Tinsel is a type of decorative material that mimics the effect of ice, consisting of thin strips of sparkling material attached to a thread. When in long narrow strips not attached to thread, it is called "lametta", and emulates icicles. It was originally a metallic garland for Christmas decoration. The modern production of tinsel typically involves plastic, and is used particularly to decorate

Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen pinophyta, conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, associated with the celebration of Christmas. It may also consist of an artificial tree of similar appearance. The custom was deve ...

s. It may be hung from ceilings or wrapped around statues, lampposts, and so on. Modern tinsel was invented in

Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, in 1610, and was originally made of shredded

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

According to the '' Concise Oxford Dictionary'', the word is from the

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th sparkle".

History

In the 16th-century the word "tinsel" was used for a variety of lightweight fabrics with a metallic effect made with silk and gold and silver thread, including "tinselled satin". These tinsel fabrics were used in elite clothes (regulated by sumptuary law), masque costume, and for heraldic banners and flags. Elizabeth of York bought "tynsell satin" in 1502 and the wardrobe of Margaret Tudor included "tynsen" in 1515. Tinsel and "tilsent" were less costly than cloth of gold. Tinsel was used for a veil or caul worn by Mary I of England at her coronation in 1553. Silver tinsel fabric, described in Italian as ''tocca d'argento'', was used for the sails of mechanical ships at a masque at the wedding of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Francis, Dauphin of France in April 1558. Modern tinsel was invented in

around 1610. Tinsel was originally made from extruded strands of

. Because silver tarnishes quickly, other shiny metals were substituted. Before the 19th century, tinsel was used for adorning sculptures rather than Christmas trees. It was added to Christmas trees to enhance the flickering of the candles on the tree. Tinsel was used to represent the starry sky over a Nativity scene. Weihnachtsbaum und Geschenke 1970er

By the early 20th century, manufacturing advances allowed cheap aluminium-based tinsel, and until

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

was the world leader in its manufacture. Production was curtailed during the First World War as a result of wartime demand for

copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

. During the 1950s, tinsel and tinsel garlands were so popular that they frequently were used more than Christmas lights, as tinsel was much less of a fire hazard than lights were for the then-popular aluminum Christmas trees, which were made from flammable aluminized paper.

Lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

foil Foil may refer to: Materials * Foil (metal), a quite thin sheet of metal, usually manufactured with a rolling mill machine * Metal leaf, a very thin sheet of decorative metal * Aluminium foil, a type of wrapping for food * Tin foil, metal foil ma ...

was a popular material for tinsel manufacture for several decades of the 20th century. Unlike silver, lead tinsel did not tarnish, so it retained its shine. However, use of lead tinsel was phased out after the 1960s due to concern that it exposed children to a risk of

lead poisoning Lead poisoning, also known as plumbism and saturnism, is a type of metal poisoning caused by lead in the body. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, constipation, headaches, irritability, memory problems, infertility, numbness and paresthesia, t ...

. In the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, the

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...

(FDA) concluded in August 1971 that lead tinsel caused an unnecessary risk to

children A child () is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking ...

, and convinced manufacturers and importers to voluntarily stop producing or importing lead tinsel after January 1, 1972. The FDA did not actually ban the product because the agency did not have the evidence needed to declare lead tinsel a "health hazard." Modern tinsel is typically made from

polyvinyl chloride Polyvinyl chloride (alternatively: poly(vinyl chloride), colloquial: vinyl or polyvinyl; abbreviated: PVC) is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic polymer of plastic (after polyethylene and polypropylene). About 40 million tons of ...

(PVC) film coated with a metallic finish. Coated

mylar BoPET (biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate) is a polyester film made from stretched polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and is used for its high tensile strength, chemical stability, dimensional stability, transparency reflectivity, an ...

film also has been used. These plastic forms of tinsel do not hang as well as tinsel made from heavy metals such as silver and lead.

Figurative use

Germans refer to a row of military Awards and decorations as ''Lametta'' ( German for tinsel), similar to dressing in full regalia or with a high level of formality. The expression was coined earlier to describe the appearance of

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician, aviator, military leader, and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which gov ...

, e.g. in a ''

Chanson A (, ; , ) is generally any Lyrics, lyric-driven French song. The term is most commonly used in English to refer either to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval music, medieval and Renaissance music or to a specific style of ...

'' by Claire Waldoff, ''Rechts Lametta, links Lametta, Und der Bauch wird imma fetta'' (Tinsel on the right, tinsel on the left, and the belly gets fatter and fatter). Humorist Loriot's 1977 film ''Weihnachten bei Hoppenstedts'' about a family Christmas involved a Prussian-educated grandfather humming the ' with "ra-da-buff" and deploring the lack of tinsel („''Früher war mehr Lametta!''“ "There used to be more tinsel!"), thus lamenting the changes in life due to the course of time, has become proverbial.IMDb Title tt0393440 Loriot 14: ''Weihnachten bei Hoppenstedts.''

Other uses

Tinsel prints are two different types of print, where tinsel is added after printing, for decorative effect. The older type is a rare style of German religious woodcut from the early 15th century. The later type is English and 19th-century, especially used for prints of actors in their roles. Tinsel has many traditional uses in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, including decorations on images, garlands for weddings and other ceremonies, and ornamental trappings for horses and elephants. Tinsels of various types are popular materials used in fly tying.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Christmas decorations Christmas in Germany Christmas trees

History

Figurative use

Other uses

See also

References

External links