Tinsel

Posted in Reflections on 2nd December 2010

Its name reportedly is derived from the old French word "Estincele" which means sparkle.

Tinsel was was first produced in about 1610, in Nuremberg, Germany. It was originally made from shredded silver, which then decorated the sculptures and Christmas scenes in the houses of the well-off. It was later used to help reflect the candlelight on and around the Christmas tree, however silver was not the ideal material for the festive period. Not only was it expensive, it also tarnished easily and because of this the producers looked at alternatives. One which seemed to fit the bill was "Fools gold", better known as either iron pyrites or iron sulphide. Despite this form of tinsel proving less costly it was still the preserve of the rich and quantities produced were small.

By the early 20th century tinsel was being mass produced using aluminium as a base, being far cheaper the aluminized paper garlands quickly grew in popularity. However, this also came with its own problems, they were quite flammable as the Christmas tree lights that were available back then burned much hotter than those available today.

Today, modern tinsel is made from extruded PVC, and coupled with modern "cool" lighting the problems of one of the world's favourite Christmas decorations seem to have been overcome.

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