Among the most common Christmas symbols, there is the famous Christmas tree. And who says Christmas tree, inevitably says Christmas balls. But isn’t it a funny idea to decorate a tree with balls? Where does this tradition come from?
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To identify the origin of the Christmas tree tradition – and his decorations – you don’t have to look very far. “When, by thewinter, drink and huts are stripped of their attractions, my beautiful fir, king of the forests, you keep your finery ”, reminds us of the song. And this is above all what the fir tree represents, in the tradition, the promise that nature will wake up in spring.
At Middle Ages, we also see trees appear on the forecourt of churches, as substitutes for thetree of paradise lost. In the heart of winter, it is indeed difficult to find authentic apple trees bearing leaves and apples. The trees are then quite naturally decorated with apples, hosts or round pastries. And we can already see the link with our Christmas balls.
From apples to Christmas balls
Even if we find written traces of the beginnings of the real establishment of the Christmas tree as a symbol of Christmas long before, it will be necessary to wait for the XIXe century so that France begins to seize it. However, it remains reserved for the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie. And the decorations take the form of ribbons, small objects or even sweets that are hung on the branches.
When the population takes hold of the tradition, apples make a comeback as the main object of tree decoration. The fruit indeed remains of season and cheap. But in 1858, the weather report gets rough and an important drought deprives the Vosges of apples. So, to prevent the Christmas trees from being left without decoration, a glassblower from the Goetzenbruck glassworks made a few glass balls. Red colored balls to recall both the shape and the color apple. Very quickly, tradition sets in and production explodes. Today the plastic has largely replaced glass, but there are still tens of thousands of glass Christmas balls in the Vosges region where they were born.
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