| Bird's nest ornaments are symbols of good luck. Legend has it that prosperity wilol come to any home that finds a bird's nest nestled among the branches of the fmaily's Christmas tree. As a promise of this good fortune, glassblowers produced exquisite ornaments replicating this symbol. Considered synonymous with home, happiness, and joy, birds and their nests can be found on every traditional German Christmas tree. Cottages, nestled in quaint little villages in the mountains and forests of Germany, represent the heritage and culture of the glassblowers. The unique architecture of each village was a source of great pride as cottage styles often varied greatly. Glassblowers frequently created images that reflected their day-to-day lives. Therefore cottage ornaments were proudly styled after the humble homes in which the artisans lived and worked, as well as after the fanciful gingerbread houses families made during the Christmas season. Mushrooms have long been good luck symbols in the Germanculture. Found in the beautiful forests of Europe, mushrooms are closely associated with nature and the beauty and mystery of the forest. Finding a mushroom in the woods was like finding a lucky penny - good fortune was just around the corner! Additionally, discovering a double mushroom was considered to be even more lucky. It is said that every Christmas tree in Germany proudly displays at least one mushrrom ornament in honor of the people's reverence for nature and hopes for good luck in the coming year. Red Riding Hood represents family values and the doctrine that children should obey their parents and remain wary of strangers. the German fable of Little Red Riding Hood was first recorded by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm, widely known as the Brothers Grimm. According to the tale, Little Red Riding Hood always wore a red velvet hood sewn by her grandmother when she went outside. On an errand for her mother, Little Red Riding Hood disobeyed her mother and left the main path she was to follow. The big bad wolf swiftly spotted the errant girl and led her astray. Just as she was about to be swallowed by the wolf, she was rescued by a brave hunter passing by in the forest. To remind children of this beloved fairy tale, glassblowers created the popular Red Riding Hood glass ornament. Ladybugs, or ladybug beetles, received their name centuries ago in Europe. Farmers were experiencing serious problems with aphids which were sucking the juices from their grape vines. The farmers prayed for help, and soon thousands of little red beetles appeared and ate the aphidsl. The farmers truly believed their prayers had been answered and named the helpful beetles in honor of Mary (Jesus' mother) who was also known as "Our Lady". In Germany, ladybugs are called Marienkafer, Marien for Mary and Kafer for beetle. Due to its helpful nature, the ladybug is considered a good luck symbol in Germany. Chimney Sweeps, dressed in the traditional garb of their profession, are an enchanting sight for all to see. German folklore tells us that to be touched by a chimney sweep will bring you good luck. To most, receiving a lingering black sooty smudghe is a small price to pay for a bit of his good fortune. The gloass chiumney sweep ornament brings providence and fortune to those who hang it on their Christmas tree during the holidays. Star ornaments originated as a symbol of guidance and faith, representing the Star of Bethlehem which led the Magi to the manger where Christ was born. Brilliant stars are frequently placed above a creche (manger scene) or atop the Christmas tree as part of cherished family traditions. German glassblowers have created star ornaments for centuries as dazzling reminders fo the significant role stars have played in Christmas traditions, representing the true magic of the heavens. Angels are thought to be intermediaries of God and our link to the kingdom of heaven. Symbolizing purity, peace and love, angels represent a comforting presence for all of us. It is said they brought us news of peace through the coming of the Christ child, a gift from God for all people on Earth. Angels have always been an integral part of Christmas traditions worldwide. Gladdblowers often created angel forms withe the sweet cherubic faces fo their daughters, depicting their vision of these heavenly figures. Devils with red faces, horns and tails often played a significant role in early German Christmas celebrations. "Paradise plays" performed during the holiday season in medieval times depicted life and death, the Garden of Eden, and good and evil. Devil heads were an important part of early Christian celebrations of Christmas to remind revelers of the consequences of living an unholy life. In some parts of Germany and Austria, St. Nicholas characters were accompanied by a figure of a devil, called Krampus. His purpose was to punish children who had misb ehaved during the year. This ornament is symbolic of the devil figure common to early Christmas festivals, and the antique mold for the Devil head ornament is believed to be one of the earliest molds made. Clowns represent the merry, jesting nature of the German people. The 500,000 clown ornament was inspired by the runaway inflation in Germany following World War I and the significant loss of value of the German currency, the mark. Satirists of the time said that 500,000 German marks were needed to buy a loaf of bread! The 500,000 Clown ornament was created to denote this difficult time in German history. As bakers throughout the region had their own insignia, glassblowers added agold medallion on the front of the ornament to reflect the baker's emblem. Liberty Bell ornaments are the most patriotic of Christmas decorations. Patriotic ornaments exquisitely painted in red, white and blue, were among the most popular glass tree decorations in America at the turn of the century. Patriotic bells symbolized the joyful celebration of the end of World War I. German glassblowers used their artistic talents and traditional molds to create many wonderful shapes and designs exclusively to appeal to the American family during this time of great national pride. In 1926, the Liberty Bell ornament was designed to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Delicately molded into the side of the ornament is the inscription "1776-1926", representing one hundred and fifty years of freedom. Apples were the traditional Christian symbol of temptation, apple ornaments were hung on evergreen trees during the presentation of the Paradise plays of the Christmas season in medieval times throughout Europe. Trees laden with apple ornaments were used during the reenactment of the story of Adam and Eve on Christmas Eve, to reinforce the meaning of Christ's birth. Also, an early legend held thaqt if an apple was cut during the holidays and there was a perfect star inside and the seeds were plump, good heath and fortune would be assured during the coming year. As the earliest Christmas trees were adorned with natural fruits and nuts, glassblowers naturally patterened many of their first molds after these items. Carrots have long held a special place in German legend. The glass carrot ornament is truly a decoration that can bring a tear to an old woman's eye. Long ago the glass carrot ornament was very popular in Germany as a traditional gift for brides. It was believed to bring the bride good luck in the kitchen. 'After being lost for many years, the antique mold has resurfaced and German artisans are again creating this treasure for a bride's first Christmas tree. Ears of corn, according to German folklore, were once as long as the corn stalks and yielded five thousend kernels each rather than the six hundred or so found on an ear of forn today. The plentiful corn soon disappeared, though, because man began to take his wealth and blessings for granted. The legend claims that one day a careless woman wasted the beautiful corn and used th e stalk to clean her daughter's dirty dress. Suddenly the corn stalks stopped producing. The people realized their transgressions and began to pray for the corn's resurgence so that at least the birds would be able to eat. Their prayers were answered as ears fo corn returned to the stalks, but in smaller numbers and size. The ear of corn oraments are thus a reminder of the bounty and blessings nature so selflessly gives. Oranges have always been considered a very special treat at Christmas time. Costly and scarce during the winter months many years ago, oranges were highly appreciated and were quite a delicacy. Santa would often leave one of these sweet fruits in the toe of th estocking of good little children as a delightful reward. Oranges werre among the first figural glass ornaments produced reflecting the adornments fo the earliest Christmas trees in their natural splendor. |
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