5 facts ABOUT DECORATIONS

1 According to CBS, there are two theories about the origins of Christmas wreaths. One is that they are an “adaptation of the ceremonial wreaths of ancient Greece and Rome.” Another is that they developed from the “advent wreaths of mediaeval German Christians”

2 Edison brilliantly displayed a string of lights outside his workplace, the Menlo Park Laboratory in New Jersey, in 1880. The first people to see them were train passengers riding by the building. It was Edison’s partner, Edward H. Johnson, who took the idea and applied it to Christmas trees.

3 Poinsettias are a truly magical plant, according to one Christmas legend. A Mexican myth tells the tale of a poor young girl who gathered some weeds to give as a gift to Jesus on Christmas Eve at her church. When she laid the weeds down at the nativity scene, they suddenly transformed into a beautiful bouquet of bright red flowers.

4 The modern Christmas tree tradition, though, is believed to have begun in Germany in the 18th century. though many argue that Martin Luther began the tradition in the 16th century.

5 Figural glass Christmas ornaments originated in the small town of Lauscha, Germany in the latter half of the 19th century. The town had long produced fine glassware. The production of Christmas ornaments became a family affair for many people. Some families invested 16 hours a day in production.