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 Icicle Christmas ornaments have been in use among holiday decorators for over one hundred years, and still remain one of the most elegant styles of decorations. The use of holiday embellishments can be traced back to the seventeenth century and beyond when those who would celebrate the holidays would decorate their trees. They initially started this tradition with using different types of fruits and nuts. This fashion would eventually grow to include streamers, foil decorations, and gingerbread or other hard types of cookies cut into the shape of holiday characters. They would also use cookies in the shapes of various fruits, stars and snowflakes. It is interesting to note that it was these shaped cookie decorations which would eventually lead to the creation of the beautiful glass decorations we see today.
In the nineteenth century Lauscha, Germany was the glass-blowing capital of the world. In 1847 it was one of these skilled craftsmen, Hans Greiner, who would begin making the first glass holiday decorations using his skill. In a field of work known for producing such items as barometers, canes, and marbles, these items were completely new, and so in turn started out with fairly simple shapes. It was not long after experimentation with glass spheres and simple shaped fruit that more intricate designs were developed. These newer more intricate molded glass designs were usually found in shapes of angels, saints, stars, snowflakes, and icicle Christmas ornaments. However, it would not be until the 1880’s with the help of American importer F.W. Woolworth, that these glass enrichments would begin leaving Germany and reaching the shelves of America.
Besides being crafted into beautiful glass, another style of icicle Christmas ornaments was beginning to gain popularity in the 1920’s in North America. This new style was created by using thin foil strips placed together to mimic the icy wonders. Original designs of this decoration were thinly pressed strips of silver, pewter and tin. It was not until later that foil was substituted for the design that would grow to be known as the decoration called tinsel of today. In addition to tinsel and glass, one can also purchase frozen stalactites in the form of acrylic, crystal, lighted tubes, and lighted sculptures.
The acrylic versions are made from the clear or colored plastic which is much more cost effective and more durable than glass. Another advantage of acrylic is how much lighter than glass it is, making these decorations much less strenuous on the boughs of the holiday tree. Crystal and glass icicle Christmas ornaments are the more traditional German style of decorating. The main difference between the two is that crystal is generally heavier, thicker, more expensive, and due to the trace amounts of lead to be found in crystal, when light passes through it undergoes the prism effect and projects a spectrum of beautiful color.
Besides the types that have been mentioned above, there are also several illuminated styles that are available for purchase, such as shaped glass lights and lighted LED tubes to help remind us of the radiance of winter’s morning sun through the ice. No matter if it is crystal, plastic, or brilliantly illuminated with bulbs, perhaps everyone should have their little piece of winter that will not melt, and it can be found in the form of icicle Christmas ornaments.
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