Lametta made our Christmas tree SHINE!
History of the Christmas Tinsel
Tinsel or Lametta was first used in the 1600′s, and was made from real silver that was pounded flat and cut into thin strips. Since silver tarnishes, tinsel was later made of tin. Today, Lametta is made from shiney plastic. Yes, it’s still quite pretty, but it loses something. Still, I can’t imagine hanging real silver from the Christmas tree. I’m sure that everyone made absolutely certain that EVERY last strand would have been collected after Christmas. (fortunately, the vacuum cleaner hadn’t been invented yet, or someone would be untangling bits from the rollers).
The Beauty of Lametta
The beauty of Lametta… of Tinsel… is most evident on Christmas Eve. My parents would be sure that all the lights in the house are turned off, and candles are lit around the room. Once upon a time the tree would have had real candles on it too, but here in California we had electric lights as a fire precaution.
We kids would be brought into the living room to see the tree. And what an amazing sight it was. Candlelight and the tree lights would flicker against the silver tinsel. The Christmas tree looked MAGICAL!
Then we sang German Christmas songs… ending of course with Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht (Silent Night, Holy Night) while gazing at the the tree, and the mysterious packages underneath it.
Lights would be turned back on, and the spell would be broken. But, the magic of the beautiful Tree stays with me.s…. tinsel was later made of tin. Today, Lametta is made of plastic. And it loses something…. but is still quite pretty. I can’t imagine hanging real silver from the tree… I bet everyone made sure that EVERY last strand was collected after Christmas!
(Keep scrolling to find more links to Lametta below)
How to Hang Tinsel on a Christmas Tree
There is an art to hanging Tinsel on the tree…. use a light hand… only a few strands on each branch end…make sure it hangs down. (And if my mom is supervising… it better be done right! Or you will be doing it over and over again.)
And warning… as you walk by the tree (if your tree is placed on carpet) you will attract it with your clothing . And for weeks after the tree is cleared away… the lametta will still turn up around the house. Like a Christmas memory for your vacuum cleaner!
Now… when the Epiphany rolls around, and it’s time to clear away the Christmas Tree… We do not LEAVE THE CHRISTMAS TREE LAMETTA ON THE TREE! Each strand is to be carefully collected and saved. Line them up straight on a piece of cardboard, and fold it safely away for next year….
Warning!
I recently learned that you should never put the metal Lametta on an artificial Christmas Tree! I really don’t know why…(probably because the metal might touch the metal of the Christmas Tree frame and cause a spark?) but I thought it best to pass the warning along.
Vintage Metal German Lametta
If you want the look you remember from years ago… you have to go with the vintage metal German Lametta.
3 Packs of Alunimum Brillaint Lametta Silver Metal Tinsel/ Icicles for Decorating 60 strands lot # A3
ONE Pack Real German Lead Christmas Tree Tinsel Silver Icicles Vintage Eis Stanniol Lametta 1950s Germany Old Ornaments Weinachts Antique3 Packs of Original Brillaint Lametta Silver Metal Tinsel/ Icicles for Decorating lot # D3Genuine LEAD Metal Tinsel/ Icicles for Decorating from Germany 50-60 strands Brillant EislamettaREAL Old Fashion German Metal Foil Christmas Tree Tinsel Icicles Lametta Vintage1 Pack of Vintage German Tinsel~Heavy Metal Tinsel~Lametta Tinsel~SILVER~ONE Pack per Purchase**ONE Real LEAD Christmas Tree Silver Tinsel Icicles German Germany Antique Vintage Old Stanniol Lametta c 1930s Pre World War II 2 Ornaments
2 Packs German REAL LEAD Christmas Tree TINSEL Silver Antique Foil Icicles Ornaments Decorations Vintage Genuine Metal Foil AntiqueONE Real LEAD Christmas Tree Silver Tinsel Icicles German Germany Antique Vintage Old Stanniol Lametta c 1930s Pre World War II 2 OrnamentsVintage 1940s German Tinsel in Original Package~Metal Tinsel~Orion Eis-Lametta Tinsel~GOLD~**Buy 2 get 1 Free Deal**~1 PACKAGE per PURCHASEVintage German Tinsel in Original Package~Metal Tinsel~Stanniol Gold Lametta Tinsel~GOLD~1 PACKAGE per PURCHASE
New Metal Lametta
The Metal Lametta/ Christmas Tree Tinsel is much more expensive than the plastic, but it hangs better, and is easier to reuse.
The Spider Christmas Tree Legend
The Origins of Christmas Tree Lametta
There is a sweet story about the origins of Christmas Tree Lametta. (It’s a little unclear if this is a German story or Ukrainian story, but when you consider that up until the 1840s, the reach of the German border extended to modern day Ukraine, it’s possible that they share stories).
Once upon a time a poor woman did her best to clean the house and decorate the Christmas tree for her children. In her flurry of cleaning, she banished the spiders to the attic. But, since spiders are notoriously nosy, they crept downstairs after she went to bed. They crawled all over the tree admiring her work. Unfortunately, they left a lot of cobwebs on the tree. When the Christkind came, he saw what had happened… and transformed the spider webs into silver strands that shimmered in candlelight.
German Christmas Spider – Purple
And that is why we have Tinsel or Lametta on the Christmas Tree….
Looking for cute bedtime stories for the kids? These are part of my Story Book Advent Calendar
The Christmas Cobwebs
Cobweb Christmas: The Tradition of Tinsel
Plastic Lametta
Plastic is vastly cheaper than metal, but it doesn’t hang as well.
Northlight 1000ct Silver Tinsel Icicle Strands Christmas Decorations 18BRITE STAR Silver 18-Inch Icicle Tinsel – 2000 StrandsSILVER TREE TINSEL Icicles 6000 Strands 3 BOXES NEW
I like the tin/metallic version better and have been trying to save it each year (found some ancient packages in my mother’s in laws belongings after she passed away)….but always end up loosing some. Will eventually be forced to go to plastic I guess.
True… the plastic isn’t as nice…
But that’s all there is
Still have some lametta since 1956.
My mom would love you!
Growing up, we always called tinsel “rain.” That’s not such a stretch when you consider that rain eventually freezes into icicles. Many members of the family still live in central eastern Pennsylvania, where our ancestors settled prior to the Revolutionary War. I’m hoping to use a live tree this year and break out some of that old rain I’ve been saving.
When I couldn’t find the REAL tinsel anymore I just went to different decorations. Taste changes over the decades: minimal lametta hung each piece separately like real Icycles would form and white candles in silver holders, nothing else. Then in the seventies red candles in gold holders, straw stars and gold painted little pine cones. Then the opulent eighties, Victorian theme , pink candles in gold holders, little straw heads with veils and babies breath and some gold and clear glass balls. Now in the last 30 years I mostly do the same: white candles in gold holders and some tiny white electric lights, silver, gold and clear glass balls and I cut a beaded chain in approximately 8” pieces and hang them all over. BUT ONE THING STAYS THE SAME , ALWAYS, ALWAYS REAL CANDLES ! Always looking for a “Charlie Brown” tree and bargain with the seller down to the minimum. Sometime I have to cut out branches to allow for the candles to have nothing above them!
Candles would be lovely, we just can’t manage here in California… too dry
You know the old lametta had lead in it and was phased out as was poisonous right? It was banned in 1972
Tinsel was never banned in America. The powerful plastics lobby paid off a lot of the politicians who made noises about lead tinsel to give plastic (Mylar) tinsel a boost.
The makers of the better quality, real lead tinsel bowed to the inevitable when faced with beaurocracy and folded. Lead tinsel was / is coated with tin which is inert and harmless and gives it the shiny look. You can handle old “lead” tinsel safely because of the shiny tin coating. You can also buy antique / vintage REAL LEAD tinsel (American or German) on ebay or Etsy. DO NOT BE FOOLED INTO BUYING “VINTAGE TINSEL” which usually just means older packs of sleazy Mylar / plastic tinsel. Words like “Plastic”, “Plasticised” and “lightweight” are tip offs that the contents of the pack are plastic. You want “metal foil” or “real foil” or for German lead tinsel, “Stanniol lametta.” Beautiful REAL LEAD (tin coated) vintage tinsel is readily available. I sell it on Etsy, Ebay and Facebook marketplace. Real lead tinsel is not to be eaten, but then Mylar isn’t healthy to eat either.
Oh, my! How wonderful to have these memories! My last Christmas with my parents was 1970. Daddy used to be the person to put the tinsel on the tree one strand at a time – no clumps! – but we were all tasked with taking it off to save for the following year carefully wrapped around a piece of cardboard. I never thought of it as being a German tradition, but I guess my grandmother who died when I was an infant must have brought it with her when she came to America in 1884. This entire post could have come from my childhood home. Thank you so much for posting it!
I’m so glad you liked it! It’s wonderful how many of us share these memories.