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Traditions: Why is Germany Known for Its Christmas Ornaments

If you are looking for unique holiday Ornaments, you can’t do better than to go to a German market. Germans are known for creating finely detailed ornaments that are lovely to look at.

You may wonder, why Germany? What’s up with German crafters that make them so skilled at their craft? This article will provide the origins.

The History of German Decorations

The tradition of decorating the Christmas tree is thought to have originated in 16th century Germany. It was back then that small evergreen trees were decorated with candles, apples, nuts, and berries. In those times they were referred to as Paradise trees.

As time went on, Christians began to include Paradise trees in their home décor. The tradition spread across Europe. It was eventually brought to America by German immigrants in the 18th and 19th century.

It was originally rejected by Puritanical groups who saw it as a pagan tradition. But German settlers continued displaying these trees and, eventually, they caught on.

The decorated Christmas tree became even more popular when Queen Victoria published a picture of herself sitting with her German-born husband Prince Albert and their family around a decorated tree during the holiday season. This established the custom among the wealthy.

German Decorations Become Commercialized

By the 1890’s, Woolworth’s Department store was selling millions of dollars in German imported ornaments that were made of lead and hand-blown glass. As time went on, they became even more artistic with elements like tinsel, silk and wool added in.

Eventually, Germany started seeing competition from Japan and Eastern Europe. Manufacturers in those countries began mass producing ornaments. By the 1930’s over 250,000 ornaments were imported into the United States.

Many of these did not have the fine details of the German Ornaments of old. However, there are still many makers in the country who handcraft ornaments that bear the same charm.

What Sets German Ornaments Apart?

There are certain features that set German ornaments apart. They are often:

• Handcrafted

• Finely detailed

• High quality

• Made from wood

• Have folksy elements

This gives them a certain characteristic that makes them stand out from the pack as highly coveted pieces of art.

Common German ornaments include smokers, pyramids, nutcrackers, incense burners, and figurines.

There are many lovely Christmas ornaments, but a German ornament offers something truly special. They have design elements that few can recreate. Will you be adding one to your holiday design?


Read more of A Christmas Blog or Shop Now at Schmidt Christmas Market



This post first appeared on Schmidt Christmas Market, please read the originial post: here

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Traditions: Why is Germany Known for Its Christmas Ornaments

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