The Cottagecore and Grannycore aesthetic has become increasingly popular in recent years. For some, the look is all about nostalgia for simpler times. For others, it’s more about embracing a sustainable lifestyle that doesn’t care about every new thing on the market.
As part of these trends, people have been actively searching for vintage holiday decorations that suit their overall decor – but this is one situation where it really is better to say “out with the old and in with the new.”
Why? Well, many of those old holiday ornaments and decorations are remarkably unsafe because they contain asbestos.
Asbestos really is the ghost of Christmases past
Artificial Christmas trees weren’t even really a thing until the 1930s, and they didn’t become popular until sometime in the 1980s, so people were understandably concerned about fires caused by overheated lights and ornaments. That made items made from flame-retardant materials, like asbestos, particularly popular.
Those lovely glass globes with the fake snow inside that came from your grandmother’s attic are most likely filled with asbestos. It was once common to even throw asbestos “snow” around toy trains and on trees for the holiday atmosphere. That fact alone means that old ornaments that weren’t even made with asbestos could still be covered in near-invisible fibers from use or storage.
There are tons of people trying to cash in on the popularity of old ornaments right now, selling family collections that date from the 1940s or earlier – but you’re well-advised to steer clear. You don’t want to risk bringing anything dangerous to your family into the house.
Asbestos-related diseases are still affecting many people – some of whom have no idea that they can develop mesothelioma or a similar illness decades after exposure to asbestos. If you’re sick from an asbestos-related disease, it may be time to learn more about what compensation is available.