ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 17, 1995 TAG: 9512180012
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: D1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: ANTIQUES & DESIGNS
SOURCE: KATHY SUE GRIGG
How did the Christmas tree with all the decorations get started?
Well, you may be as surprised as I was when I learned that vegetables like potatoes, corn and turnips were hung on what was called a``paradise tree.''
This dates to the Middle Ages and was used as part of the miracle or mystery plays that related the biblical story of Adam and Eve.
Apples were the main fruit used as decorations for these trees. (I know we use apples today when decorating for Christmas; I thought it was because of the red color.) Then, as there were more families and more trees using, other vegetables started to be used. Even cucumbers were used.
There are recorded accounts of potatoes and beets gilded with gold, along with nuts.
As Christmas decorations became more stable and permanent, the tradition of using real vegetables and fruit didn't come to a complete halt. They were combined with paper, glass, wood and cardboard decorations.
By the 1820s, glass bubbles were introduced.
It's said that the glass blowers would entertain themselves by seeing how large a bubble they could blow.
These bubbles are known as ``kugels.''
They were first hung in windows, then from the ceiling and finally, on the Christmas tree.
There were still alot of vegetable and fruit decorations used but now made of glass. Can you imagine a glass pickle handing from your tree? Well, it was very popular 100 years ago.
I wonder what they would think about our Christmas tree decorations today. It may go something like this: "Those Christmas trees are beautiful will all the lights and such, but where's the pickles?"
LENGTH: Short : 40 linesby CNB