| Ornament Legends, continuted |
| Tomatoes, were originally thought to be poison by some cultures. Even so, the tomato's popularity flourished because gardeners prized it as a fast-growing legume that would rapidly cover arbors, and outbuildings. In the 1840's the Germans declared the tomato suitable to eat. With the tomato's red and green Christmas colors, it seemed only natural that the early mold makers would create a mold for this festive vegetable. Grape ornaments were symbols of friendship. Not only was the giving of a grape ornament a German pledge of friendship, it was also symbolic of sharing a friendly glass of wine. The German countryside was dotted with vinyards nestled among the steep hillsides. Young men carefully made their way along curving little cobblestone paths in search of vine-ripened grapes. The grapes were later shared with friends in the form of wines. Pickle ornaments were considered a special decoration by many families in Germany where the fir tree was decorated on Christmas Eve. The pickle was always the last ornament to be hung onthe Christmas tree, with the parents hiding it in the branches among the other ornaments. When the children were allowed to view the tree for the first time, they would begin gleefully searching for the pickle ornament. Whoever found that special ornament first, would receive an extra little gift left by St. Nicholas for being the most observant child. Acorns have long been thoutght to be good luck symbols in Germany where oak trees are considered sacred. The German saying "from little acorns come mighty oaks" depicts the protective nature of a mother's belief that when one provides nurturing and care, one can anticipate great results. Acorns are also believed by the German people to represent the rebirth of life as witnessed through the coming of the Christ child. Early German Christmas trees were full of cones, cookies and nuts, most notably the acorn, to commemorate this gift of life and luck. This tradition is still celebrated today with the glass acorn ornament. Pine Cones were natural decorations that grew on fir and pine trees, so they wee naturally among the first molded glass ornaments produced. Cones were believed to be symbols of motherhood and fertility. An old legend surrounding cones offered additional symbolism: "One winter's day, a poor old woman and her family went out to gather cones on the mountainside to use for fuel. Suddenly an obliging little elf appeared from under an evergreen tree and directed them to where the best cones could be found. As the baskets were filled, they grew increasingly heavy, until the old woman and her children could hardly carry them. But suddenly to their delight, their burdens lightened when they discovered that every cone they had selected had magically turned to silver. Fir/Pine Trees are one of the most widely recognized symbols of the holiday season., The role of the fir/pine tree in mid-winter celebrations dates back to pre-Christian times when the tree symbolized nature's triumph over winter's darkness and cold. People began using fir trees and other evergreens as a reminder of Christ's gift of everlasting life. The fir/pine tree was also popular because of it's paternal nature. Thick fir/pine tree branches protected birds, and provided shelter to other animals in the Bavarian forests of Germany. Holly, with its red berries, dark glossy green leaves, and thorny tips was a symbol of life in the bleak chill of winter. The bright colors of the holly made it a natural symbol of rebirth and life in the winter whiteness of Northern Europe. In late December, German villagers would traditionally place holly around the interior of their dwellings to ward off bad winter weather and unwanted spirits. In early years, Father Christmas often decorated his hood with holly, which represented the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when he was crucified, and the red berries were symbolic of the blood shed. The Holly Heart ornament is decorated with colorful sporigs of this beloved Christmas greenery. Pansies are considered to be sentimental flowers, as they have been since Victorian times, symbolizing thoughts and feelings of love. It is believed that Cupid shot an arrow into a pansy, which turned the blossom's pure white to purple and gave the flower great power. Through the ages, pansies heart-shaped leaves were said to cure a broken heart. Tulips symbolized passion, love, and hope according to German tradition. One fo the first signs of spring, the red tulip was a declaration of perfect love. A tulip offered by a young man to his sweetheart revealed his true love: "As the redness of this flower, I am on fire with love." If the suitor offered an apricot tulip, it signified his heart was filled with desire. Rose ornaments on a Christmas tree are believed to be an expression of love and affection. They are also symbolic of beauty. In Germany even the poorest of families usually had a small garden where the beauty of roses and other flowers could be enjoyed and shared with friends. Ornaments in the form of a rose have, since Victorian times, continued to be popular representations of the beauty nature bestows throughout the year. St. Nicholas, according to ancient legend, was known to be a kind, benevolent man and was legendary for performing miracles. St Nicholas was charitable, always ready to help the needy. St. Nicholas was the European equivalent of the American Santa Claus. He was a thin figure, clothed in bishop's robes, who rode into town on a white horse. Cornucopia of Toys ornaments bring to life the joy of Christmas through the eyes of a child. On their first day of school, German children leave home tightly clutching a paper cone full of surprises. This cone-shaped container, called a schultute in German, was lovingly assembled by the child's parents. It was filled with sweets and miniature toys and was meant to diminish any anxiety the youngster might experience while away from home for the first time. The cornucopia of toys ornament represents this comforting gift from parent to child. Santa Claus truly reprents a veritable melting pot of cultures, beliefs and traditins. As immigrants arrived in the New World centuries ago, along with their hopes and dreams for a better future, they brought with them their beliefs and customs surrounding the holidays. The Germans brought their Belsnickel and Christkindl, the Scandinavians their gift-giving elves and the Dutch introduced their Sinterklaas. The American legend of Santa Claus brings a l magical delight, because Santa Claus is the bearer of gifts and treats of children everywhere. Mrs. Santa Claus was originally created simply because the German glassblowers felt that she would be appealing to the American public. There was no demand for a Mrs Santa Claus in Germany because their St. Nicholas was supposed to be a priest (who never marries). Stockings were relatively late additions to the Christmas celebration. The oldest reference to the Christmas Stocking appeared in 1821, in the children's book "A New Year's Presnent" published in New York. It is often forgottren that today's Christmas stocking originally was a gift-bearing rival to the Christmas tree. In fact, the stocking versus the tree debate continued into the first part of the twentieth century when most families began to embrace both customs. Nutcrackers were traditionally dressed as soldiers and kings. In old Germany, it delighted villagers to see these authoritarian figures doing menial tasks such as cracking nuts. A bowl of Christmas nuts was just not complete without a colorful German nutcracker standing at attention nearby. Nutcrackers were especially popular with Germans who coined the phrase, "ott gibt die Nusse aber knacken muss man sie slbst" (God gives the nuts but we have to crack them ourselves.) This was intended to teach children that life was hard but rewarding. This phrase made the nutcracker a favorite toy. Walnuts were frequently part of early Christmas celebrations in Europe that included evenings of games and merrymaking. Tiny candles, stuck in walnut shells, were set afloat in a pan of water. The little boy's candle which burned to the end withoout capsizing was promesed a long life and a girl's candle that burned the longest, would have the best husband. When cracking the nut, if it was bad, it meant death was foretold to that person. These simple traditions were memorialized through the years by the walnut ornament. The ornament also recalled the earliest of all ornaments, the brightly gold-painted walnuts that adorned Christmas trees. |
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