The Bride's Christmas Tree

Above are ornament types often found on the bride's first Christmas tree in Germany.

       In Germany it is customary to give Christmas ornaments to the bride on her wedding day. Below are the original meanings attached to the traditional ornaments that hang upon the couple's first Christmas tree. The ornaments are most frequently made of glass, however, you could give a selection of these Christmas ornaments made from any number of interesting materials. A young girl might even collect each ornament herself over a longer period of time and store them in a hope chest.

      My husband's mother collected his first ornaments, one per year, every year, until he married. Then these ornaments were boxed up and gifted to me at my wedding shower.

1. Acorn - Resurrection in Christ
2. Angel - messengers from God
3. Apple - reminder to avoid temptations
4. Bell - joyful noise, announcing important news
5. Birds - bring messages of joy
6. Bird Nest - money, fortune, physical wealth
7. Carrot - good luck in the kitchen
8. Church - spiritual family/home
9. Devil - He serves St. Nickolas, according to legend, for one day every year (Christmas) as form of punishment because of his disloyalty to God.
10. Dove - symbol of the Holy Spirit, the third person of The Holy Trinity
11. Fir Tree - Everlasting life through Christ, because it remains green during winter
12. Fish - identity in Christ, provision, Peter finds the tax hidden in a fish
13. Flower Basket - symbolic of hope, it springs eternal
14. Fruit Basket - abundance of good health, harvest
15. Grape Cluster - communion with Christ and other believers
16. Heart - love
17. House - shelter
18. Orange - wealth and prosperity, during many centuries to have oranges in winter months was considered a luxury 
19. Pickle - game, extra gift goes to those who find it on their tree
20. Pine Cone - wisdom
21. Rabbit - fertility, rabbits multiply easily
22. Pink Rose - Virgin Mary
23. Yellow Rose - Friendship
24. Walnut - good fortune, also connected with telling fortunes
25. White Rose - Spiritual Love
26. Saint Nicholas - generosity and goodwill towards others, The Bishop of Myra was an abolitionist
27. Ship - passage through trouble or over troubled waters
28. Star - guiding light, early believers used the night sky to guide them on their journeys, astrologers from the east followed a constellation to find Jesus
29. Teapot - hospitality, offering tea to strangers has ancient roots
30. Tulip - A red tulip means eternal love