Christmas Balls: Their Origins, History, and Meaning

As Christmas approaches, we all begin to decorate our homes, offices, and even our children’s classrooms. Christmas trees, with their lights, balls, and garlands, are one of the most classic and beautiful Christmas features in the world, which is why we want you to understand its meaning and origin a little better.

Have you ever wondered about the significance of Christmas balls? We’ll explain why we hang the colored balls on the tree, where the custom originated, and what each of the chosen colors means in this article.

What is the Origin of the Christmas Balls or Spheres

Christmas Balls

Christmas balls are one of the most basic aspects of any festive tree and home, but few people are aware of their origins or why we keep them in our dining rooms and offices.

Christmas trees were originally decked with red apples, a fruit that represents original sin and the temptations of Adam and Eve, as well as candles to symbolize Christ’s light. However, this was not the safest option because the apples were rotted and the candles posed a risk. As a result, fruits have gradually been replaced by the now-famous Christmas balls, glass, plastic, and other materials that go together with the tree lights and other Christmas garlands.

However, there is another factor that caused this shift: in 1858, a severe drought struck the north of France, preventing the growth of apples necessary to decorate the Christmas pines. As a result, a glass manufacturer in the area created red glass spheres to imitate apples and therefore replace them. With the advent of industrialization, it became possible to mass produce decorated Christmas spheres, which, in addition to being better preserved and reused, resulted in an extension of Christmas decorating patterns.

What do the Christmas Balls Mean

Christmas Balls

The Christmas spheres have a deeper purpose than just adding color and liveliness to our tree. As the story goes, during the Middle Ages, Christianity attempted to penetrate the territories of Central Europe and the people who still worshipped Nordic gods.

During the conquest, the German apostle Bonifacio was in charge of adapting various pagan rituals, one of which was the mid-December adornment of ash trees. He intended to adapt this ritual to a Christian form, so he replaced the ash tree with a pine (a tree that symbolizes eternal life and the Holy Trinity due to its shape) and placed the apples on it as a sign of Adam and Eve’s original sin. Glass spheres have gradually replaced apples as a sign of one thing or another, depending on their color.

As a result, we might say that these Christmas decorations represent some of God’s gifts to men, such as intelligence, understanding, piety, and strength. Following that, we’ll look at how the hue of these Christmas decorations might indicate one meaning or another.

Meaning of the Colors of the Christmas Balls

If you’re seeking for the perfect Christmas tree decoration, these bright bolls are an obvious choice. However, you should realize that your tree can be much more personalized than you think, because the colors of the Christmas balls you choose will have different symbolisms and can communicate a unique message, depending on the colors you choose.

We’ll go over the various meanings that each sphere might have, which will undoubtedly aid you in determining and selecting the greatest Christmas garlands.