We do not conceive the festivities December without The Christmas spheres. They may be in the trees or that they are part of the decoration in tables, doors or even hanging from the ceiling, but how and where did this tradition originate?
Although currently we find spheres of all possible shapes, sizes, colors and materials, initially these were fruits, which gradually (and by practicality) were replaced by glass balls and, later plastic, thanks to their ease to produce them.
There is no tree without spheres
While it is true that Christmas spheres can be placed in different spaces to decorate, Its origin comes from the Christmas tree. This tradition is attributed to San Bonifacio de Mantez, the so -called «Apostle of the Germans», who around the seventh century cut an oak and decorated it in honor of Thor, the god of thunder in Nordic mythology, and this was transformed over the years, into the traditional Christmas pine.
Initially, San Bonifacio decorated this tree with apples, which represented temptations. However, today the spheres refer to the gifts that God gave to humanity, according to the Christian faith; For example, wisdom, understanding, piety and strength, among others.
Modern times
The tradition of Christmas spheres resumed years later in Francein a small town called Goetzenbruck, during the twentieth century. It is said that it was there that the balls that adorn Christmas trees were made for the first time. This after suffering a terrible drought where there was no fruit to decorate the trees.
Therefore, a glass blower of that town had the idea of making balls to decorate Christmas trees, trying to imitate the shape of the most common fruit: the apple. He did not imagine that these would become a symbol of the holidays. Unfortunately, the glass spheres were replaced by those made of plastic, around 1960, due to the rise of mass consumerism, since they were much cheaper to produce.