate it, and this is when the ornaments that mean so much to us come to life. The first trees were decorated in the 1800’s and at that time the decorations were very simple. Nature was used more than any type of ornament that is used today. The idea behind the tree was to welcome nature and the hope that the bright days of spring would be forthcoming. The first ornaments that we did use on the Christmas tree were made of glass and today this is what most people use. The Germans who were well known for their glass making began producing the first ornaments. Before this time in the mid nineteenth century there were no Christmas glass ornaments. Lauscha, Germany was where it all began and the thought that there was a market for Christmas glass ornaments was definitely a wise choice. It wasn’t long before they began to prosper with this idea and this is why we have glass tree ornaments today. Those initial glass ornaments came in the shape of stars or religious emblems. Animals became popular and even well known faces graced the Christmas glass ornaments. There is a legend that has been passed down for generations that speaks of a Christmas glass ornament in the shape of a pickle. It is made of green glass and it is supposed to be hidden within the branches of your evergreen. The idea is that there are so many ornaments on the tree and the colour of the pickle shaped glass ornament will make it very hard to see. The most attentive child will find this ornament and be showered with extra gifts on Christmas day. It is not known if there is any evidence to support this legend. During the 1900’s the admiration for Christmas glass ornaments reached great heights and more places sprang up to meet the demand. Different countries besides Germany got involved and with this input the designs of the ornaments widened. There were many more assortments available and the number produced rose accordingly. They still were not mass produced as they are today with machines, but were of the highest quality and they were still handmade. Just as World War II was starting in Europe the Corning Company started to manufacture Christmas glass ornaments in their plants. This operation continued until America entered the war when it was halted due to a lack of resources. Once the war was over though, production of these manufactured ornaments was again popular. This introduction of manufacturing has all but replaced the handmade glass ornaments of yesteryear. You may be able to find some occasionally at a Christmas fair, but they may not be made of glass. The colours today can be vivid or very clear such as the ones that look like a piece of ice dripping from a roof. You may find that they are painted and then decorated with glitter or other items. The shapes of today’s glass ornaments are also more intricate than in the early years. You can find them designed with organisations logos, occupations and every type of animal you can imagine.
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