Christmas Greetings Internationally.
Christmas Trees and Their History
Our modern Christmas tree tradition probably began in Germany in the 18th century, though some argue that Martin Luther began the tradition in the 16th century. An evergreen fir tree was used to celebrate winter festivals (pagan and Christian) for thousands of years. Nobody is really sure when Fir trees were first used as Christmas trees but it probably began 1000 years ago in Northern Europe. Many early Christmas Trees seem to have been hung upside down from the ceiling using chains.
The English phrase “Christmas tree”, first recorded in 1835, came from the German words Tannenbaum (fir tree) or Weinachtenbaum (Christmas tree). The Christmas tree is often explained as a Christianization of pagan tradition and ritual surrounding the Winter Solstice, which included the use of evergreen boughs, and an adaptation of pagan tree worship. At first, a figure of the Baby Jesus was put on the top of the tree. Over time it changed to an angel or fairy that told the shepherds about Jesus, or a star like the Wisemen saw.
Christian tradition associates the holly tree with the crown of thorns, and says that its leaves were white until stained red by the blood of Christ. Along with a Christmas tree, the interior of homes were decorated with plants, garlands, and evergreen foliage and in Victorian times, Christmas trees were decorated with candles to represent stars.
The early Germans conceived of the world as a great tree whose roots were hidden deep under the earth, but whose top, flourishing in the midst of Walhalla, the old German paradise, nourished the she-goat upon whose milk fallen heroes restored themselves. Yggdnafil was the name of this tree, and its memory was still green long after Christianity had been introduced into Germany, when much of its symbolic character was transferred to the Christmas-tree. At first fitted up during the Twelve Nights in honor of Berchta, the goddess of spring, it was subsequently transferred to the birthday of Christ, who, as the God-man, is become the “resurrection and the life.”
Queen Victoria saw a Christmas tree as a girl in 1832. The little princess wrote excitedly in her diary that her Aunt Sophia had set up two “trees hung with lights and sugar ornaments. All the presents being placed around the tree.” In 1841, Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s German husband, arranged for a fir tree to be brought from Germany and decorated. By 1850, Victoria and Albert had Christmas trees erected in the British Royal Palaces and their children started the tradition of gathering around the tree.
‘The Christmas-tree is doubtless of German origin. Though in its present form it is comparatively of recent date, yet its pagan prototype enjoyed a very high antiquity.’ From 1873 Harper’s Bazaar, America.
A print of the royal family gathered about the Christmas tree at Windsor Castle appeared in the Illustrated London News in 1848, then in Godey’s Lady’s Book in 1850, and was reprinted again ten years later. The six-foot fir sits on a table, each tier laden with a dozen or more lighted wax tapers. An angel with outstretched arms poses at the top. Gilt gingerbread ornaments and tiny baskets filled with sweets hang by ribbons from the branches. Clustered around the base of the tree are dolls and soldiers and toys.
Christmas trees did exist in America before Queen Victoria made them famous, but mainly only amongst migrant groups from Europe. The writer of an 1825 article in The Saturday Evening Post mentions seeing trees in the windows of many houses in Philadelphia, a city with a large German population. He wrote, Their “green boughs laden with fruit, richer than the golden apples of the Hesperides, or the sparkling diamonds that clustered on the branches in the wonderful cave of Aladdin.” Gilded apples and nuts hung from the branches as did marzipan ornaments, sugar cakes, miniature mince pies, spicy cookies cut from molds in the shape of stars, birds, fish, butterflies, and flowers. A woman visiting German friends in Boston in 1832 wrote about their unusual tree hung with gilded eggshell cups filled with candies.
Not until the mid-nineteenth century did Christmas trees start spreading to homes with no known German connection. But once Queen Victoria approved of the custom of a Christmas tree, the practice spread throughout England and America and, to a lesser extent, to other parts of the world, through magazine pictures and articles. Upper-class Victorian Englishmen loved to imitate the royal family, and other nations copied the custom. Late in the century, larger floor-to-ceiling trees replaced the tabletop size.
Light-Hearted look at an Older Lady’s Life In Jane Austen’s Times, or early 1800s. An easy to read overview of what an older lady did, wore, and how she lived in the early 19th Century. Information for history buffs and pictures for readers and writers of historical fiction. Older Lady’s Day, Regency Life Series, Book 5, by Suzi Love. books2read.com/suziloveOLD
The older lady’s day usually started with her toilette in her bedroom, where her maid helped her dress for the day and styled her hair. After that, she would join her family downstairs for breakfast unless she preferred a tray with either tea or hot chocolate in her bedroom as she prepared for her busy day. Her day would be made up of speaking with the housekeeper and the cook about the week’s menus, assuring that the servants were all available that day and no one was ill, and checking the list of foods needed. She would also enquire if the laundry was up to date and that they had enough good linen to make up all the beds before extended family members and guests arrived. If she was in the country and hosting a weekend house party, she would assign rooms to the guests on her lists and query that all was in readiness for their arrival.
1890-1920 ca. Sterling Silver Chatelaine, England. Center Medallion With Portraits, three drops of monogrammed mesh purse, globe-shaped watch and book-shaped case. Via Augusta Auctions – augusta-auction.com
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I love Pinterest for keeping thousands of historical images in some sort of order. And I love using Pinterest Boards as inspiration for my romance books. What about you? Do you use Pinterest for planning something, or just for fun? Need more hints for what to do with your boards and pins? Take a look at these fascinating articles on Pinterest. if you want even more Pinterest information and tips for becoming a power user, check out my Suzi Love Pinterest Boards
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1850 ca. Beaded Crochet Reticule, or Coin Purse. #VictorianFashion #HistoricalFashion #Reticule. http://books2read.com/suziloveReticules
Continue reading →1876 ‘Queen Bess’ Corset By Worcester Company, American. Made of silk, bone, and metal. Named ‘Queen Bess’, this corset was awarded the bronze medal at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876 and was patented in 1877. A well documented piece, it is unique in its design, which has been carefully constructed to support the wearer’s outer garments. The straps would assist in keeping the corset in place and hinder any shifting due to the heavy fabrics, and the bustle roll at back would ease any strain the wearer might experience from the excessive weight of the skirt. Credit Line:Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of E. A. Meister, 1950 Accession Number:2009.300.3496a–e
Corsets 1850-1880 History Notes Book 19 Towards the end of the 1800s, corsets changed to give a fashionable silhouette and be a decorative fashion item. Tight lacing helped give a narrow waist and a feminine form under clothing while decorative corsets became desirable fashion items. Victorian corsets for small waists and fashionable silhouettes. Corsets during the Victorian Era, or late 1800s, tightened to give tiny waists and fashionable silhouettes.
1880s-1890s Bust improvers.In the late Victorian years, the emphasis was on the silhouette so sometimes ‘bust-improvers’ were used to provide extra padding to the bust shape.
The first wedding rings can be traced back to the Ancient Egyptians when they exchanged rings made from braided reeds and hemp. The tradition of exchanging rings dates back 3,000 years. The first diamond wedding ring was recorded in the will of a widow who died in 1417. The ancient Egyptians believed in the vena amoris, literally the “vein of love” that runs directly from the heart to the fourth finger on the left hand. For the Ancient Greeks, the engagement ring was symbolized with a plain gold band worn on the left hand and at the marriage the same band was shifted to the right hand.
An engagement ring is given at a proposal or when a couple decides to get married whereas a wedding ring is exchanged at the wedding ceremony and represents the official bond of marriage and the binding pledge between spouses. Wedding rings symbolise eternal love and commitment within a relationship and are worn to show the world they are married. During the wedding service, the couple will say their vows to each other while exchanging rings.
Is a wedding ring biblical? : The use of wedding ring is not commanded in the Bible, and there is no indication that it was ever practised in the New Testament. The use of finger ring in the Bible was as a symbol of authority.
Betrothal ring: An old Roman custom confirming that the marriage contract would be carried out. It was the first part of a dowry given, and meant the woman was no longer for sale as the first part of the monetary settlement had been paid. The first betrothal, or engagement, rings were given because there was often a long time between betrothals and weddings. These were usually simple bands of gold, silver, or iron as on royalty or very wealthy people could afford gemstones and diamonds. In 1477, Archduke Maximillian of Austria commissioned the very first diamond engagement ring for his betrothed, Mary of Burgundy, and many of the European aristocracy and nobility followed his lead.
Wedding ring: Many primitive peoples who believed in magic used a rope around the waist or the hand and feet, and later a ring, to symbolise that the bride was captured and spoken for, and also to ward off any evil spirits hovering around the bride and ensure marital bliss.
The ring hand: A symbol of the humiliating tradition of the man as the master – the right hand of the family – and the woman being the slave . The right hand stood for power and authority while the left hand expressed submission and serfdom.
The ring finger : Ancient Greek and Roman anatomists believed a vein, the vena amoris or the “vein of love”, or a nerve led from the heart to the third finger, the healing finger , so they romantically linked this finger to the heart. Now we know that this is not true and there is no vein that runs from our ring fingers to our hearts. There are also some more practical reasons the third finger continues to be used. It’s the most prominent for displaying a ring and it cannot be extended to its full length on its own and usually remains slightly bent, preventing the ring slipping off.
The Wedding Ring: Also goes on the left ring finger because it is the only finger with a vein that connects to the heart although some countries, such as India, Germany, Spain, Norway, and Russia traditionally wear their wedding rings on their right hand.
Viking Wedding Rings: These were mostly made of silver and bronze and rarely of gold with the designs inspired by Norse Gods, geometric shapes, runes, and animal totems
Gimmel Rings: In the 16th and 17th centuries, European husbands gave their bride a gimmel ring with two interlocking bands. The bride and groom both wore one after their engagement and during the wedding ceremony the rings were joined and the wife wore the ring.
World Wars: During the first World War, many men on the front began wearing wedding rings as a remembrance of their wives and families at home. That custom carried through to World War Two so in the 1950s wedding rings for men became common practice.
Tri-Gold Rings: Gold is the traditional ring metal but some people prefer a mix of colors. Yellow gold represents fidelity, rose gold romantic love, and white gold friendship, so a tri-gold ring symbolizes your shared past, present, and future path. ding ring to symbolize all three, as well as your shared past, present, and future path.
Black Wedding Rings: Some couples choose black wedding bands because they represent everlasting commitment and the color can also mean power, strength and sophistication.
Anniversary or Push Ring: Given on the birth of a first child or an anniversary, usually an important one such as the first, five-year or 10-year anniversary.
