Ornament - Ceramic - Tuscany Tree

There are many stories surrounding the origins of what we now consider the "Christmas tree". Some believe the tradition began with Martin Luther. It was around 1500 and he was out of an evening walk through snowy woods when he came upon a cluster of little evergreen trees. Their dark green, snow-covered branches sparkled like diamonds in the moonlight. Once he got back home, he was inspired to bring that beauty into his home. So, he cut a small fir tree and decorated it with candles in honour of Christ's birth. This tradition was rather slow to catch on. It was not until the 1900's that Christmas trees began showing up in homes on a more regular basis. It was the Great Depression that gave birth to modern Christmas tree farms. Landscaping was a luxury and evergreens, like everything else, just weren't selling. It was these landscape nurseries that came up with the idea of cutting the trees and selling them for Christmas. It's interesting to note that folks that would NOT have spent the money to have an evergreen planted in their yard willingly paid for the cut trees in celebration of the birth of Christ. Of course, over time, candles (which had to have been extremely dangerous) gave way to strings of multicolored Christmas lights. Each country and every religion that celebrates Christmas added another element to the tree: icicles, garland, ornaments of all shapes and sizes. This gorgeous, computer-generated design pays homage to the beautiful colours of Tuscany and the Napa and Sonoma Valleys of California. Deep purples that border on black; burgundies and maroons; golds and greens and blushing pinks all come together in this vibrant tree and star design. Swirling lines and pearly garlands add graceful elegance to this lovely tree and ornament. A beautiful addition to your holiday tree, it also makes a gorgeous, decorative addition to your Christmas gift bags and baskets.