The Legends of Christmas Ornaments
The Glass Bird Ornament
- Birds are considered a universal symbol of happiness and joy and are regarded by many to be a necessity on the Christmas tree. Because bird ornaments were difficult to create, few glassblowing families in Germany specialized in the making of these special pieces. Birds represent messengers of love and are the harbingers of good things to come.
The Glass Cottage Ornament
- Cottages represented the heritage and culture of German glassblowers. The unique architecture of each village was a source of pride as cottage styles often varied greatly. Glassblowers frequently created images that reflected their day - to - day lives. Cottage ornaments were often based on the humble homes in which the artisans lived and worked, as well as after the fanciful gingerbread houses families made during the Christmas season.
The Glass Devil Ornament
- 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 called Krumpus. Krumpus looked very much like the devil and his purpose was to punish girls and boys who had misbehaved 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.
The Glass Apple Ornament
- Apples were the traditional German 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 re-enactment of the story of Adam and Eve on Christmas Eve, to reinforce the meaning of Christ's birth. Also, an early legend held that if an apple was cut during the holidays and there was a perfect star inside and the seeds were plump, good health and fortune would be assured during the coming year. As the earliest Christmas trees were adorned with natural fruits and nuts, glassblowers naturally patterned many of their first molds after these items.
The Glass Orange Ornament
- 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 on of these sweet fruits in the toe of a stocking of good little boys and girls as a delightful reward. Oranges were among the first figural glass ornaments produced.
The Glass Walnut Ornament
-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 without capsizing was promised a long life, and the girl's candle which stood upright the longest would have the best husband. During such celebrations, parents would crack walnuts trusting the nut would not be spoiled; if it was, death was foretold to that person. These traditions were memorialized through the years by the walnut ornament The walnut was one of the first "ornaments" to adorn the earliest Christmas trees.
The Glass Grape Ornament
- Grape ornaments were symbols of friendship. It was also symbolic of sharing a friendly glass of wine.
The Glass Acorn Ornament
. - Acorns have long been thought to be good luck symbols in Germany where oak trees are considered sacred. Acorns are also believed to represent the rebirth of life as witnessed by the coming of the Christ child. Early German Christmas trees were laden with cones, cookies and nuts, most notably the acorn, to commemorate this gift of life and luck. This tradition is celebrated today with the glass acorn ornament.
The Glass Carrot Ornament
- 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.
The Glass Pickle Ornament
- This is probably the ornament which Christmas Days sells more of than any other ornament. Pickle ornaments are a symbol of good luck. They were considered a special decoration by many families in Germany, where the fir tree was decorated on Christmas Eve. It was always the last ornament to be hung on the Christmas tree, with the parents hiding it in the green boughs among the other ornaments. When the children were allowed to view the tree they would begin gleefullly searching for the pickle ornament. Whoever found the pickle ornament first would receive a special present. Unfortunately for the children, as they grew older, the pickles became smaller!
The Tulip Ornament
- Once upon a time a young man was enamored of a beautiful girl. Rumor reached him that his beloved had died. Mounting his horse, he galloped off the edge of a rocky cliff and plunged to his death. As his blood touched the soil, red tulips sprang up all around. Thus, the red tulip became a symbol of eternal love. A tulip offered by a young man to his beloved says " As the redness of this flower, I am on fire with love for you".
The Christmas Tree Ornament
- Fir trees are one of the most widely recognized symbols of the holiday season. The role of the fir tree in mid-winter celebrations dates back to pre-christian times when the tree symbolized nature's triumph over winter's darkness and deathly cold. Christians began using fir trees and other evergreens as a reminder of Christ's everlasting life. The fir tree was also popular because of its paternal nature. Thick fir boughs graciously protected delicate birds, and provided shelter to other animals in the dense Bavarian forests of Germany For more on the history of the Christmas tree click
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There are many traditions inherited and adopted by Americans and the Christmas cookie is another one. The Christmas cookie actually came from the Dutch word koekje, which means "small cake." It was the Pennsylvania Dutch who first introduced holiday cookies to America. The rest of the Europeans continued to bake when they came to the United States introducing many treats that we enjoy today. We can thank Sweden for the spritz cookies topped with sugar crystals, Scotland for their shortbread, Greece for their Baklava and the Russian for their powdered sugar tea cakes. The German cookies, lebkuchen and springerle are favorites. Many of the Christmas cookie recipes we enjoy today came from European countries; each carrying generations of folklore and legend. 
reminding them that the gift-giving time would soon be near. The first known artist to create a Christmas card was John Calcott Horsley, who designed a card for Sir Henry Cole, a London museum director. Sir Henry Cole decided that it would be easier to send pre-made cards than to labor over individual greetings, as he had done as a child. Sir Henry had 1000 cards printed and sold them for one shilling each. At first, only the wealthy could afford them, then later less-expensive printing soon became available. Queen Victoria loved the idea and soon it became quite fashionable. By the 1850s, Christmas cards were a well established tradition. 
The Christmas tree as we know it originated in Germany. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, people in Europe performed miracle or mystery plays in front of cathedrals during the advent season. This was a means to teach the Bible since few people could read the scriptures. The evergreen tree was often used as a prop. Its image lasted in the minds of those attending and influenced the German people to bring trees into their homes at Christmas. The fir tree in the plays represented the tree of life as well as sin, so people first decorated trees with little religious figures on the branches. The Christmas tree spread to America when Hessian soldiers practiced the custom while fighting in the Revolutionary War. Later, the German born Prince Albert and Queen Victoria popularized the custom when they erected the first Christmas tree in Windsor Castle. By the early 20th century, the custom of decorating a Christmas tree was adopted by most Americans of European descent. The tradition of a Christmas tree in
land kissing everyone under the white berries. She then declared that the mistletoe would never again be used as a weapon and said, "All who stand beneath the mistletoe must kiss in friendship and peace." It is said the myth of the mistletoe spread throughout the land, and whenever enemies met under it, they laid down their weapons and declared a truce. There were many beliefs associated with the mistletoe. In ancient times, it was believed to be sacred, to have come from heaven, possessing mystic powers because it grew without roots and never touched the ground. It was also considered as a giver of life and protector against disease and poison. The plant was believed to encourage romance, to bring happiness and good luck, and to promote peace. Despite all these positive beliefs, the English church banned the mistletoe around 1600 because of its pagan superstitions. Some Christians believed that the mistletoe was originally a tree whose wood was used to make the cross on which Christ was crucified. It then shrank from shame into a parasite bush. In the late eighteenth century, people in England began using the mistletoe in their home Christmas decorations. The pagan customs were forgotten and the plant was associated with happiness, peace, and good luck. It was hung in doorways where guests would walk under it providing an opportunity to kiss for no reason!
and generosity throughout the land. He was known to go about on a white horse giving anonymous gifts by night. His traveling clothes were bishop red and he carried a staff. His unselfish acts of kindness spread throughout Europe and the children thought of him as a giver of all good things. When he died on December 6, his remains were taken to Italy and a church was erected in his honor. That day soon became a day of celebration, gift giving, and charity. In the sixteenth century, the celebration of catholic saints was banned and St. Nicholas Day became merged with Christmas celebrations. Although the gift-giving Saint took on a non-religious form, the generous spirit still remained. Eventually, the image of the Saint became a sort of mystical being, known for rewarding the good and punishing the bad. Like so many other traditions in our country, Santa Claus is a product of many different cultures. In Europe, he was depicted as a tall-dignified religious figure riding a white horse through the air. The Dutch immigrants presented Sinterklass (meaning St. Nicholas) to the colonies. Many English-speaking children pronounced this so quickly that it sounded like Santa Claus. The tradition of the Santa Claus or St. Nick in a red suit was brought to us by the Scandinavians. Black Peter, an elf who punished disobedient children, accompanied the German's St. Nick. As Christmas evolved in the United States, new customs were adopted and many old ones were reworked. In North America, Santa Claus eventually developed into a fat, old, kind, generous, man who was neither strict nor religious.
them over the fireplace to dry. Having heard of the family's misfortune, the good saint decided to pay them a visit. Late that night, in the darkness riding his faithful white steed he stopped by their house and saw the stockings through the window. He secretly tossed three bags filled with gold coins down the chimney. The bags fell into the stockings that were hanging by the fire. His kindhearted gift made it possible for all three maidens to marry. A variation of the story is that he tossed the bags threw the window into the stockings. This idea may have accounted for the gifts being delivered to those without chimneys. Through his life, St. Nicholas tried to help others while inspiring them to do the same. Legends of his unselfish giving spread all over Northern Europe. Like so many other traditions in our country, the legends were introduced by immigrants who brought beliefs when they crossed the Atlantic. 
