After Christmas Sale - Inge-Glas Ornaments from Germany
On Sale we offer these very special five ornaments and one ornament set from Inge-Glas Germany - the oldest glass Christmas ornament company in the world.
Bridal Ornament Collection - 6 Ornaments Full Size
Baby Owl
Enjoy adding Christmas tree ornaments from the oldest glass Christmas ornament company in the world.
WENDT & KÜHN ELEGANT LIMITED EDITION MADONNAS WITH CHILD INTRODUCED IN 2020
Wendt and Kühn has introduced two exquisite Limited Edition Madonnas with Child.
These figurines are masterpieces made exclusively to order. They are available by SPECIAL ORDER (see the details below) and are 16-1/2" tall. Each year Wendt and Kühn will create only 100 pieces. The label on the underside of the base will show its number out of 100 together with the year it was made. My Growing Traditions is offering them at a savings of $300.00.
The two Madonnas offered are very different in appearance. While the Madonna in the dark-blue richly painted dress exudes elegance, the one with the pale-blue robe touches us with her gentle demeanor. Regardless of which version you choose, the skill and artistry that has gone into their painting means these impressive large figurines represent the master craftsmanship of the Wendt and Kühn workshops like no others.
To order please call My Growing Traditions at 1-877-831-6077 (Eastern Time).
Each extraordinary Madonna will be produced exclusively to order, one by one. These pieces require a very high degree of craftsmanship from the skilled craftsmen and women at the Wendt and Kuehn workshops.
A $750.00 non-refundable deposit will be required. Once ordered this item cannot be canceled, it is limited to 100 pieces per year and if not available it will come the next year. In placing your order you agree to wait for delivery.
Brunette or Blonde hair color may be requested, but is not guaranteed.
It is not known whether Grete Wendt was interested in the Virgin Mary in a religious sense or if she took a more humanistic view of the Madonna as a depiction of a mother and child. What we do know is that she was very taken with a particular painting of the Madonna, the “The Virgin and Child with a Pear”
by Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), a German painter. A reproduction of this work hung on the wall of her living room.
In the coming years Wendt and Kühn intends to select with great care, and at regular intervals, a number of genuine treasures from their extraordinary treasure trove of designs.
The Legend of the Christmas Spider - the Tradition of Tinsel
The story of the Christmas Spider appears in many different versions throughout central and eastern Europe. In all of them the spiders' webs, spun on Christmas Eve, turn to silver and are seen as the beginning of the beautiful tradition of hanging sparkling tinsel on your Christmas tree. The tinsel symbolizes a Christmas miracle from long ago.
And, the Christmas Spider legend beckons us to give thanks to the industrious spiders by hanging a spider ornament in a special place on our trees.
In Germany, the legend has it that a poor woman was unable to provide the traditional decorations for the Christmas holiday. A spider, who had narrowly escaped the dust mop, made his home in her tree and began to spin beautiful webs. On Christmas morning, the first light of the day struck the cobwebs, turning them to silver. When the woman awoke, she found the tree covered with silver treasure - the spider had brought good fortune! And the tradition of hanging tinsel on one's Christmas tree was begun.
This Christmas, pair the Christmas Spider ornament from Inge-Glas with one of these two delightful children's books as a charming addition to your Christmas traditions.
Cobweb Christmas: The Tradition of Tinsel by Shirley Cimo with illustrations by Jane Manning -
and
The Spider's Gift: A Ukrainian Christmas Story by retold by Eric A. Kimmel with illustrations by Katya Krenina
There is nothing more special than adding a touch of folklore with a piece of Inge-Glas folk art to your Christmas.
Enjoy our Pinterest Board on Inge-Glas - here
The Legend of the Acorn - "From Little Acorns Come Mighty Oaks"
The oak tree is America's National Tree. The oak signifies courage and power - standing strong and proud through the ages. Thus the proverb "from little acorns come mighty oaks." That a tiny seed produces a mighty oak, reminds us that great results can be born of humble beginnings. Those who provide care and comfort to children are revered. Their is a special recognition for those who exercise the power of nurture - they and we live to see great acts of kindness, love, and success from our children / the next generation.
The acorn sustains countless wild creatures. "... deer, gray squirrels, red squirrels, chipmunks, wild turkeys, crows, flying squirrels, rabbits, opossums, blue jays, quail, raccoons, wood ducks—more than 100 U.S. vertebrate species eat acorns. In autumn and winter, the acorn is the cheeseburger of the forest ecosystem—fairly easy to find and nicely packaged. They are one of the most valuable food resources available for wildlife.... Like wine, acorns come in two basic types: red and white, depending on the type of oak they come from.... (Red and White Oaks have a) difference in tannin, an astringent chemical common in plants, (which) affects how wildlife use acorns.... (the tannin in) red acorns makes them less palatable to wildlife, both due to taste and digestibility. Ergo, animals vacuum up acorns from the white oak group with more gusto than they do the reds." - National Wildlife Federation
The acorn is revered as a Christmas ornament. In Germany the oak tree is considered sacred and the acorn - the fruit, the seed, the origin of the oak - is considered a symbol of good luck. Early German Christmas trees were laden with cones, cookies and nuts, and most notably the acorn, to commemorate the gift of life and good fortune.
Inge-Glas (the oldest Christmas ornament company in the world) gives us this delightful acorn ornament -
We want to share with you two special children's books celebrating the acorn and the oak - Because of an Acorn by Lola M. Schafer and The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward...
these are books to share with your next generation or to enjoy alone as peaceful commemorations of the glorious world we live in...wonderful symbols of family and the natural world we are all blessed with!
Enjoy our Pinterest Board on Inge-Glas - here and on Trees - here
Inge-Glas Gift Set of Six Full-Size Ornaments
My Growing Traditions has created this Gift Set of six (6) full-size ornaments.
Perfect for everyone! "A collection of good wishes .... symbols of a happy home to bring good fortune." - Inge-Glas Works especially well for the bride and groom in your life, but who wouldn't enjoy receiving these exquisite ornaments.
The ornaments range from 2-1/2" to 4-1/4"
Each ornament is wrapped in Inge-Glas acid free paper
The set of Inge-Glas ornaments is presented in an Inge-Glas Gift Box
and comes with symbol cards for each individual ornament as shown in the Santa symbol card below -
Enjoy our Inge-Glas Pinterest Board - here
December 13th is the Day of Santa Lucia - The Bearer of Light
This year we were pleased to discover the official Swedish Government internet page which explores everything Swedish, including Swedish traditions and a fun and informative page on Santa Lucia - the bearer of light - a celebration that occurs each year on the 13th of December. The Swedish website
includes an extensive history of how the Santa Lucia tradition came to be, and how Santa Lucia's Day is celebrated in modern Sweden: "Alongside Midsummer, the Lucia celebrations represent one of the foremost cultural traditions in Sweden, with their clear reference to life in the peasant communities of old: darkness and light, cold and warmth.
Lucia is an ancient mythical figure with an abiding role as a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters. The many Lucia songs all have the same theme:
around yards and dwellings
In places unreached by sun,
the shadows brood
Into our dark house she comes,
bearing lighted candles,
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia
Santa Lucia's Day is celebrated throughout Europe, but, of course especially in the Scandinavia countries. Inge-Glas of Germany memorializes her in their lovely mouth-blown Christmas ornament
Continuing the Scandinavian theme, this year we once again carry Swedish Angel Chimes and for the first time offer Nils Olsson's Dala Horses.
You may also enjoy our Pinterest board on Scandinavia.
Saint Nicholas and the Christkind
This charming vintage German postcard of Saint Nicholas walking hand-in-hand with the Christkind celebrates Christmas as experienced by children in many parts of the world (especially the Netherlands, Germany, and the Ukraine).
The Christkind brings presents on Christmas Eve. As we noted in an earlier blog entry the Christkind is the Symbol of the Nuremberg Christkindlmarkt. Especially in Bavaria the German Christmas Markets are known as Christkindlmarkts (after the Christ Kind - or Christ Child). "The Christkind is a sprite-like child, usually depicted with blond hair and angelic wings. Martin Luther intended it to be a reference to the incarnation of Jesus as an infant. Sometimes the Christ Child is, instead of the infant Jesus, interpreted as a specific angel bringing the presents, as it appears in some processions together with an image of little Jesus Christ. It seems also to be rooted in the Alsatian-born myth of a child bringing gifts to the baby Jesus. Children never see the Christkind in person, and parents tell them that Christkind will not come and bring presents if they are curious and try to spot it. The family enters the living room, where the Christmas tree has been put up, for the opening of presents (the Bescherung) when the parents say that they think that the Christkind who has brought the presents has now left again. In some traditions, the departure is announced by the ringing of a small bell, which the parents pretend to have heard or which is secretly done by one of the adults in the family." - Wikipedia
St. Nicholas symbolizes generosity and brings presents on December 6th (St. Nicholas Day). We remember telling our children when they asked if Santa Claus was real, that he was the spirit of giving. This year Inge-Glas offers for the first time this ornament of St. Nikolaus
Saint Nicholas Day is celebrated with unique variations in many different European countries: "The tradition of Saint Nicholas' Day, on 6 December (19 December in most Orthodox countries), is a festival for children in many countries in Europe related to surviving legends of Saint Nicholas,.... The American Santa Claus, as well as the British Father Christmas, derive from these legends. "Santa Claus" is itself derived in part from the Dutch Sinterklaas." - Wikipedia
He may arrive by horse, donkey, or boat, and, in areas of the world where Saint Nicholas is prominent, his day, not Christmas, is the primary day of presents. Shoes or stockings may be left out for him the night before, to be found the next morning filled with small gifts, cookies, and sweets. Thus, in Germany, both Saint Nicholas and the Christkind bring small gifts - one in honor of the Christ Child and one in honor of a venerated Saint. In America, many of us enjoy spreading out our traditional Christmas, enjoying Saint Nicholas Day, during the early part of Advent, as a special time to share the importance of generosity and giving.
