Do You Still Put Tinsel On Your Christmas Tree?

When I think back a few decades, I recall the worst part about decorating the Christmas tree...meticulously place individual strands of tinsel on the individual branches the tree.

I was pretty content with just tossing up a handful of the stuff and being happy with where it happened to fall.  Mom didn't agree with my methods.  I think I typically gave up after 8 or 10 strands.  Too boring.

Also, I might add, that this stuff apparently was in short supply, because when it came time to take down the tree, mom would take off each strand and lay it neatly in a flat box and save for next year.

I don't think I've put that stuff on my tree since somewhere in the 80s.  At first I wondered if the stuff even still existed.  Guess what?  It does.  I happened upon a small section at Wal-Mart in the decoration section.

Ever wonder who came up with this stuff?  Well, the Germans invented the Christmas tree back in the early 1600s, and they came up with the tinsel as part of the decoration process.

Originally, it was made of thin strips of silver.  Hey, no skimping over here.  I'm guessing that mostly the well-to-do had this stuff on their trees. Problem was that anytime it got near heat, especially candles, it would easily catch fire or even tarnish and turn black.  Didn't seem very practical, did it?

During my day, it contained lead.  Imagine toddlers putting this stuff in their mouth.  Crazy.

Today the stuff is made mostly of plastic, like just about everything else.

Do you or someone you know still put this on your tree?