Episode 7 - Lights, Ornaments, Tree Toppers, Oh My !

The ‘modern’ Christmas tree tradition is thought to have originated in 16th century Germany, where small evergreen trees were decorated with the likes of candles, apples, nuts, and berries as “Paradise trees” in church plays. Over time, devout Christians integrated these decorated trees into their homes during the holiday season. The tradition, which became a Christian ritual, began to spread across Europe. Christmas lights have come a long way since their inception in the 17th century. ... The tradition of lighting the tree with small candles dates back to the 17th century and originated in Germany before spreading to Eastern Europe. The small candles were attached to the tree branches with pins or melted wax. The history of the angel tree topper goes back to the Victorian era in the mid-1800s, when Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert were credited with bringing the first Christmas tree to Windsor Castle − decorating the tree with angels, tinsels, silver wire ornaments, candles, and small beads