Lovely Shamrock Fairy

I adore fairies.  This one is especially wonderful.  This one is from Germany and is actually celebrating the New Year!  However, I thought it also perfect for St. Patrick's Day.

Have a sweet week!

Apple Blossoms, Warmth and Congratulations

This card is SO beautiful.  It is in German and according to Google translate it means "Warm Congratulations."  I adore this artist's work.  I am often inspired by these wonderful cards of old. 

It's a Bull's Eye! -Guest Heart Thursday

I have a wonderful collection of  old Valentine cards.  It all started years ago, when I was in my early 20's.  I went to an estate sale in my town and for $1 bought an entire book of old Valentine cards, which were pasted inside.  What a wonderful find!  I also have a large cyber collection of old cards and postcards, like this one.  It is great to have a place to share them.  

Does anyone know what kind of flowers those are???  Have a lovely weekend all you heart-lovers!

For more heart art, photography and altogether fabulous heart stuff from around the world, visit Clytie at Random Hearts for Guest Heart Thursday.

A Christmas Pickle?!

I had great fun reading about Christmas traditions across the world.  I laughed when I found the story of the Christmas Pickle.  This postcard is the closest thing I could find. 

As the tradition goes, a decoration in the shape of a pickle is the last ornament hidden on the Christmas tree.  The child who finds the Christmas pickle gets a special gift and good fortune is said to follow over the coming year.

Though many believe this odd tradition comes from Germany (Weihnachtsgurke), some suggest the origin of the Christmas pickle is actually American, developed for marketing purposes in the late 1800's.  The story was said to coincide with the sale of hand-made blown glass Christmas tree ornaments imported from France. 

Another tale I read is that the tradition of the Christmas pickle came from Camp Sumpter during the American Civil War.  Private John C. Lower, born in Bavaria, had enlisted in the 103rd Pensylvania Infantry.  He was captured in 1864 and taken to a prison camp. There he stayed through the freezing winter.

Christmas Eve, Private Lower was not only cold, but he was starving to death.  He was so hungry, he begged one of his guards for just one pickle.  The guard took pity on the prisoner and gave him that pickle.  Lower credited the guard's gift for saving his life.  When the war ended and he returned to his family, he began the tradition of hiding a pickle on their Christmas tree each year.

Over the years I've seen those glass pickle ornaments and wondered about them.  How delightful to find the stories behind that, er, interesting Christmas tree ornament!

Merry Christmas!

Legend of the Silver Pine Cone -Postcard Friendship Friday #199

This is one of the oddest Christmas postcards I've ever found.  This wee girl is having tea with a very interesting fellow--a pine cone man.  I couldn't help wondering what the story was behind this one!

So I did a fair amount of research and discovered these postcards were a product of the Curt Teich Printing Company, founded in the late 1800's by German immigrant, Curt Otto Teich.

The only story I could find which might throw some light on this delightful pine cone character comes from Germany.  With a few embellishments of my own, I have re-written the charming Legend of the Silver Pine Cone.

      There once lived a poor family who had fallen on such hard times, the Father was forced to travel far from home to find work to support his family.  They did not hear from him for a long time.  

     Then came the day the family came to the end of their stores of food and did not have enough wood for their fire. Things became so desperate, the Mother decided to go to the forest to gather pine cones in order to build a fire to keep her family warm. She wrapped a tattered shawl around her shoulders and with a basket ventured into the bitter cold.  As she traveled, she dreamed of finding enough to take to the marketplace to sell, so her family would have food to eat.

       After walking for hours, the faithful Mother finally reached the forest and began gathering pine cones into her basket. Suddenly, she heard a voice say, “Why are you stealing my pine cones?” With that, an elf appeared beside her.

       Exhausted and choking back her tears, she explained her sad dilemma to the tiny man.  With a crooked smile and a flourish of his pointed red cap, the elf said, “Go to the next forest. The pine cones are much better there.”

       Pouring the pine cones back onto the ground, she set off once more.  By the time she reached the edge of the next forest, she could not take another step.   Trembling, she dropped to her knees in the soft pine needles and leaned her tired body against a tree, her empty basket tumbling down beside her.

       No sooner had she done this, dozens of pine cones started falling to the ground. Filled with renewed hope and energy, she tucked as many pine cones into her basket as she could and walked the long trek home.

       Foot sore and weary, she set the basket down on her doorstep.  A tired smile crossed her face as she heard the laughter of her children through the door.  Tears filled her eyes.  Even when faced with cold and hunger, her children still found laughter.  The dear little Mother's heart was filled with hope.

       But when she bent to pick up the basket of pine cones it was so heavy she could not lift it.  She opened the door calling the children to come and help.  When she and the children looked closer at the basket of pine cones, they discovered the pine cones had all turned to silver.  Not long afterward, the Father arrived home with a sack of food, which they prepared over a crackling fire. From that day forward, the family never had to face hunger and cold again.

     Legend of the Silver Pine Cone - Copyright ©2013 by Beth L. Niquette

Because of this legend, many people believe pine cones are lucky.  I've seen silver pine cones in stores around Christmas, but had no idea there was a story behind them.  In Germany, it is customary to keep a pine cone on the dresser, or hearth to make sure good fortune comes your way.

Happy Postcard Friendship Friday, and Merry Christmas dear Friends!  

* LINKING UP:  You can put your link in any time between now and next Thursday.  Postcard Friendship Friday is open for the entire week! 

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Isn't She Pretty?

Here is another postcard with those same three children.  The card is from Germany and says Warm Christmas Greetings.  I adore their outfits--especially the girl's buttoned boots--just perfect for a walk in the snow.  It's a good thing there's plenty of mistletoe in that bouquet she's holding, otherwise the holly would be quite prickly!

I'm not sure what is going on here, but it seems the little boy holding the girl's hand is saying, "Isn't she pretty?"  Perhaps the smaller fellow putting up such a fuss, is her brother and he is objecting. What do you think?

Have a lovely day!

Oh, Christmas Tree! - Postcard Friendship Friday #41

My family comes from Austria and Germany, so it was fun to learn some of our Christmas traditions began there.  In the 1700's the tops of evergreen trees were cut and then hung from the ceilings.  These first Christmas trees were decorated with apples, gilded nuts, candies and red paper strips.  Because of these edible ornaments, they were often called sugar trees! 

Though the French believe they were the first to put candles on Christmas trees, others attribute the tradition to the Germans.  Christmas trees themselves, were then introduced to the United States by German settlers.  The first glass ornaments also came from Germany.  By the mid-1800’s Christmas trees were harvested at random from America's forests and sold commercially. 

In 1853 Franklin Pierce brought the first Christmas Tree to the White House.  In the early 1900’s due to over harvesting, the natural supply of evergreen trees was nearly decimated. Conservationists became alarmed and many magazines began to encourage people to substitute an artificial “snow” covered tree, consisting of a branch of a deciduous tree wrapped in cotton.  I wish there were pictures of these--anyone out there know of any?  Let me know, I'd love to see one!

The first Christmas Tree farm was started in 1901 when W.V. McGalliard planted 25,000 Norway spruce on his farm in New Jersey. This was around the time President Theodore Roosevelt decided to ban the tradition of Christmas Trees out of concern for the destruction of  forests. His two sons didn’t agree and enlisted the help of conservationist Gifford Pinchot to persuade the president that, done properly, the practice was not harmful to the forests.  Thirty years later President Franklin Roosevelt started a Christmas Tree farm on his estate in Hyde Park, New York.

In 1966, the United States National Christmas Tree Association began the tradition of having the Grand Champion Christmas tree grower present a tree to the First Lady for display in the Blue Room of the White House.

Today approximately 25-30 million Christmas Trees are sold each year in the USA.  Almost all of these come from Christmas Tree farms.  Hurrah!   Oh, Christmas Tree!

To see all things postal, including delightful old letters, visit Gemma at Greyscale Territory at Weekend Mailbox!

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So What About That Easter Bunny? - Postcard Friendship Friday #1

Welcome to Postcard Friendship Friday. This is my first time hosting this fun event. I admit I'm a little nervous--I hope it all works the way it's supposed to!


The Easter Bunny as an Easter symbol seems to have its origins in Alsace and southwestern Germany, where it was first mentioned in German writings in the 1600s. The first edible Easter Bunnies were made in Germany during the early 1800s and were made of pastry and sugar.

The Easter Bunny was introduced to America by the German settlers who arrived in the Pensylvania Dutch country during the 1700s. The arrival of the German Osterhase, or Easter Hare was considered one of "childhood's greatest pleasures.

According to tradition, children would build brightly colored nests, often out of caps and bonnets, in secluded areas of their homes. If the children had been good, the Easter Hare would lay brightly colored eggs in the nest.

As the tradition spread and years passed by, the nest eventually became the Easter basket and the placing of the nest in a hidden area has become the tradition of hiding eggs.