As you trim your tree this year, you can now wow your friends and family with a fun story about how German Christmas ornaments went viral around the world 200 years ago — before Facebook ...

Glass ornaments had become popular in 1846 when an illustration of Queen Victoria's Christmas tree was printed in a London paper. The royal tree was decorated with glass ornaments from Prince ...

It was once one of over 1,500 manufacturers in this part of Eastern Germany, blowing glass ornaments and painting them by hand. But today, most Christmas decorations are mass-produced in China.

Glass ornaments only really started being produced in the late 19th-century, with a whole range of shapes - including fruits and vegetables - being sold in stores.

What is the tradition of the Christmas pickle? Sometime before Dec. 25, a glass ornament that resembles a pickle is hidden within the branches of a Christmas tree.