First tinsel for decorating Christmas trees was created with real silver, making it an adornment for the rich

Tinsel is one of many decorations used to enhance the appearance of a Christmas tree.

Today, tinsel can be picked up at a multitude of retailers for a low cost, but it was once far less attainable, as a decoration that radiated wealth. 

Modern tinsel is much different from the earliest versions of the decoration. 

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Tinsel is said to have originated in Nuremberg, Germany, around 1610, according to several sources. 

At the time, tinsel was a decoration that could only be attained by those of high financial status, as it was created using thin strands of real silver. 

Christmas trees with tinsel glistened as they reflected candlelight. 

Through the years, silver was swapped for other less-expensive metals like copper, tin, aluminum and lead, according to the BBC.

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The production of lead tinsel was halted in the early 1970s, according to History.com, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised that manufacturers instead use plastic.

Today’s tinsel is not made of shredded silver but, instead, is manufactured using shredded polyvinyl chloride, also known as PVC. 

Tinsel does still come in shiny silver, but other colors as well, including classic Christmas shades like red and green. 

Today, there are even small and full-sized tinsel Christmas trees that can be purchased in colors such as silver, gold and even pink. 

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While Christmas trees today can be spotted draped in tinsel, the product is far from the most popular one used to decorate festive firs. 

The most popular way to decorate a tree in 2024 is with classic ornaments, according to a Statista survey conducted from October to November. It was found that 71% of people decorate their trees with ornaments. 

Lights, Christmas tree balls and candy canes were also found to be popularly used to decorate trees, according to Statista. 

Thirty-eight percent of people decorate their tree with self-made decorations, while 32% use ribbons, according to Statista. 

It was found that 30% of people still use tinsel to decorate their tree.