It Is Time To Decorate The Christmas Tree!

This coming weekend, October 13 & 14, I'mornaments brought to America by families
doing my very first craft fair here in St. Louis.emigrating from Germany and England in the
This is going to be a new experience for me. I1840s.
have had a lot of "experiences" in my 46 yearsOrnaments became a big hit. F.W. Woolworth, and
of life, but this will definitely be a new one for me.his Woolworth Stores of five-and-dime fame had
I've had to get my two four-foot tables, try toreluctantly stocked his stores with German-made
configure my display so it is attractive to potentialornaments in 1880. By 1890, he was selling $25
buyers at the fair, figure out and finalized mymillion worth of ornaments at nickel and dime
items to sell, ensure that I have enough inventoryprices.
for the whole weekend. "What if I sell out?" -The ornaments available at that time primarily
wouldn't that be a great problem to have???were German hand-cast lead and hand-blown
I've decided to create hand-lettered calligraphyglass decorations. As time passed, the ornaments
Christmas ornaments, including white gift box andbecame more elaborate - and expensive. Silk and
tissue paper with each order. Need somethingwool thread, chenille and tinsel embellished many
that is quick and easy - something I can do fast,of them. Stiff spun glass appeared as angel and
but looks like a million dollars! Thanks to Julie who Ibutterfly wings; tinsel was used on fancy flower
work with at the office, she recommendbaskets, vases, air balloons and egg zeppelins.
personalized Christmas ornaments. Thank youGermany faced virtually no competition until 1925.
Julie! Thanks to her, I believe she was ontoThen Japan began producing ornaments in large
something.quantities for export to this country.
For many people, decorating their home andCzechoslovakia also entered the field with many
Christmas trees with ornaments is one of thefancy ornaments. By 1935, more then 250 million
most enjoyable ways to capture the magic andChristmas tree ornaments were being imported
excitement of the holidays.to the United States.
Although Christmas trees first appeared inNot until 1939 and the outbreak of World War II
America in the 1700s, the emergence of thedid an American company significantly enter the
modern Christmas tree actually dates back toornament business. Using a machine designed to
15th and 16th century Germany.make light bulbs, Corning engineers produced
Evergreens were used first in church plays atmore than 2,000 ornament balls a minute. And the
Christmas and were hung with apples tomass production of Christmas ornaments was
symbolize a Paradise tree. Paradise trees laterborn!
found their way into homes, where they wereSo, after the craft fair, where they say nearly
adorned with small white wafers, and later, small5,000 screaming women with desires of "I want
pastries cut into stars, angels, hearts and flowers.those" and "Aren't they cute?" phrases heard
During the next 200 years, this custom slowlyabove the crowds, I will have to write a follow-up
spread throughout Germany and Europe.article. I'm sure all 5,000 people will be there . . .
Decorated trees were brought to America bythat is what the Arts & Crafts Fair flyer said
Hessians - German mercenaries - fighting in thewhen I signed up for my booth! And after
Revolutionary War.Sunday afternoon, and selling all 144 of my
Christmas wasn't widely celebrated in the Unitedpersonalized hand-lettered calligraphy Christmas
States until the 1800s, however, because of theornaments, will I say, "Time to decorate the
Puritans' influence. As a result, decorated trees didChristmas tree!
not become widely popular until people saw the