Glass balls: the history of the main Christmas tree ornaments

Winter holidays have always been accompanied by various traditions that make this time of year special. One of the most famous and common is the use of Christmas tree decorations, namely glass balls for Christmas trees.

The first glass balls appeared in medieval Europe. For the first time Christmas trees were decorated in 1605 in France: they were lavishly decorated with nuts, pastries, paper roses, candies, cones and pieces of sugar. This tradition was adopted by the Germans, but the main decoration of their Christmas tree was aromatic apples. Therefore, the origin of New Year's balls is associated with Germany.

It is believed that the first glass ball was blown in a city in Thuringia due to a bad apple harvest. This symbol in the form of a ball became an excellent glass substitute for juicy fruits. Over time, the art of making jewelry developed, and already in the late 1800s in Dresden, glass balls began to be produced, which became popular among high society.

The production of glass balls in Laushutte, a town near Dresden, was also famous for its glass products. Famous craftsmen created unique works that were decorated in various ways. They made glass balls that imitated fruits, flowers, animals and other natural objects.

Over time, production techniques improved, and glass balls became more accessible to the general public. In the 19th century, they became the subject of mass production in the USA, which gave impetus to the further distribution and popularization of this Christmas decoration.

Despite the fact that the production process at large factories has long been automated, the creation of glass balls by masters of the past is still admired. Initially, glassblowers blew molds for future toys from molten glass. Next, you need to "inflate" a thin and light ball from the glass tubes in two minutes. These glass balls were covered with silver on the inside and painted on the outside in different colors. The process ended with the decoration of New Year's decorations. The artists skillfully drew winter patterns, landscapes, fabulous animals and birds, magical flowers, etc. with brushes.

Glass balls for Christmas trees are not only decorations. It is a kind of bridge between the past and the present, which helps to reach particles of warmth and festive mood. Their history is a history of production, art and tradition that makes the winter holidays a special time in people's hearts.