No Christmas tree would be complete without a colorful set of baubles. In one small German town, the tannenbaums are be-decked with a local speciality, mouth-blown glass figures using traditional molds from 80 years ago.

Nestled deep within the southern part of the Thuringian Forest is the worldwide famous glass-blowing town of Lauscha.

The tradition of glass blowing in Lauscha dates back approximately 400 years, when the town was founded. Many items for everyday life, such as ink wells and small bottles were produced here.

As demand for these products faded in the nineteenth century, new products such as glass-blown lamps were developed. Around 150 years ago the glass-blowers started to create glass pearls made into pearl chains and small ornaments, such as fruit cones, for their Christmas trees.

Since then, the number of molds and ornaments has been growing each year.

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