(Christmas Carnivals) According to the historical records in the History of Christmas Tree Ornaments, the custom of decorating Christmas trees emerged in the early 16th century in Germany. Martin Luther decorated the first Christmas tree with candles to entertain the children. During this time Christmas trees were embellished with wafers, candies, fruits, paper flowers, hard cookies baked in various shapes and tinsels made from tin and silver.
During the 1800's the hand cast glass ornaments became wildly popular. Lauscha in Germany was the hub of glass ornaments production in Germany. Later on silk, wool thread, chenille and stiff spun glass were used in Christmas tree ornaments.
Legend plays an important role in the History of Christmas Ornaments. The popular pickle ornament of the Germans carries with it a wonderful tale. Pickle ornaments are glass ornaments formed in the shape of a pickle. The German parents used it to judge the most intelligent child in the family. The first one to trace the pickle got an additional gift from St. Nicholas.
Christmas trees along with the fanciful ornaments entered England in 1840 through the hands of Queen Victoria and her German Prince Albert. Glass ornaments, decorative beads, paper baskets with sugared almonds and hot air balloons were used for decoration.
Christmas Tree Ornaments reached America around 1880. F.W. Woolworth, an American retailer first sold imported glass ornaments in his shop. Decorations also included cut outs of old magazines, cotton wools and tinsel. The First World War disrupted natural commerce and necessitated the production of cheaper ornaments with new technologies. The introduction of injection plastic molding facilitated to figure tiny miniatures.
In 1973 the American Hallmark Company first launched the Keepsake Christmas Ornaments that revolutionized the History of Christmas Tree Ornaments. Once a collection of decorated glass bells and yarn figures, keepsake ornaments are now found in a wide variety of wood, acryclic, bone china, porcelain and hand made forms.
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