The Shadow
Tinsel, a bright decorative material attached to a thread that appears to be strands of ice that sparkles, has been used to decorate Christmas trees to reflect the flickering of candles for centuries.
The material from which tinsel was first made was extruded strands of silver, dating back to the 1600s when it was used as metallic garlands for statues. Originally made of silver, a metal that soon tarnishes, tinsel and its composition has changed over the years.
Because of the tarnishing of silver which soon dulled the tinsel, other metals were substituted to replace silver, and those who made tinsel changed their way of producing it. Currently, tinsel is made from plastic.
For centuries tinsel had been made from lead, and during the 1970s the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) made public the fact that most tinsel was being made from lead.
Because lead is toxic to humans, lead poisoning can attack one’s body systems. It is especially dangerous to small children, and lead can cause seizures, comas and death.
The FDA issued a warning in 1972 against the use of tinsel on Christmas trees, causing tinsel to virtually disappear for decades. However, the reflective décor composed of plastic has made a comeback due to its glitzy strands that no longer contain lead.
A danger remains concerning the use of tinsel for Christmas decorations in that small children and pets may be prone to swallowing tinsel and choking on it.
For those who choose to decorate with tinsel, “Kid’s Health” recommends that tinsel be kept away from babies and toddlers. Common sense should tell those with pets and small children in their homes to only decorate with tinsel in high places such as mantles or stairway railings.
Until World War I, France was the leading manufacturer of tinsel, but the shortage of cooper during wartime changed that dynamic.
By the 1950s, tinsel and tinsel garlands in the U.S. were often used to replace Christmas trees, reducing the fire hazard that had been created by the manufacturing of aluminum Christmas trees constructed from aluminized paper that was flammable.
The word, “tinsel,” is derived from the French word, “estincele,” meaning “sparkle.” Little wonder that Hollywood eventually was dubbed “Tinseltown” due to its glitz, glamor and bright lights utilized in the filming of movies.
