The History of Tinsel

Precious metals - gold, silver, chrome, copper - have always figured prominently in our Christmas celebrations around the world.  From ornaments, decorations, tableware, and Christmas gifts, precious metals and metal plating have become a part of the "look" of Christmas.  But nothing says "Christmas" like a tree decorated with those silvery or gold strands of tinsel.

Where did tinsel come from?  Who came up with the idea of decorating our Christmas trees with strands designed to mimic the glowing effect of icicles? To trace the origins of tinsel we have to go all the way back 400+ years to Europe in the 1600's.

Tinsel was invented in Nuremberg, Germany around 1610. Tinsel was originally made from extruded strands of silver. Because silver tarnishes quickly, other shiny metals were substituted. Before the 16th century, tinsel was used for adorning sculptures rather than Christmas trees. It was added to Christmas trees to enhance the flickering of the candles on the tree. Some say tinsel was used to represent the starry sky over a Nativity scene, but the main thought has always been that it was to mimic snow and ice-covered trees that reflected moonlight or fire.

By the early 20th century, manufacturing advances allowed cheap aluminum-based tinsel, and until World War I, France was the world leader in its manufacture. Production was curtailed during the First World War as a result of wartime demand for copper.

During the 1950s, tinsel and tinsel garlands were so popular that they frequently were used more than Christmas lights, as tinsel was much less of a fire hazard than lights were for the then-popular aluminum Christmas trees, which were made from flammable aluminized paper.

Lead foil was a popular material for tinsel manufacture for several decades of the 20th century. Unlike silver, lead tinsel did not tarnish, so it retained its shine. However, use of lead tinsel was phased out after the 1960s due to concern that it exposed children to a risk of lead poisoning.  In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded in August 1971 that lead tinsel caused an unnecessary risk to children, and convinced manufacturers and importers to voluntarily stop producing or importing lead tinsel after January 1, 1972. The FDA did not actually ban the product because the agency did not have the evidence needed to declare lead tinsel a "health hazard."

Today, tinsel is made from plastic and comes in many colors, ropes, or strands, but it still reflects the original thought of tinsel's inventors -  using the shiny precious metal to enhance the look of the Christmas tree.



If you would like to enhance the look of something precious to you, please give us a call to consult on how we can use our metal plating processes and custom finishes to best effect.  The number to call is: (323) 732-9147.