Where Did Tinsel Come From?

In my research on tinsel I have come up with some interesting findings. When searching on the internet I found that tinsel dates back to 1610 in Germany. Further research has found that it dates back to France in the 1500's. At that time there was a 'secret' way of making tinsel that was called lamè. In those days it was not used on Christmas trees but as decoration on soldiers' uniforms.

Lamè was made by pulling copper wire through very small holes until the wire became as fine as human hair. It was then flattened by heavy rollers. Despite every attempt by French lamè-makers to preserve their secret, it soon leaked out to Germany, where it was used as the Christmas tree decoration we know as tinsel.

Tinsel was used in Germany around 1610. Machines were invented that pulled silver out into wafer thin strips that was used as tinsel. The silver was found to tarnish with candle light. Attempts were made to use a mixture of lead and tin, this was heavy and tended to break under its own weight so was not so practical.
In 1878 artisans from Nuremberg made thin strips of silver foil that could be strewn over the tree's branches like icicles. They called them engelshaar, which means 'angels' hair’; we know them today as tinsel.

Right up to the twentieth century silver was still in use as tinsel…