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Christmas Pyramids: A 300 Year Old Tradition

  • Posted on November 17, 2009 at 3:10 pm


Before the grand Tannenbaum, there was the Weinachts pyramide, or lightstock. This holiday tradition can be traced to Dresden, the largest city in the Erzibirge region of Germany, where in 1168 AD silver and tin were discovered. Hundreds of miners flocked to the Ore Mountains to make their fortunes. But foreign competition and warfare resulted in many miners losing their jobs. To compensate, many took up woodcarving, incorporating mining symbols and religious elements into their designs. Thus a reputation for intricate woodwork was established in the region.

In the middle ages Christians began associating the evergreen with Christmas, borrowing the symbol from the pagan winter solstice celebration. Bringing trees into their homes, villagers hung fruit and cookies from the branches to symbolize the fruits of redemption. At the same time, woodcarvers in the Erzebirge region fashioned the first lightstock, a pyramid-shaped stand made from 2-5 wooden rods and 3 shelves holding candles and Christmas-related figurines. Eventually someone thought to attach a pinwheel to the top of the central rod. The heat from the candles rose, rotating the pinwheel and the shelves. Small lightstocks (average pyramids stand about 50 cm) were placed beside Christmas trees in some homes, although many poor woodcarvers could not afford trees, and thus the lightstock came to be known as the “poor man’s Christmas tree. ” Unlike the glass ornaments of Lausche, the lightstock was not originally made to satisfy customer demand, but was established first as a genuine folk tradition. Other seasonal objects fashioned by the woodcarvers of the Erzibirge region include schwiboggen, an arch-shaped candle holder that lights the windows during Advent; rauchermann, a wooden ornament shaped like a smoking man with a hollowed out mouth where incense is burned; and the popular nutcracker, inspired by the storybook on which Tchaikovsky’s ballet is based.

Originally the candle-lit pyramid was a symbol for light, a prayer for the miners to return safely home from the danger of the mines. As it became associated with Christmas, the candles on the lightstock came to represent Christ, who is the light of the world.

Lightstocks gained popularity in Dresden and the surrounding villages, and multi-storied pyramids began appearing in town markets, as villagers competed for the best town pyramid. Lightstock shelves were filled with scenes illustrating their village’s history, the story of Christmas, or other holiday themes. This tradition continues on today, and the world’s tallest pyramid stands in the Striezelmarkt in Dresden.

The Christmas tree tradition was not accepted by Americans until much later, brought by Hessian soldiers fighting in the Revolutionary War and later by German immigrants. But it is said that in 1747 in a church colony in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, German settlers displayed wooden pyramids covered with evergreen branches and decorated with candles.

Lightstocks are available today in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and are the continuation of a tradition over 300 years old.

Inexpensive Christmas Decorations

  • Posted on November 17, 2009 at 2:38 pm


Are you planning on decorating your home for Christmas this year?  If so, have you completed the first step?  When it comes to decorating for Christmas, the first step is getting the decorations.   Unfortunately, in today’s world, many families are finding it difficult to afford “extras,” including Christmas decorations. However, there is good news.   If you are on a budget, there are still a number of different ways that you can get your home decorated for Christmas. You can do so with inexpensive  Christmas decorations.  When it comes to inexpensive Christmas decorations, it is important to remember that different people associate inexpensive with different things.   Just because you think a particular Christmas decoration is low-cost doesn’t necessarily mean that someone else will. For some individuals, a inexpensive Christmas decoration is an item that only costs one dollar, for others it is five, and for others it can be fifty dollars.   That is why it is important, when looking for low-cost Christmas decorations, that you keep this in mind.   However, no matter what your view of inexpensive is, there are still a number of different ways that you can go about decorating for Christmas. Perhaps, the easiest way to save money while decorating for Christmas is to not buy any Christmas decorations.   If you decorated your home for Christmas last year or in recent years, did you save your old Christmas decorations?  If you did save your old Christmas decorations, you may want to think about using them again this year. Although it may be nice to have brand new Christmas decorations, they are not required.   Not only can you save money by using your old Christmas decorations, but you might not have to spend any extra money at all!In addition to using your own used Christmas decorations, you may want to think about using other people’s old Christmas decorations. During the summer and sometimes during the early fall, you may be able find local yard sales.   Yard sales are a great place to get used Christmas decorations for an affordable price.   If you are unable to find a yard sale, you can also purchase used Christmas decorations online. You can easily find a collection of used and sometimes even deeply discounted new Christmas decorations by doing your shopping on an online auction website.  Although you can save a fairly large amount of money by buying used Christmas decorations, as previously mentioned, there is a good chance that you want new ones.   If this is the case, you still have a number of different options.   You should check your local dollar stores, discount stores, and even department stores. Many of these stores, around Christmastime, have a large selection of Christmas decorations, at an affordable price. If you are looking to save the most money, it may be a good idea to visit your local dollar stores. Some dollar stores sell really nice Christmas decorations for a dollar and sometimes even less.  It might even be possible for you to make your own Christmas decorations, with items that you already have inside your house. In fact, this is how you can turn your old Christmas decorations into new ones.   Simply by altering your existing decorations in one way or another, for instance by adding a bow, you could make your old Christmas decorations like new.   You can also take a simple candleholder and turn it into a Christmas candleholder with a little bit of creativity.   The same can be said for a number of other items that you likely already have inside your home.   This is another way that you could avoid spending any money on Christmas decorations.  As you can easily see, there are a number of different ways that you can go about finding or making your own inexpensive Christmas directions. Although you may be worried about the quality of those decorations, you shouldn’t be.   Most times, it isn’t necessarily about the Christmas decorations themselves, but they way that they are presented or arranged.

Who Can Save Poor Terresa???? She Is Too Poor for a Wrong Pick of a Liar Faith of Christ.?

  • Posted on November 17, 2009 at 1:36 pm

WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO LIVE IN A WORLD OF FREE SPEECH & COMMUNICATION, BY MANY NEWS WE CAN JUDGE GOOD OR BAD, EVEN THE CASE IRAQ WAR, ALL OF PAPERS INDICATE THAT OIL WAR RATHER THAN A TINNY ARM FORCE THREAT.

THE IMPORTANT IS US STILL A FREEDOM COUNTRY, NOT ANY WAR WILL TURN IT TO A MONOPOLY SOVEREIGN.

JUST vatican, muslim, christ DO.

AND LUCKILY, ALL OF US GET OUT OF christ, muslim HAUNT IN THE GOVERNMENT NOW.

TO VOICE OUR OPINION WITHOUT ANY SLANDERING & CRIMES BY ANY RELIGIOUS COURT AS HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

Does Anyone Know How to Make Gold/White Paper Christmas Star Decoration Shown in Woman’s World 2/3 Years Ago?

  • Posted on November 17, 2009 at 12:14 pm

It was just a small box with instructions on how to make an easy, but complicated-looking Christmas star from white and gold paper. It involved nothing but folding, cutting and taping together several squares of paper. It made a beautiful decoration, but sadly I have forgotten the process. Do you remember? Or maybe still have your old copies?

Christmas Time – a Season of Memories

  • Posted on November 17, 2009 at 12:14 pm

CHRISTMAS TIME – A SEASON OF MEMORIES By Eva Fry

Ecclesiastes 3:1

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Christmas is one of the happiest seasons of our life. It gathers us together as families, where we create special loving traditions and so many loving memories. We all have special remembrances of Christmas’s past. I would like to share with you some of my memories.

Christmas has changed for me through the years. I am a grandma now and enjoy

special Christmas’s with my grown children and their families. I watch them create lasting memories for their little ones. I am reminded of those happy times when my precious children were still home with us and of the Christmas’s we had

Together. How I miss those special times.

My song “Christmas Wish” says what is in my heart.

If I could have one Christmas wish, I’d go back in time,

When our children all were young and they were home with us.

We’d decorate the house with lights, put up the Christmas tree,

Bake cookies; sing Christmas carols in the neighborhood.

Make gifts for the ones we love; wrap them really nice,

Laugh, kiss and hug a lot, we’d have so much fun.

I’d read the story of Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem

In the manger we’d carefully lay the Savior in.

Christmas Eve we’d hold them tight, our hearts filled with love

Give thanks for our family, our special gift from God.

We’d tuck them safely into bed, fill the stockings full,

Peek in at our sleeping babes; angels without wings.

Eyes would sparkle Christmas morn’ when Dad turned on the lights,

Santa left so many gifts; cookies and milk were gone.

Opening gifts was the best of all; parcels ripped apart,

Finding their special wish, jumping up and down.

I’d bake the turkey as they played with the toys they got,

We’d feast together on food and love, what a heavenly day.

The memories of those special days many years ago

Seem like only yesterday; life was filled with joy.

If I could have one Christmas wish, I’d go back in time,

When our children all were young and they were home with us.

Not only does Christmas bring back memories of my precious children but also

memories or my dear mother who passed away October 18, 2002. She was

86 years old and life had not been easy for but she did her best to make our lives

Happy. The most favorite memories of my mother were the wonderful

Christmas’s she created for my brother, sister and I. She always made Christmas

beautiful and exciting, in spite of our alcoholic father who played havoc with our

Lives, whenever he got drunk, especially at Christmas time.

My mother seemed to have a mission to make things right for us each Christmas.

Every year she would open a charge account at Zellers, to buy us gifts. My

father gave her no money. We were poor because of his addiction. She bought us

needed things like socks and underwear but always something special. I

remember the red leather loose-leaf binder she gave me when I was 10. We kids

did not know it then, but for the rest of the year mom paid off her charge account

with cash she could squeeze from her food money. Each new season she started

over with another Christmas charge account.

Mom did not let us see the tree before Christmas morning, an old family tradition.

My kids now have their tree up at least two weeks before Christmas. But never the less, when I was young the first viewing of the tree was glorious.

One Christmas Eve, when my dad was drunk, he took a Christmas tree from a lot,

which had closed for the night, and hauled it home, dragging it behind him. We

lived in Canada and the tree was frozen. When he brought it into our house to

thaw it out; my mother was made aware of why no one had purchased it. The

tree had only a few branches. My mother sent him back for another tree, which

was equally as bare, so they tied the two together.

Mom would stay up all night carefully decorating the tree and wrapping our gifts.

She always had a knack of doing things perfectly. She made a special effort to

choose the most beautiful paper she could afford and each gift had a bright

ribbon and bow. She was dedicated to bringing excitement to our eyes,

Christmas morning, when she turned on the lights to our gorgeous tree, laden

with so many gifts from Santa. Her reward came when she saw the enjoyment we

had as we ripped open each treasure.

Often our father was too hung over to get up with us to open gifts and would later

head out the day to be with his buddies but our mother made sure out

Christmas was special. We always went to grandma and grandpa’s house for a

turkey feast with all our relatives.

This Christmas I am especially grateful for my loving mother who sacrificed so

much for her family and created Christmas memories and traditions, which I see

being passed down to my grandchildren. I will miss her dearly.

In all of our own lives we have special Christmas memories and I have one more

which I will never forget.

I call it “The Miracle of the Pinecones. ”

Just before Christmas, several years ago, my five-year-old grandson, Jesse, and I

were in Julian California where my husband was completing a job.

As we wondered below the spectacular pine trees we saw pinecones lying on the

They were large and magnificent. My grandson loved them and wanted to

Take some home, so we gathered them up.

I wondered what we could create with them. As I held one up and turned it upside down, I realized it looked like a perfect Christmas tree, only brown. I found my

Christmas snow and sprayed it white. Right before our eyes the pinecone turned

into a tree, covered with a blanket of snow. We then decided to decorate it. I

When we touched them to the snow they stuck. The

pinecones became jewel covered Christmas trees.

Jesse and I had so much fun making trees that we encouraged my mother, his

great-grandmother to get involved and we spent an afternoon making beautiful

trees. What a wonderful memory I have of my mother and grandson working

together creating multicolored treasures. I took a picture with my heart.

We had so many trees and wondered what to do with them all. We gave some to

family members and recruited them to go Christmas caroling in the

neighborhood. I took another picture with my heart, of little Jesse singing ‘Away in a Manger’ and then and then proudly giving his precious tree to a smiling neighbor.

We still had trees to give and I wondered what to do with them. That year I taught the 16-year-old Sunday school class at my church. I wondered if I could combine my teenagers and the trees into a service project that would bring the spirit of Christmas to these young people. There was a senior care home across from our Church. I inquired if they would allow me to bring my teenagers in to sing Christmas carols to their residences and distribute the remaining Christmas trees. The home gave me their approval and thanks. When I presented my idea to my students I was not prepared for their response. Some of them were not excited about the idea. Actually, I think, many of them were just embarrassed to sing in front of each other. But I assured them it would be a nice thing to do and armed each one with a tree, the boys as well as the girls. We set out on our mission.

When we stepped into the first room of the care home, my young people were a

little timid but did sing a weak verse of “Silent Night”, except for one big boy who

stood in the back of the room and would not sing. One of them handed their tree

to the grateful patient and we left.

As we worked our way from room to room the teenagers gradually warmed up,

when they saw the smiles and tears on the faces of those dear old souls, except

for the boy in the back. Their singing got louder and more in tune and they

couldn’t wait to rush to the next room. I will always remember the 95-year old man,

who had been confined to bed for several years, accepting his Christmas tree

from a group of excited teenagers. I took another picture.

When we had given out the trees the young people were satisfied and happy. They

felt the Christmas spirit and didn’t want to leave. They knew the joy they had given

the patients.

We finally headed for the door. Along the way we met a sad little lady sitting in the

hallway in her wheelchair. When she spotted those noisy, laughing teenagers a

smile came across her toothless face and she held up her feeble arms hoping to

give them a hug. My wonderful teenagers formed a line and each one of them

bent down and give her a big hug. Another picture!

When we got outside the building, we discovered that the teenage boy, who had

stayed in the back of each room and would not sing, was missing. I went back

into the building to find him and it was then that I took the most memorable

picture, with my heart. There, in the hallway, was the big muscular boy, on his

knees, in the arms of that dear little 100-year-old lady. He had his strong, but

gentle arms rapped around her frail little body. Tears were streaming down both

their faces. On her lap was the pinecone Christmas tree he had carried

throughout the home and had been too embarrassed to give.

That year love came in the form of a pinecone tree.

We all have so much to be grateful for as we create Christmas memories and

traditions within our families How blest we all are.

This Christmas we have more reasons to look for the good things of life and be

thankful for all we are blessed with, in spite of events of the world. We must

remember that Christmas is a season of giving and of gratefulness.

I wrote a song to help encourage all of us and help us know what we can do

this Christmas to make a difference in our world.

What Can I Do To Help?

There’s so much sadness and so much pain. What can I do to help?

There’s so much anger and hatred. What can I do to help?

I can cherish my freedom, in this country I love.

I can bring comfort to someone. I can do all that I should.

There’s so much hurt and confusion. What can I do to help?

There’s so much sorrow and worry. What can I do to help?

I can love my brother; I can do a kind deed.

I can care for another; I can get down on my knees.

There’s so much sadness and so much pain. What can I do to help?

There’s so much anger and hatred? What can I do to help?

I can fight against evil and the suffering it brings

I can always to God’s will, so peace can come to our world

I can always do God’s will so peace can come to our world.

Thank you for letting me share my special memories of the happiest season of my

life. I pray we will all remember the reason for our Christmas Season and do all

We can to bring peace and happiness to our families and to our world.

We can enjoy our own traditions and be grateful for this Christmas, a season of

Memories.

12 Ways to Create Your Own Family Christmas Holiday Tradition – Part II

  • Posted on November 17, 2009 at 12:14 pm


Family Christmas Holiday Tradition gives us freedom and guidance in a time that is otherwise hectic and stressful, and often unorganized. Tradition gives us a blueprint of how our family anticipates and loves the holiday season, what they expect, how they love to celebrate.
This is Part II of our Family Christmas Holiday Tradition. (Read Part I also for great holiday ideas. )
7. When the holiday draws nearer, we children got more and more excited. When we were high-spirited and tempestuous, mom just needed to say. “Look, an angle’s hair!” And we would look in awe and see really a golden hair. Little did we know that mom must have made some gift packages and the golden threat must have fallen on the floor. But for us children this was a sure sign that Christmas was near. Mom left signs of the coming holy night everywhere for us, so we would remember to be good, and patient, and kind. This made it easier for us children, who yearned for that long awaited Christmas Day!
8. Then, one day the wait was over – the 24th of December dawned. We children had to take a little afternoon nap – I am sure mom needed the time to make last adjustments to the Christmas tree and the arrangement of our Christmas presents. In Europe the Christmas tree is the highlight of the 24th. The tree is hidden from view for children, and for the first time seen in the holy night when the door to the Christmas room magically opens. The room is locked already the night before Christmas. We children were especially attentive – maybe we would hear a movement in the Christmas room – maybe an angle came by – or the Christkind personally – to bring presents!
9. The nap on the 24th was very hard for us kids. Who can sleep when such an excitement lies in the air? When we finally got up, we laid on our best clothes. Then mom came with the traditional Christmas storybook! It was a story of a little boy named Heinele, who’s mother had sent him out in rags into the bitter cold winter night to sell toys to the busy people on the streets – who rushed home to their family celebration without even noticing him. The boy went into the woods and as he looked in the snow – lonely and ice cold – he found the Golden Star of Christmas.
At the same time in heaven, the angles were hectic, looking for the Golden Star that Christkind had lost as it flew over the winter world on earth. Finally they found the frozen boy, holding the Golden Star tight in his hand. He was dead. They took the boy into heaven. Here it was warm. It gave plenty to eat, and Heinele was truly happy – probably for the first time in his young life. But the good boy, as he saw that his mother in the cold house down on earth was crying because her child did not come home, returned to earth to comfort his mom, bringing her true Christmas love. Love reigned over the joy and comfort of staying in heaven. A true sacrifice.
And while we children hang on every word that came from mom’s lips, suddenly – first faint but then louder – we heard the clear Christmas bell. It signaled that Christkind was here! We would rash to the Christmas room. The doors silently swung open. And we would stand there in awe, still and devout, our wide open eyes reflecting Christmas Spirit. The Christmas tree would stand in all its magic beauty – brightly shining with many real candles and magic stars. We would sing Christmas carols and dad would read the Christmas story from the Holy Bible.
Finally we children could rush to our Christmas presents – many big and little gift-wrapped boxes in all colors, decorated with beautiful ribbons and a fir twig on each gift box. We had each a little extra corner right under the Christmas tree, and close to the crib where Maria and Josef and the beautiful baby would remind us of the reason for our joy. To find our space, the packages had little cards with our names on them. And the Ah and Oh was great!
10. And mom did not forget the lonely people outside. She put a warm shining candle in each window to greet those who were lonely and cold this night.
11. The Christmas dinner was another highlight of the day. We had our traditional fish dinner with potato salad which I loved. The table was set with grace and glister. Each set had a mandarin that held a Christmas candle. Fir twigs were decorating the table. It was festive and the candle light reflected in our smiles!
12. The Midnight Christmas mass was for the older kids. I remember sitting in church and seeing the happy smiles on every face. This alone showed me that in this special night a miracle must have occurred. I could see the new hat, the new shawl, new boots that people were wearing. Everyone had something new this night. And if it was not a new piece of cloth, it was the renewed hope and light in their heart that held the promise that life is good and all is well, no matter the life circumstances.
Today I am old. My children are out of the house and I am alone again. But at Christmas time, I still remember my family’s holiday tradition: the haunting scent of Christmas; the dazzling light that lightens the eye that looks into the world with hope; music and laughter that fills the hearts and the room at Christmas eve. I thank my parents for the wonderful Christmas tradition that they had given us – a tradition that lives on . . .
When Christmas holiday draws near, don’t let yourself be burdened by stressful last minute holiday preparations. Follow your time proven family holiday tradition – and if you don’t have a holiday tradition yet, manifest your own! Utilize some of the suggestions I shared with you from our own family Christmas holiday tradition.

Are Your Christmas Decorations ‘Random’ Or Do You Have….?

  • Posted on November 17, 2009 at 12:13 pm

a definite color scheme/theme?

I have an ‘Old World’ theme…birds and fruit on the tree with white lights…and all the ornament/decoration colors are burgundy and gold…

Oh Happy Day

  • Posted on November 17, 2009 at 12:13 pm

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