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Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Christmas Traditions - Christmas Presents
This tradition is fairly simple to figure out.
The Magi brought gifts, so gift giving must be the way to celebrate.
New Revised Standard Version of Matthew 2:1–12 describes the visit of the Magi in this manner:
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage."
When King Herod heard this, he was frightened and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'"
Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage."
When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.
On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another path.
Since we cannot just give gifts, we must create ways to make the surprise all that much more entertaining. We have gifts delivered by fat, jolly men in red suits, impish little elves and left in stockings, boots, shoes, under the tree and even in the barn.
Some countries open gifts for a number of days, and some countries only open them on Christmas morning. The traditions that surround gift giving and their openings vary from culture to culture.
No matter what day you give your gifts, any one of these gift ideas are wonderful choices for your loved ones to open.
Purple Beaded 3D Irish Crochet Flower Pin – Pendant
Swarovski Violet Crystal Rivoli Earrings, Long Dangle Earrings
Purple Swarovski Crystal Memory Bracelet
Women's High Heel Shoes Christmas Ornament
Wire Kippah Kippot Yarmulke Purple - Silver Beads
Close Up of Ultraviolet Iris Portrait
Knit Turquoise Scarf, Handmade Scarf, Gift for Her
Great Blue Heron Note Card 5x7 Watercolor print
Lavender Purple Brown Dragonfly Earrings, Swarovski Handmade Jewelry
St. Dymphna Rosary Bracelet
Czech Gold-washed Lilac Picasso Heart, Bronze Niobium, Dangle Earrings
Crochet Pillow Sham
Macrame wrap, adjustable clasp, The purple rose bracelet
Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads, Premium Purple EDP Etched Matte 254e
Purple Flower Dangle Earrings with Chains and Swarovski Crystals
In addition to these fantastic gift selections, each of these artists have their own shops filled with more gift ideas, so be sure and stop and shop with each one.
If you see something you like, buy it now or forever lose it as handmade gifts sell out quickly!
Shop from these additional countdowns and pages:
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 1
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 2
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 3
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 4
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 5
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 6
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 7
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 8
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 9
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 10
Christmas Traditions – The Candy Cane
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Carols
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Bells
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Candles
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Lights
Christmas Traditions – The Pickle
Christmas Traditions – The Poinsettia
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Trees
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Cards
Don’t see the perfect gift? Ask an artist to help you design something.
Shop now!
Julie
Friday, November 22, 2019
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Cards
We can thank the U.K. for starting the traditional Christmas card tradition.
In 1843, Sir Henry Cole, who was a senior civil servant, set up what would become known in later years as the Post Office. At the time, it was called the Public Record Office, and Sir Cole was an Assistant Keeper. He pondered the question of how ordinary people could benefit from this office of records.
He pooled his ponderance with the artistic talents of John Horsely, and they designed the very first Christmas card. Capitalism being what it is, they sold the cards for a shilling apiece, which comes out to a eight cents in today’s money.
This image is of the first Christmas card, and it depicts the poor being helped in the outer panels and the center panel gave us a glimpse of a traditional Christmas dinner with all of the trimmings and all of the family members.
Even before Twitter, someone was offended by the image and expressed outrage publicly. It shows a small child partaking in a sip of wine. There were only 1,000 of these cards printed and sold, so you can imagine the worth they have to a collector today.
As people began to use the new postal system, the idea of Christmas cards soon became popular among the masses. Since the original postal system was expensive, only rich people could afford to send mail or cards, but thanks to the help from Sir Cole, the Penny Post was created. That was for the rest of us to use.
The Penny Post (the price of a stamp) was made possible by the invention of the railways, which allowed the mail to move at a lower price than the traditional horse and wagon. The half-penny card could be sent cheaper since the envelope was unsealed.
In 1860, the first mass produced Christmas cards were introduced to the public and the post office treated them like post cards and only charged a half penny.
The cards were usually created with nativity scenes, but as those fun loving Victorians came around, the cards began to depict birds like robins, snow scenes that reminded them of past bad winters and other Victorian type art. The postal workers were even called the Robin postmen since they wore red uniforms.
By the 1840, America got in on the act and started to send Christmas cards, but only the wealthy could afford to send cards.
A printer by the name of Louis Prang, who was originally from Germany and worked on the first cards, became the first to mass produce cards in the United States that were affordable for everyone. He liked plants, flowers and children on his cards.
In 1915, John C. Hall and his two brothers started what would become known as Hallmark cards.
The very first personalized Christmas cards were sent from Annie Oakley to her family and friends in the United States. She happened to be in Scotland at Christmas and had cards made that featured her photo on the front. She was wearing tartan.
From there, it became common to create your own Christmas cards. These cards were more fragile than the commercially printed ones, so they were usually hand delivered.
We can thank the Danes for the custom of using seals from charities to close the envelope. They saw the cards as a perfect way to help charities get donations and make the envelopes more colorful. That was a suggestion from a postal employee in the early 1900s, and the first year they sold the seals, the charities sold over four million. From there, it took off across Europe and across the ocean to the United States.
Whether you make your own cards or send commercially produced cards, you are letting loved ones know that you wish them the best for the holiday. Another way to shower them with love and affection is to buy them a handmade gift from talented artists like the ones below:
Bar necklace
Flower Pendant Beaded Crochet Necklace with Earrings
Ford Mustang 8 x 10 Wood Wall Art Portrait Handmade From 3mil Birch plywood
Dark Indigo Blue Swarovski Crystals and Gold Filled Earrings
Chai earrings within a Star of David Charm Jewish Earrings - Blue and White
Crocheted Loden Sweater w Hood Baby Boy Navy Blue 18-24 mo
Knit Hat, Unisex Beanie, Slouchy Hat
Montana Blue Crystal Teardrop and White Pearl
Exotic Wood, Afzelia Pendant Faceted Agate Beaded Necklace
Dragonfly Earrings, Pewter Swirling Blue Handmade Jewelry Gift Women
Cobalt Blue Earrings
Navy Blue Pearl And Clear Crystal Beaded Bracelet
Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads, Ink Blue Etched Matte Frosted 058e
Blue and Yellow Flower Handmade polymer clay earrings
In addition to these fantastic gift selections, each of these artists have their own shops filled with more gift ideas, so be sure and stop and shop with each one.
If you see something you like, buy it now or forever lose it as handmade gifts sell out quickly!
Shop from these additional countdowns and pages:
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 1
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 2
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 3
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 4
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 5
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 6
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 7
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 8
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 9
Christmas Traditions – The Candy Cane
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Carols
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Bells
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Candles
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Lights
Christmas Traditions – The Pickle
Christmas Traditions – The Poinsettia
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Trees
Don’t see the perfect gift? Ask an artist to help you design something.
Shop now!
Julie
Friday, November 15, 2019
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Christmas Traditions - Christmas tree
Pagans. Lots of sticks, branches and trees have been incorporated into the celebrations of the winter festivals.
The fir tree in particular has been used by Pagans to decorate their homes during winter solstice.
The Romans used the fir to decorate the temples during the festival of Saturnalia.
Christians associate evergreens with the everlasting life with Jesus.
Thousands of years ago, the tree was drug into the house (where it did NOT belong, I might add), and while they were not always fir trees (cherry, hawthorns, etc), they were usually potted and decorated. At one point, and I do not know why other than to thwart the cats, they were hung upside down from the ceiling.
If you couldn’t afford a tree, you could build a pyramid out of wood and carry that around with you. It was portable enough to go from house to house, and if you remember as we have traveled the world to look at Christmas traditions, some folks still use this pyramid today.
These pyramids may have been modeled after The Paradise Tree that was used in medieval times, when no one could read, as part of the early church’s way of getting people to come to see the play about the birth of Christ.
There are two towns vying for the honor of having the first Christmas tree. Riga, Latvia and Tallinn, Estonia. Both insist that they were first.
These trees were both put into the town square by the Brotherhood of Blackheads, who represented all of the unmarried ship owners, merchants and other eligible bachelors. It is said that they put the trees up and burned them down. But, not until there was drinking, fair maidens dancing and lots of singing. Sounds a lot like many holiday dinners even now!
It is rumored that Martin Luther was the first to bring the traditional Christmas tree into the house, but there is no way to determine who was the first to bring a house inside.
In addition, there are a number of other legends, myths and rumors around the first Christmas tree, but the one thing that we can believe is that the Christmas tree is a tradition that we all have enjoyed whether we had one in our homes or not.
Here are a few other things that you will enjoy, as will anyone on your gift list. Don’t forget that handmade sells out quickly, so buy it when you love it or risk losing it.
In addition to these fantastic gift selections, each of these artists have their own shops filled with more gift ideas, so be sure and stop and shop with each one.
Afghan Christmas Tree Ornament Handmade From Poplar Wood
Christmas Tree Bracelet
Tree of Life Earrings
Knitted Tree Tapestry Laptop Sleeve or Laptop Case
Crocheted Newborn Christmas Maryjanes Headband Antique White Red Silk Rose
Acorn and Pearl Autumn Necklace, Nature-Inspired Handmade Jewelry
Raw Edge Mallee Burl, Exotic Wood Earrings
Oliver Finds His Christmas Tree Sticker
Wire Wrapped Pendant, Heart Shape, Gift for Women
Fiber art, knit scarf, woman size, alpaca fiber
Christmas Tree Earrings, Swarovski Crystal Jewelry Holiday Gift Women
Antique Copper and Forest Green Acorn Autumn Handmade Dangle Earrings
Autumn Leaf Earrings, Beaded Leaf Earrings, Leaf Earrings
Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads, Painted Desert
Christmas Snowman, Santa and Snowflake Handmade Charm Bracelets
In addition to these fantastic gift selections, each of these artists have their own shops filled with more gift ideas, so be sure and stop and shop with each one.
If you see something you like, buy it now or forever lose it as handmade gifts sell out quickly!
Shop from these additional countdowns and pages:
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 1
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 2
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 3
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 4
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 5
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 6
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 7
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 8
Christmas Traditions – The Candy Cane
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Carols
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Bells
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Candles
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Lights
Christmas Traditions – The Pickle
Christmas Traditions – The Poinsettia
Don’t see the perfect gift? Ask an artist to help you design something.
Shop now!
Julie
Friday, November 8, 2019
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Christmas Traditions - Poinsettia
Another week, another awesome tall tale!
Well, sort of. Let’s start with the tall tale of how the Poinsettia is associated with Christmas.
The story starts like: Once upon a time. No, no, very specifically at the time of Jesus’ birth. This little Mexican girl had nothing to bring baby Jesus. She felt terrible that she had traveled all the way from Mexico to Bethlehem with no gift, so she picked a handful of weeds. No, no, wait. She was not going to Bethlehem; she was in her own country in front of the pretend baby Jesus on the altar. That’s how it goes.
She took her handful of weeds and placed them in the crib of baby Jesus. They were instantly transformed into red flowers like no one had ever seen before. They were sure it was a divine miracle, so they called her red flowers The Flowers of the Holy Night.
From that point on, the tradition says that the leaves and petals make up the Star of Bethlehem. The red leaves are the blood of Christ and the white leaves are the purity of Jesus.
We get to the truth when we realize that the Poinsettia was introduced to the United States when the then ambassador, Joel Poinsett, sent some of the flowers from Mexico to his greenhouse in South Carolina in 1825. From there, the flower was shown at a flower show by one of his friends. Joel had been sharing the plants with botanical gardens and friends all over The East. One of those folks selling the plants, the Ecke family, are still the biggest producers of Poinsettias today.
The leaves can be used to create purple dye, and the white sap from the plant is now what we use in latex.
These showy flowers are the official flower of Madagascar.
Speaking of showy, here are some very showy handmade gift ideas for your friends and family.
Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads, Light Red Fine Silver Shiny 428gfs
Knitter's Christmas Ornament
Bat Mitzvah Kippah Kippot Headcovering Chapel Cap
Red Rose Wall Art Decor Handmade 8 x 10 Oak Wood Flower
Holly Earrings Heart Charms
Fiesta Red Irish Crochet Heart with Beaded 3D Red Roses
Beaded Bracelet, Quartz and Pearl, Handmade Jewelry
Cinnabar Roses with Vintage Vignette
3 Caladium Variety 5 x 7 Note card Blank Greeting Card Vertical Images Caladium bulbs Flowers
Ruby Red Vintage Rhinestone Earrings w Clear & Garnet Swarovski Crystals
Cherry Red Czech Tile and Creme Superduo Handmade Beadwoven Bracelet
Leather double wrap beaded macrame bracelet, handmade, The red tulip bracelet
Red Coral Black Onyx Bib Necklace, Handmade Chunky Statement Jewelry
Christmas Poinsettia Thimble, Collectible Handmade Holiday
In addition to these fantastic gift selections, each of these artists have their own shops filled with more gift ideas, so be sure and stop and shop with each one.
If you see something you like, buy it now or forever lose it as handmade gifts sell out quickly!
Shop from these additional countdowns and pages:
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 1
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 2
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 3
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 4
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 5
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 6
Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 7
Christmas Traditions – The Candy Cane
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Carols
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Bells
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Candles
Christmas Traditions – Christmas Lights
Christmas Traditions – The Pickle
Don’t see the perfect gift? Ask an artist to help you design something.
Shop now!
Julie