Legends Surrounding Ornaments Content provided by Tannenbaum Treasures
Chimney Sweep
The chimney sweep ornament is a symbol of good luck. Further, he carries a blessing for happiness and prosperity. A traditional gift for newlyweds, the chimney sweep is places by the stove or fireplace where he can keep domestic affairs in order by sweeping away the family's troubles. At Christmas, he helps to keep peace and harmony during the holiday season.
Glass Pickle
A very memorable German tradition is the "legend of the glass pickle". On Christmas Eve, after the children have been sent to bed, parents scurry to decorate the beautiful tree with ornaments, candies and garland. The last ornament to be placed on the tree is the "Glass Pickle". With its green color and unique texture it is easily disguised among the branches of the beautiful decorated tree. In the morning when the children awake they rush to the tree, each hoping to be the first to find the glass pickle, because - you see - the one who finds it first is awarded a very special gift. The tradition came to this country and continued through the 1920's and then faded out. The legend is now just a wonderful memory in our time.
Harp
The harp is a Scottish symbol of the moon, fertility, and enchantment. The strings of the harp symbolize the bridge between heaven and earth. With mankind standing poised in the middle, striving now toward one and then toward the other, represented by the tension of the strings.
House
The house ornament signifies family shelter. Placed on a tree, this ornament signifies how grateful the family is for a warm and safe place to spend the holiday season, surrounded by loved ones. Houses depicted by German ornament makers are simple, like their own homes.
Lady Bug
Named in honor of Mary "Our Lady", these little red creatures are a symbol of good luck in Europe. Centuries ago, when farmers' grapevines were plagued with aphids, they prayed for help. Those prayers were answered in the form of these red beetles. So appreciative were the farmers that they named them in Mary's honor.
Lucky Clover
Four leaf clovers - which are scarce in nature - are looked upon as lucky charms, bringing the "Luck of the Irish" with them. Hanging the lucky clover on your Christmas tree is thought to bring the family good luck for the upcoming year.
Magic Slipper
There are a number of well-known legends that feature magic slippers or shoes. The magic slipper transports the wearer from a place of hardship or sorrow to a new world of opportunity and joy. Placing a magic slipper on a Christmas tree is thought to help bring new opportunity to the family members.
Mushroom
Closely associated with nature and the beauty of the forest, mushrooms have come to symbolize good luck. Finding a mushroom in the forest has long been viewed as being "lucky" and an expectation of good fortune is at hand. In Germany, adorning your Christmas tree with a mushroom signifies your reverence for nature and hope for good luck in the next year.
Santa Claus
Santa Claus has become the universal symbol of giving and sharing. The modem-day St. Nicholas, Santa lives with his elves at the North Pole. Every Christmas Eve he visits the houses of good little boys and girls traveling in a sled drawn by reindeer, leaving presents underneath their Christmas trees.
Snowman
Throughout the centuries, children and their parents in northern climates have celebrated the arrival of the first snowfall by creating a snowman. Using buttons or coal for the eyes, a carrot for a nose and twigs for the arms, snowmen are created to capture the imaginations of young and old alike! It is said that snowmen are happiest when it becomes extremely cold and that they have learned to make the most out of their relatively short existence. Perhaps, they are happiest knowing that they help to bring families together and that - while they will melt away - the joy and memories that they create will last!
Violin
Renaissance man believed that all things were interconnected in a metaphysical way. Therefore, the violin's creation came to symbolize the connection between man and the cosmos. Man was its creator and the violin's music sounded so harmonious, that many thought it was sent down from the heavens.
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