The first Christmas tree is believed to have
been erected in Freiburg, Germany, in 1419 and
decorated with sweets and nuts. By the 16th century,
German church plays featured evergreen trees
festooned with nuts, berries, apples and candles,
a practice which soon came to be replicated in
people's homes across Europe. German settlers in
the United States continued this custom in their
new homes, adorning their trees with popcorn, paper
and metal foil in addition to the usual trimmings.
During the late 16th century, the first known hand-
blown glass ornaments, called baubles, were produced
in Lauscha, Germany. Though these surged in popularity
during the 1800s, they were not seen as a commercially
viable commodity until 1848, when an engraving was
published featuring Queen Victoria and her German
husband, Prince Albert, placing ornaments on a
Christmas tree.
In response, American entrepreneur Frank Winfield
Woolworth began importing lead and glass baubles
from Germany to sell in his eponymous department
stores. These proved to be a massive hit, and over the
ensuing decades ornaments began to be massproduced
in regions such as Japan and Eastern Europe.
Today, these decorations are an integral component
of Christmas celebrations across the globe.
In Australia, the first Christmas was believed to have
been celebrated in 1788 with a service for Governor
Phillips followed by a Christmas supper. By the mid-
1800s when Christmas ornaments and decorating trees
had become popular, Australians used native plants such
as tree ferns, eucalyptus boughs and Christmas bush to
create festive decorations.
Christmas
ORNAMENTS
Pictured here:
Handmade
Christmas
ornaments
16 VIKING
