Christmas Traditions - Christmas Bells

The ringing of the church bells signify the beginning of the church day, which begins after sundown in the Catholic and Anglican churches. This makes the Christmas Eve service, the first service of Christmas, start with the bells.

In the United Kingdom, some of the churches ring the largest bell they have four times within the hour before midnight. At the stroke of midnight, every bell they have is then rung as part of the Christmas celebration.

The celebration of the midnight Mass at Christmas goes back to the early days of the Catholic church when they thought that Jesus was born at midnight. The church rings their alter bells along with their steeple bells at midnight to mark the birth of Christ.

The Catholic church is not the only church to have a Christmas Eve midnight service; in fact many other churches have a service for fellowship and to tell the story of Jesus’ birth from the book of Luke.

Bells were a traditional instrument held by carolers during the Victorian period in order to play the tune they were singing. Sometimes it was only the sounds of bells you heard when the carolers came calling. The handbells are still very popular today, and of course, we have the wonderful sounds of the sleigh bells in Jingle Bells.

Bells are happy instruments, and the following gift ideas should make everyone happy!

Handmade woven scarf

Andrea Designs 

White Lotus Flower Crescent Pendant on Textured Silver-plated Chain

KatsAllThat 

Gold & Black Photo Album, Anniversary, Special Occasion Album

Daisyblu 

Shell Pendant Necklace, Real Shell with Glass Pearls, Ribbon Necklace

WyvernDesignsJewelry

Swarovski Golden Shadow Crystal Earrings, Handmade Jewelry

Victorian Style Treasures 

Claim Your Destiny in Black and White

Colleen Cornelius 

Mother Goddess Necklace

Pretty Gonzo 

Survivor Breast Cancer Necklace

Linorstore 

Yellow Flowers Basket Crochet Fiber Art

RSS Designs in Fiber 

Crochet Infant Dress Baby Girl Flower Girl Easter White Dress 6 9 mo

Magdalene Knits 

Crochet Baby Dress, 0-3 Months, Yellow Baby Clothes

Crafting Memories 1 

1954 Chevy Bel Air Wall Hanging Art Clock Handmade From Oak Wood By KevsKrafts

Kevs Krafts 

14k Gold Filled Chain Necklace

The Singing Beader 

Lavender Blue Earrings, Handmade Jewelry Lampwork Rustic Sterling Oval

Shadow Dog Designs 

Handmade Lampwork Glass Beads, Medium Lemon Yellow Shiny Glossy

Covergirl Beads 

Faux Turquoise Nugget Chain Necklace with Swarovski Crystals

Blue Morning Expressions 

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

Christmas Traditions – The Candy Cane

Christmas Traditions – Christmas Carols

Don’t see the perfect gift? Ask an artist to help you design something.
Shop now!
Julie

Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 3

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Christmas Traditions - Christmas Carols

The word carol means dance for joy or sing a song of praise. That is why they were primarily sung on the shortest day of the year, or Winter Solstice, as it is known. Participants danced around stone circles and sang the words of pagan songs. Of course, carols were written and sung during other seasons, but only the Christmas tradition has survived the years.

Once the Christians began incorporating pagan rituals into their celebrations, the songs were changed to reflect songs that Christians felt comfortable singing. This change spurred many a church leader to become singer/songwriters of some of the carols we still sing to this day.

The first carol was sung in 129 titled Angel’s Hymn after a Roman Bishop determined that it should be sung at a Christmas service in Rome. As more and more carols were penned, the church noticed that the people were not having that much fun singing these new songs. Mainly because they were written in Latin and by the Middle Ages, people had had enough of the church.

Once St. Francis of Assisi came along and started his Nativity Plays in 1223, people took notice because his plays consisted of songs that people could sing. The canticles told the story of the play and were in the language of the listener.
As the carols began to spread across Europe, people began to incorporate them into their own festivities.

The very first more modern carol was written in 1410 and told the story of Mary and Jesus meeting people of Bethlehem.

Many of the carols during this time period were based on folk lore and very little was based on the true Christmas story. This made them more of an entertainment that could be sung at home rather than something that would be sung in church. As people traveled, the songs traveled with them.

Once the Puritans were in power in the 1600s, there was no more celebration of any kind. No Christmas celebration and no darn singing in any sort. This just made people hide at home and sing in secret.

The Victorian Era put the carols back into Christmas and people began caroling from home to home. The caroling tradition has grown from there, which sparked new carols and more people singing about the season.

Another thing to sing about are these great gift ideas from artists and crafters. Anyone who is the recipient of these handmade gifts is sure to sing for joy.

Handmade Irish Crochet Art Personal Accessory

RSS Designs in Fiber 

Crochet & Knit Green Bath Set

Crafting Memories 1 

Handmade woven scarf

Andrea Designs 

Charm Bracelet Sterling Daisy & Heart Charms Swarovski Pearls Crystals

Magdalene Jewels

Green Onyx Gemstone Earrings 22K Bezel Setting w Green Palace Opal & Clear Swarovski Crystals

Magdalene Jewels 

Clover Earrings

Linor Store 

Aqua Fire Agate Gemstone Stretch Bracelet

Covergirl Beads 

Cotton Crochet Trivet and Potholder

Wyvern Designs Home 

Green Aventurine Peach Coral Necklace, Spring Summer Handmade Jewelry

Shadow Dog Designs 

Dragonfly

Colleen Cornelius 

Rescue K9 Dog Free Standing Jigsaw Puzzle

Kevs Krafts 

Emerald Sugar Skull Earrings, Handmade Skull Halloween Jewelry

Victorian Style Treasures 

Beautiful Pink Women's Purse Charm Keychain Beaded Keyring

Blue Morning Expressions 

Mother Goddess Necklace

PrettyGonzo 

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
Christmas Traditions – The Candy Cane

Don’t see the perfect gift? Ask an artist to help you design something.

Shop now!
Julie

Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 2

PLEASE NOTE: There are TWO countdowns on this post. One ended too soon, and because I could not edit the original, I had to start a second one. Just treat this one at the top as more of the first post. Share from both posts, please. Thanks!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Christmas Traditions - The Candy Cane

                                                                                  There is a sweet story that has circulated for a number of years regarding the candy cane and how it came to be a part of the Christmas tradition, but that story is simply, well, a story.

In an effort to make the candy cane more symbolic of the season, rumors say that the hook in the cane is a shepherd’s crook (or a J for Jesus, if you turn it upside down), that the stripes are for purity and the blood of Christ, and that the flavor is a nod to the hyssop plant for purification.

These symbolic goodies were all added well after the fact that the candy cane had become steeped in our Christmas traditions.

The truth is that the candy cane as we know it started
as a sugar stick in 1837 in Massachusetts. It was a simple white stick and several years later, the red stripes were added.

They were first introduced during the Christmas season in 1874, and they did not gain their peppermint flavor until later. They also got their crook much later.
Bob’s Candies (now known as Bobs Candies where those awesome soft, peppermint candies come from) was the first to produce the candy canes we know today.

In 1920, Bob started making peppermint sticks, and his brother-in-law, a Catholic priest, invented a little device (the Keller Machine) that put a hook on the end of the candy. Those were the first candy canes that look like our common candy canes and became a solid part of our Christmas traditions.

The boxes of candy canes that we buy are still made by Bobs Candies, which is now a division of Farley and Sathers, and those wonderful soft peppermints and hookless sticks are a common impulse buy in every Cracker Barrel in the country. I am a fool for those darn things.

While the symbolic story is more interesting, we did come by peppermint candy canes in a much more mundane way. Either way, the candy cane is here to stay and a fun tradition that young and old enjoy.

In addition to stuffing the stockings with wonderful candy canes, here are some more sweet gift ideas that are sure to please.

Beaded macramé bracelet, adjustable clasp

Andrea Designs

Fiesta Red Irish Crochet Heart with Beaded 3D Red Roses

RSS Designs in Fiber 

Blood Red Crystal Earrings

The Singing Beader 

Sacred Heart of Jesus Chaplet Rosary Bracelet

PrettyGonzo 

Greeting Card, Wedding Card

Daisyblu

Swarovski Red Pearl Crystal Silver Bracelet - Handmade Jewelry

Victorian Style Treasures

Viking Chain Earrings, Hoop Jewelry, Gift for Her

MorganJewelryDesign

Magic Spell of Christmas - Chair by Fireplace

Colleen Cornelius

Coiled Rope Basket

WyvernDesignsHome

Christmas Gingerbread Dog Tag Necklace with Polymer Clay in Red and Green

Blue Morning Expressions 

Handmade Large Hole Lampwork Beads

Covergirl Beads

Swarovski Santa Earrings, Christmas Red Handmade Holiday Jewelry Gift

Shadow Dog Designs 

Red and White Superduo Snakeskin Beadwoven Handmade Cuff Bracelet

KatsAllThat 

Candy Cane Christmas Ornament

Kevs Krafts 

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!

Don’t see the perfect gift? Ask an artist to help you design something.

Shop now!

Julie

Countdown to Christmas 2019 Week 1

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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