Basis Design

The tiny island of Murano, in Venice, Italy, is home to many of the finest and most respected glass blowing shops in the world. This year, a group of Venetian artisans set out to create the world’s biggest glass Christmas tree.

World's largest collection of hookahs (Credit Vinicio Tullio @ trekearth.com)

The tree, consisting of hundreds of hand-crafted blown glass-tubes lit from within, is truly a wonder. At 7.5 meters tall, it accomplishes the immodest goal of being the biggest glass tree in the world as well.

A few words about the venerable Christmas tree:

Originally (and we’re talking the 15th and 16th century here, doll) the only decorations allowed were roses (they symbolized the virgin Mary) or apples (they symbolized the local populace’s desire to eat apples).

In the 1700s, especially in Germany and Austria, the ornaments became so confectionery-centric that they were called “sugar trees”.

Sears and Roebuck were the producers of the very first artificial Christmas tree, just so you know who to send your angry letters to.

President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Theodore Roosevelt was so shocked, shocked I tell you, at the ever-growing practice of evergreen Christmas tree harvesting that he tried to ban it in America. Luckily his son talked him out of it, but he wasn’t the last Roosevelt to get involved with Christmas trees; years later, Franklin Delano Roosevelt converted part of his acreage into a Christmas tree plantation. Today the Christmas tree industry (about 30 million trees are sold every year) is still going strong. They’re responsible too, according to the National Christmas Tree Association – for every tree sold or cut down, one to three seedlings are planted.

Lord love a Christmas tree, and, as we sign off, let’s not neglect to mention the finest tree ever displayed in America:

Hark, the Herald Nostalgia Sings! (© 1965 United Feature Syndicate Inc.)

Happy Holidays!