Unusual baubles

Styrians’ Christmas trees are becoming increasingly individual

Store manager Alexandra Klampfl in front of Haller's legendary Christmas display on Herrengasse in Graz

(Bild: Juergen Fuchs)

The trend towards unusual Christmas tree baubles has also reached Styria in recent years. The variety of motifs ranges from drums to quad bikes. But where does this trend actually come from? And why are more and more Styrians hanging quirky baubles on their trees? The "Krone" has asked.

Couples in traditional costume and tennis rackets, beluga caviar and irons, Vespa and traffic signs - there is now nothing that is not also available in the form of Christmas tree baubles. "The trend towards unusual tree decorations has been around for a while, but we've noticed an extremely high demand in recent years," says Alexandra Klampfl, store manager at Haller in Herrengasse, Graz. Alongside "Kunst & Kitsch" in Neutorgasse, Haller is one of the pioneers of unusual tree decorations in Styria - but the trend has long since spilled over into all areas of retail.

"Christmas is moving away from its religious core"
Eva Heizmann from Volkskultur Steiermark can name one reason for this: "Christmas is increasingly moving away from its religious core and towards fun, consumption and individuality. This can be seen in trends such as funny Christmas sweaters, but also in Christmas tree decorations, which are becoming more and more individualized and increasingly detached from their traditional meaning."

Doris Meschnigg from the Graz design store MuR

(Bild: Christoph Hartner)

Klampfl can also confirm this analysis: "We have many customers who are specifically looking for a bauble as a gift that relates to the hobbies or interests of the recipient - for example, a golf ball for a golfer, a champagne bottle for a gourmet or a Vespa for a moped fan."

Doris Meschnigg from Graz design store MuR also says: "Customers are looking for something special, something unique - we have baubles made from recycled beer cans, for example, or even the figures from the nativity scene as baubles."

Expensive individualism that people treat themselves to
And as the demand for such unusual baubles continues to grow, producers are getting more and more creative: "There are trade fairs in Germany every year where the trends are presented - this year, for example, birds are very in," says Klampfl. But the high demand also brings problems: "We only have mouth-blown and hand-painted baubles, which are mainly made in Poland. But there are fewer and fewer producers who still master the craft, which is why prices are rising."

But customers are still willing to pay these prices: "A bauble like this is something special that you treat yourself or your loved ones to," says Meschnigg. And Heizmann says: "With such individual baubles, the Christmas tree becomes a reflection of your own life."

Apfel als Vorbild

Seit wann gibt es Christbaumkugeln?

"The most original form of Christmas tree decoration is probably the apple," explains Eva Heizmann from Volkskultur Steiermark. "December 24th is also the name day of Adam and Eve, and back in the Middle Ages there was a so-called paradise play on this day, a folk play depicting the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise. As part of the play, a tree was also hung with an apple as a prop," she explains

Traditional Christmas tree decorations are trendy, but the traditions are often not as old as you might think.

(Bild: steiermark.at/Streibl)

The shape of the apple was also the model for the first glass baubles, which were used for Christmas trees from the middle of the 19th century and first became fashionable among the aristocracy and bourgeoisie. Other motifs soon emerged: "Originally, they all had a connection to the religious significance of Christmas - such as the star, which is reminiscent of the biblical Star of Bethlehem."

Straw stars not as old as we think
Straw decorations are also considered particularly traditional in this country. However, Heizmann recently discovered that they are probably not that old: "They didn't really emerge here until after the Second World War. Before that, there is actually no evidence that straw decorations existed in Styria," she explains. Straw decorations probably originated in the Allgäu in the period between the world wars. "It was a time of poverty, when many people couldn't afford the expensive glass or silver jewelry."

It wasn't until the mid-1960s that straw stars experienced their first hype here: "This shows once again that every tradition, every custom has a beginning and can change at any time if people's needs change."