Christmas Ornaments

Christmas ornaments over the years

People in Germany were probably the first to have used and decorated Christmas Trees around the 16th century. Trees were decorated with whatever was at hand – apples, onions, pears, nuts, candy and fruits. In the next century, religious symbols, such as stars and angels were added to the existing food articles. The Christmas tree remained a German tradition until the 1800’s when Victoria, queen of England married Prince Albert of Germany. She then introduced her country to the tradition. Immigrants from Germany and Britain brought the custom to North America in the late 19th century. Here, Christmas ornaments became a symbol of affluence. Bigger Christmas ornaments were for the rich while smaller ones were for the poor.

Transformation of Christmas ornaments

Edible ornaments gave way to German made glass ones in 1800s. The Germans enjoyed a monopoly till the Japanese and the Czechs began manufacturing Christmas ornaments in the early 1900s. By 1939, ornaments began to be mass produced by machines. Since then ornaments have come a long way. Modern Christmas ornaments come in a variety of styles, materials and finishes. People are looking for that something different, which embodies the Christmas spirit but yet is unique and stylish and makes their Christmas tree stand out.

We offer you just that! Take a look at any of the ornaments featured on this page and you will see how different they are from whatever you have ever seen. These artistic, Christmas ornaments, in star and tree shapes, are available in contemporary stainless steel finish and these are sure to make your Christmas tree look just as modern as the rest of your house.

Hi tech Christmas ornaments

New innovations in Christmas ornaments include those with tiny smoke detectors in them to alert homeowners of a tree fire. Then you have ornaments fitted with microchips that play music like Christmas songs and carols. There are also those with 3D holograms on them. Mobile ornaments are yet another exciting type which as the name suggests actually move. So you may have a dancing angel or a jumping Santa adorning your tree.

Christmas ornaments from around the world

Many countries around the world have their own set of traditional ornaments for their Christmas trees:

• Sweden uses straw ornaments and animals on their trees
• The Polish decorate their trees with shiny apples, walnuts, candles and chocolates in silver wrapping.
• Germans still excel in tree decoration. Popular ornaments here are candles and gingerbread men.
• In Nigeria they uses ornaments made from palm trees
• In Brazil since it is summer at Christmas time, tiny bits of cotton are used to look like snow
• The Christian minority in Japan use intricate origami pieces to decorate their trees.

Tips for perfect Christmas tree decoration

• If you want, opt for a theme tree. Choose a theme for your tree and match the decorations and ornaments accordingly
• When decorating the tree, first put on the lights, followed by garlands or tinsel and finally the ornaments.
• The color scheme of the Christmas ornaments should compliment the other decorations around the house.
• Don’t overdo the lights. A one foot tree should have only about 40-50 lights.
• Avoid hanging all ornaments on the tips of the branches. Place some inside your tree to add depth.
• When decorating with glass balls, hang the larger ones at the bottom and smaller ones at the top. This looks aesthetically pleasing.
• Cover the base of your tree with a colorful tree skirt so that the Christmas presents rest on something attractive.
• No tree is complete without a tree topper! It can could be an angel, a snowman, a Christmas star, or even a small toy.

Decorating the Christmas tree with ornaments and decorations is an activity loved by all. It doesn’t matter whether you use home made ornaments or designer ones, what matters is that families still believe in coming together to share love and happiness and to spread the Christmas cheer.