Christmas trees throughout the years...the history of the Christmas tree

It is said that in the 16th century small trees were placed on table as Christmas trees.  They would have had "waxed" ornaments, paper flowers, and berries of red to symbolize knowledge.  Small gifts were placed by the table like fruit and candy for the children who were good, and perhaps a switch for the children who were bad.

During the Victorian times (mid to late 1800's) decorations on a tree were a variety of handmade crafts. Young ladies spent hours making Christmas crafts, quilling snowflakes, hearts, and stars, sewing little pouches to hide secret gifts inside, making paper crafts, candy crafts, mini quilts, and tussie muffies (A tussie muffie is a ladies Victorian cloth hankie or lace type of paper wrapped like a cone and filled with flowers.) Small bead decorations were made and added to the tree.  Usually an angel  was placed at the top of the tree. Candles were placed at the ends of the branches and sometimes found in wooden hoops for safety. By the late 1860's small toys were hung on a tree.

Notice the handmade paper craft, woven star, wrapped gift, beads, and Tussie Muffie filled with candy in the Victorian tree below.

In 1890 A F.W. Woolworth brought the glass ornament tradition to the United States. Afraid they wouldn't sell, thinking people would not be interested in "glass" ornaments and they would take away from the "homemade" ornaments, he only bought  2,000.  He sold out in 2 days.

In the late 1950's and early 1960's it was fashionable to have an aluminum tree, usually all in one color, like this one shown in silver.  Usually only balls were put on the tree.  Lights could not be used on this tree because you would get shocked! So a light wheel was used as shown  on the bottom right in the photo.  The wheel rotated and had different color lenses showing your tree changing colors. Vintage...nothing you can't find on eBay!!!

Today, any type of Christmas tree is "fashionable" and people all over the world create and decorate Christmas  trees to meet their own fancy.  This tree is made of white lights and dried flowers.