tinsel

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A standard pack of stanniollametta from 2012
Tinsel on a Christmas tree 1970s
Icicles as a model for tinsel

Tinsel ( diminutive from Italian lama "metal sheet") consists of narrow, thin, glittering metal strips and, like rush gold, is a traditional Christmas decoration for the Christmas tree . Tinsel symbolizes icicles on the Christmas tree.

material

Traditionally, tinfoil is used as the base material , which is melted, poured, rolled and cut into very narrow strips. The name Stanniollametta comes from the Latin name stannum for tin. Stannioll tinsel can contain a portion of lead as a core to increase the weight of the tinsel and thus make it fall. Since lead pollutes the environment, the use of tinsel tinsel has decreased significantly. Instead, tinsel is now mostly made of metalized plastic ( biaxially oriented polyester film , e.g. Mylar ). In the GDR , tinsel made of aluminum foil was also common.

Manufacturer

An important manufacturer in Germany was Eppstein Foils , formerly the Eppsteiner Stanniolfabrik. Lametta production was discontinued at the end of 2013. In December 2015, the last German manufacturer, the company Riffelmacher & Weinberger from Roth in Central Franconia, also stopped production after the amount processed there had dropped from up to 50 tons per year to just a few hundred kilos. According to the manufacturer, the successor products include garlands made of plastic.

Popular culture

In the vernacular the beautiful appearance and the glittering decorated is the Order of the military chest ironically been associated with the term "tinsel". Hermann Göring's penchant for medals and magnificent uniforms brought him a. a. the nickname "Lametta-Heini". In a chanson by Claire Waldoff it says:

"Right tinsel, left tinsel,
And the belly is imma fetta,
And in Prussia he is a master craftsman - he says
Hermann!"

In his sketch Christmas at Hoppenstedts , Loriot had Grandpa Hoppenstedt complain about the changing times with the saying “There used to be more tinsel!”.

Web links

Wiktionary: tinsel  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Announcement from Eppstein Foils: End of lametta production ( Memento from March 17, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  2. Unpopular Christmas decorations - there used to be more tinsel. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , December 17, 2015, accessed on December 17, 2015 .
  3. Prussian Prime Minister since April 11, 1933, National Socialist politician and major war criminal. See: List of winged words: Hermann is called he!