A glowing electric light bulb garlands

Description of Web Page Dividers: electric light bulb garland graphics come in purple, green, red and yellow.

Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject, folks.

More Light Filled Clip Art for Christmas:

• Banner of praying hands and candles
• A Lighted Lamp with Scriptures
• Light of The World

Ringing In The Holidays: Christmas Bell Cip Art

       The following clip art is by Donna Rice; it is for personal use only. Please read our Terms of Use before downloading.

"Ringing in the Holidays," graphic in black, red and green.

Illustrations of Snowmen

This little snowman is a vintage booblehead, "Let it Snow!"

I fashioned this little sock snowman for a Christmas fair.
He has long since been sold but you can still put his portrait
on a card or in some sort of paper craft project.

This vintage looking snowman holds a broom
and sports a checkered scarf.

A drawing I created in photoshop of a snowman.

This friendly snowman also has earmuffs. 

This little guy was originally made of paper mache.
He hung on my Christmas tree for many years.

A cheerful snowman hold a pine tree.

One of my daughters drew this snowy guy
for Christmas, when she was little.

Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject, folks.

More Snowman Clip Art:

• Snowman on candy cane skis...

Clip Art of Gingerbread

gingerbread cookie clip art

gingerbread greetings clip art

gingerbread house clip art

gingerbread wreath clip art

Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject, folks.

Christmas Candy Clip Art

peppermints

ribbon candy, "While sugar plums danced in my head!"

heart shaped candy canes

Visions of Sugar Plums

Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject, folks.

Christmas Tree Graphics

Little Christmas Tree in Green.

Little Christmas Tree in Red.

Little Christmas Tree in Blue.

Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject, folks.

Decorate A Woodland Christmas Tree

       I've have always loved Christmas trees that are inspired by nature. This lovely, natural Christmas tree and display is staged at the old Watkins Family Farm, in Lawson Missouri. All of the buildings on the farm were dedicated as historic landmarks in 1966. I took a family walk at the mill during a Christmas holiday in 2011.

A "woodland" Christmas tree was on display
 at Watkins Mill, 2011. It features different types of fowl
indigenous to Missouri.

The bird's nests are real and I assume these were collected after the birds
abandoned them for the season. The staff also trimmed the tree with bird
feathers, cotton, and pine cones.

I believe the birds to be actual taxidermy. Many folks do not
 know that taxidermy is not made using the "actual"
 skeleton and internal organs of a dead animal. Taxidermy
 is formed around a plastic or resin mold, using the
feathers or furs of an animal. This can make a difference
to those people who are a bit squeemish around
 objects they believe to be intact specimens. These
birds are intended for educational purposes, not just
decorative ones.

You can view more photographs of Watkins Mill here.

I tiny blue bird nests within the pine boughs of the Christmas tree
 at Watkins Mill State Park.

More About "How" to Decorate a Christmas Tree: Adding Ribbon to Your Tree * Decorating in Layers * Unpacking Tree Decorations * Jim Marvin, decorator for the presidents * Adding Deco Mesh to Trees * Tree Trimming Tips * 10 Beautiful Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas * 15 more ideas for decorating trees from hgtv *

Print Victorian Christmas Gift Tags in Color

A Victorian lady graces this Christmas gift tag.

A Victorian gift tag depicting a little Dutch girl in wooden clogs.

Trim your Christmas presents with a Victorian gift tag picturing a milk maid.

 

More Victorian Gift Tags:

• A Victorian lady gift tag from The Christmas Gazette
• Christmas Holly gift tags by Kathy Grimm 
• Victorian Gift Tags from Becky

Printable Christmas Holiday Gift Tags:

• Four excellent varieties from Erin Huffstetler
• 10 marvelous retro sets at the Vintage Fangirl
• Free Christmas Gift Tags for The Last Minute Wrap

Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject, folks.

Restored, Nostalgic, Christmas Postcards of Santa Claus

This lovely, nostalgic postcard reads, "A Happy Christmas Tide"

Santa says, "We wish you all a jolly Christmas and a Happy New Year"

This old-fashioned postcard has a Christmas poem, "Santa is a jolly man,
 With such a happy way, He brings you my best wishes, This Merry Christmas Day."

Long ago many Victorians sent this "Christmas Greeting" embossed with gold,
 metallic ink and a weathered looking Belznickle.

 "A Merry Christmas" on a silver and gold embossed portrait of Santa.

Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box 

and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content

 that is closely related to the subject, folks.

Giant Christmas Murals by Paul Johnson

"Paul Johnson, artist, created the massive mural for the Concordia Christmas Concerts (Moorhead, Minnesota) with his MacBook Pro, Illustrator and 44 rolls of 4 foot wide large format printer output. See how it all comes together."

Prior to Johnson's murals the Christmas concert murals were painted by volunteers under the supervision of David Hetland.

More links to information about the concerts and murals

The Dark Side of Christmas

A Krampus Card

      Krampus is a mythical creature recognized in Alpine countries.  According to legend, Krampus accompanies Saint Nicholas during the Christmas season, warning and punishing bad children, in contrast to St. Nicholas, who gives gifts to good children. When the Krampus finds a particularly naughty child, it stuffs the child in its sack and carries the frightened child away to its lair, presumably to devour for its Christmas dinner.

      In the Alpine regions, Krampus is represented as a beast-like creature, generally demonic in appearance. The creature has roots in Germanic folklore. Traditionally young men dress up as the Krampus in Austria, southern Bavaria, South Tyrol, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia during the first week of December, particularly on the evening of 5 December, and roam the streets frightening children with rusty chains and bells. Krampus is featured on holiday greeting cards called Krampuskarten. There are many names for Krampus, as well as many regional variations in portrayal and celebration.

      Europeans have been exchanging greeting cards featuring Krampus since the 1800s. Sometimes introduced with Gruß vom Krampus (Greetings from the Krampus), the cards usually have humorous rhymes and poems. Krampus is often featured looming menacingly over children. He is also shown as having one human foot and one cloven hoof. In some, Krampus has sexual overtones; he is pictured pursuing buxom women. Over time, the representation of Krampus in the cards has changed; older versions have a more frightening Krampus, while modern versions have a cuter, more Cupid-like creature. Krampus has also adorned postcards and candy containers.

      Alternative names for Krampus are:

• In France's Alsace region, Krampus is known as Hans Trapp.
• In some older parts of Germany he is referred to as "Grampus"
• Klaubauf is used throughout the whole of Austria.
• Bartl or Bartel, Niglobartl, and Wubartl are used in the southern part of Austria.
• In Hungary, he is Krampusz.
• In Slovenia he is called Parkelj
• In the Czech republic he is known as the Čert. 
• In the town of Andrista in Val Camonica in the southern central Alps he is called Badalisc. 

The Hans Trapp character in a 1953 photograph
 taken in Wintzenheim, Alsace.

A stylized Krampus postcard from the 1940s.

Finding The Christmas Pickle

 

      The Christmas Pickle is a tradition related to the Christmas tree. In this tradition, a family decorates its Christmas tree with ornaments including one glass pickle. On Christmas morning, the first child to find the pickle on the tree would get a special gift and would supposedly have a year of good fortune.

      This tradition has been commonly practiced among Americans with German immigrant ancestors but no one is exactly sure when the tradition began. It was a game that my husband always played on Christmas day as a child and our family has continued to do so as well.

"Oh Christmas Tree" or "O Tannenbaum"

       "O Tannenbaum" or "O Christmas Tree" is a German Christmas song. Based on a traditional folk song which was unrelated to Christmas, it became associated with the traditional Christmas tree by the middle of the 19th century and sung as a Christmas carol.

       The modern lyrics were written in 1824 by the Leipzig organist, teacher and composer Ernst Anschütz. A Tannenbaum is a fir tree. The lyrics do not actually refer to Christmas, or describe a decorated Christmas tree. Instead, they refer to the fir's evergreen quality as a symbol of constancy and faithfulness.

       Anschütz based his text on a 16th-century Silesian folk song by Melchior Franck, "Ach Tannenbaum". August Zarnack in 1819 wrote a tragic love song inspired by this folk song, taking the evergreen, "faithful" fir tree as contrasting with a faithless lover. The folk song first became associated with Christmas with Anschütz, who added two verses of his own to the first, traditional verse. The custom of the Christmas tree developed in the course of the 19th century, and the song came to be seen as a Christmas carol. Anschütz's version still had treu (true, faithful) as the adjective describing the fir's leaves (needles), harking back to the contrast to the faithless maiden of the folk song. This was changed to grün (green) at some point in the 20th century, after the song had come to be associated with Christmas.

Oh Christmas Tree in English

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree!
How are thy leaves so verdant!
Not only in the summertime,
But even in winter is thy prime.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How are thy leaves so verdant!

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Much pleasure dost thou bring me!
For ev’ry year the Christmas tree,
Brings to us all both joy and glee.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Much pleasure dost thou bring me!

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are thy branches!
Not only green when summer's here
But in the coldest time of year.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How lovely are thy branches!

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How sturdy God hath made thee!
Thou bidds't us all place faithfully
Our trust in God, unchangingly!
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
How sturdy God hath made thee!

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Thy candles shine out brightly!
Each bough doth hold its tiny light,
That makes each toy to sparkle bright.
O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Thy candles shine out brightly!

Sung by Mario Lanza.

What Are Weihnachtspyramide?

A pyramid at the Christmas
market in Mainz

      A Christmas Pyramid (German: Weihnachtspyramide) is a Christmas decoration that has its roots in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) of Germany but has become popular throughout the country. It is suggested that the Christmas pyramid is a predecessor of the Christmas tree; These pyramids themselves are not limited to Christmas: in the Erzgebirge existed a custom of dancing around the "St. John's Tree," "a pyramid decked with garlands and flowers," at the summer solstice.

      It is a kind of Carousel with several levels some depicting Christian motifs, such as angels or manger scenes, and others with more secular motifs such as mountain-folk, forests, and other scenes from the everyday life of people in the Erzgebirge. The spinning motion of the pyramids is traditionally achieved with the help of candles whose rising heat spins a propeller above. Christmas pyramids serve a mainly decorative purpose today, filling children and adults alike with holiday cheer.

      Generally Christmas pyramids are made of wood and based on four- to eight-sided platforms with a long pole in the middle serving as the axle to which the entire apparatus tapers above and which supports any further platforms. Inside in a glass or ceramic support is a driveshaft on to which at least one platform is attached. The figures, which stand on the platforms are also traditionally made of wood.

      Christmas pyramids take various forms from intricately carved miniature houses with pitched roofs, to large multi-level structures that simply serve as a display for the carved figures. In many cities in the Ore Mountains there are large Christmas pyramids on the Market Square at the Christmas Market or in other locations associated with Christmas hustle and bustle.

Left, Christmas pyramids from the
House of Tilgner

      The origins of the Christmas pyramids date back to the Middle Ages. In this period it was traditional in southern and western Europe to bring evergreen branches, for example boxwood into the home and hang them, in order to ward off moroseness in the dark and cold winter months. In northern and eastern Europe traditional candles were used to achieve this goal. The Christmas pyramid would eventually unify these two traditions and become a symbol of Christmas celebrations. The forefather to the pyramid was a construction known as a "Lichtergestelle" (literally: thing on which lights are set) and were very popular in the 18th century. They were constructions made of four poles, decorated with evergreen boughs, tied together at the top and lit with candles. In the large cities, the Christmas tree, now recognizable all over the world, gradually replaced the Lichtergestelle, but in the mountains, the people did not see a simple tree bedecked with lights, rather they were reminded of the capstans, which were commonly used in the mines of the Ore Mountains. To the pyramid shape was added the spinning motion of the capstan and the earliest Christmas pyramids were born.

      The name "Christmas pyramid" came about because the Napoleonic Campaign in Egypt at the end of the 18th Century brought pictures of the pyramids back to Europe and eventually to the Ore Mountains, where they reminded the people of the mining capstans and also of the Christmas constructions.

      An important breakthrough in the popularity of the Christmas pyramid came around 1830 with the discovery of kerosene. Previously, people had used relatively expensive candles or rapeseed oil. As the means to light and spin the pyramids became much cheaper, the tradition spread. Now such pyramids can be found in numerous styles and sizes all over Germany as well as in many parts of the United States.

The Toymakers of The Ore Mountains

Painting of Räuchermänner (Seiffen, 1947)

      The history of wooden toymaking in the Ore Mountains is closely bound to regional circumstances. The Ore Mountains are located in Central Europe on the border between Germany and the Czech Republic. For many centuries it was a countryside in which the local population eked out a hard existence from the land. Long and harsh winters restricted agriculture; in addition the region had very poor communications. With the onset of ore mining a new line of commerce developed, but the hard labor and high risks involved meant that it was only work for young and strong men. Many were injured or died as a result of accidents. The miners rose early in the morning whilst it was still dark in order to go to work and did not return home again until late in the evening after dark. From those times comes a custom that has survived to the present day, the practice of placing lights in the window. These lights were intended to show the miners the safe way back to the homes of their families.

Räuchermännchen

      It was not long before the winnings of silver ore fell in many parts of the mountains and numerous pits had to close. This hardship forced its inhabitants to look for other work and, thanks to abundance of timber in the region, the manufacture of wooden toys became an important secondary source of income. Entire families were engaged in wooden toymaking, especially in the harsh winters. Child labor in conditions of poor lighting and equipment was the rule rather than the exception. The children often had to work more than 12 hours a day. Families developed a high degree of specialisation. For example, an experienced turner would be working on turning animal shapes (Reifendrehen), another man carved the animal figures out of it and another family took over the painting and the manufacture of small boxes. Earnings from the individual steps in the process were very low. Production was usually bought by travelling merchants who used their position without mercy, to force down the prices. The majority of these products was taken to the toy markets of Nuremberg and redistributed from there. The formation of associations and cooperatives (such as Dregeno) was in order to ensure a minimum level of income.

      Production is concentrated today in the toymaking village of Seiffen and its surrounding area in the middle of the so-called "German Christmas Land" as the Ore Mountains are called. A great variety of products has developed, but they are clearly associated with the Ore Mountains and go by the concept of Ore Mountain folk art. They include many typical wooden Ore Mountain products such as Christmas pyramids, wooden Räuchermann incense smokers, nutcrackers, wooden figures (Christmas Angels, miners, turned animals, etc.), Christmas mountain scenes (Weihnachtsberge) and Ore Mountain candle arches.

Manufacture of Reifentiere (Seiffen, 1929)

More About Reifentiere:

• Treasures from the German Erzgebirge
• Association of Ore Mountain Artist-Craftsmen and Toymakers (Verband Erzgebirgischer Kunsthandwerker und Spielzeughersteller) (German)
• Ore Mountain Toy Museum, Seiffen (German)
• Nutcracker Museum, Neuhausen (German)

Frugal Stocking Stuffers.

Commercial candy stockings from 1918

The following list was updated in 2012

1. Save some of the Halloween candy for the Christmas stocking. Choose the treats that are not marked in such a way as to identify it as "Halloween" treats.
2. Collect small toy tokens from cereal boxes.
3. Purchase small school supplies and art supplies for Christmas stockings while stocking up on school supplies during "back to school sales." Many stores do not charge for tax during this time in some states.
4. Watch for sales and discounts all year long and buy for children's stockings during store wide clearances.
5. Print out paper dolls from the internet and create a paper doll collection for your child for free!
6. Make homemade fudge for your children and top it with their favorite candy treats. Pack the fudge in small tins.
7. Collect small toys from yard sales. Make sure that the toys look unused. Sometimes you can find toys with tags still intact.
8. Often times makeup or perfume retailers/companies will give away free samples of their products. These make perfect stocking stuffers for young teens. 
9. Collect travel size lotions, soaps, shampoos etc... when your on a vacation; hotels give these away to their customers.
10. Customize your own handmade coupon books.
11. Start an ornament collection for your child and slip one into their stocking every year. 
12. Trial sizes of cookies, candies, jams, coffee etc... are available at stores like World Market.
13. Shop thrift stores for items like silk scarves, pocket books and vintage jewelry. 
14. Homemade art supply kits. Mix up some play dough.
15. The dentist gives away free wrapped toothbrushes and I always save these for Christmas Stockings.
16. Include nuts and dried fruits in your stockings; my father always stuffed these into my stocking when I was a child.
17. Record tapes or burn CDs of yourself reading a favorite storybook to your child. These kinds of gifts come in handy when your traveling across country in a car, plane or on a train. Children can look at their favorite book and listen to you read even when you are not there with them!
18. Give small jars full of cookie decorating supplies and a treasure map to the cookie dough hidden deep inside the refrigerator. Make a game of helping mom or dad to celebrate Christmas with fresh baked cookies.
19. Tuck extra toys inside a pair of cozy socks. For teens, you could add some fun nail polish inside a pair of toe socks. 
20. Include mints, gum and sunglasses for teens to add to their stash of must haves.

Mistrot Bros. & Co. Christmas Ad from the Houston Daily, 1898. "...
Let Industrial Houston's Greatest Store Fill Your Stockings
 With Sensible Holiday Gifts"

A Baby Boomer's Christmas Stocking

More Frugal Stocking Stuffers:

• 10 Frugal Stocking Stuffers for Children
• Clutter-free Stocking Stuffers

Medallion Shaped St. Nick

These medallion shaped illustrations of
Saint Nicholas come in green red and black.

Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject, folks.

Christmas Clipart or Clip Art Pages On This Blog: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61

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The Yule Log in Croatia, Serbia, and Bulgaria

      In Croatia, Christmas Eve is called Badnjak (Christmas Eve Day: Badnji dan, Christmas Eve night: Badnja večer), after the traditional log that is cut on Christmas Eve and lit in the hearth of the home in the evening. In villages, the father of the family cuts down a piece of wood from a tree at dawn, reciting the Lord's Prayer and making the sign of the cross, invoking God to bless the family. In the cities, logs are usually bought instead of cut down. The log is brought to the home, but left inside until the evening, where it is brought in and placed in the hearth or fireplace. Holy water is then poured on the log, usually accompanied by the Apostle's Creed. It is then lit and the father praises Jesus and welcomes Christmas Eve.

      The badnjak is a central feature in the traditional Serbian Christmas celebration. It is the log that a family solemnly brings into the house and places on the fire in the evening of Christmas Eve. The tree used for the badnjak, preferably a young and strait oak, is ceremoniously felled in the early morning of Christmas Eve. Traditionally the head of the family was sent dressed in his best clothes to cut down an oak, elm, or pear tree. That tree is used as the badnjak. A prayer for forgiveness was necessary before it could be chopped down with three strikes with axe, and carried on one's right shoulder as it is not allowed to touch the ground. The burning of the log is accompanied by prayers to God so that the coming year may bring much happiness, love, luck, riches, and food. It would burn on through Christmas Day, whether rekindled or kept burning from the Eve. The first person to visit the family on that day should strike the burning badnjak with a poker or a branch to make sparks fly from it, at the same time uttering a wish that the happiness, prosperity, health, and joy of the family be as abundant as the sparks. The ideal environment to fully carry out these customs is the traditional multi-generation country household. Since most Serbs today live in towns and cities, the badnjak is symbolically represented by several leaved oak twigs that can be bought at marketplaces or received in churches. The origin of the badnjak is explained by events surrounding the Nativity of Jesus Christ. Scholars, however, regard these customs as practices inherited from the old Slavic religion.

      In Bulgaria , it is an important part of Christmas Eve preparations. Traditionally а young man of the family was sent dressed in his best clothes to cut down an oak, elm, or pear tree. That tree is used as the Budnik (bg:Бъдник). A prayer for forgiveness was necessary before it could be chopped down and carried on one's right shoulder as it is not allowed to touch the ground. An indication of the importance of the ritual is that Christmas Eve translates to Budnik or Budnik Eve (bg:Бъдни вечер) in Bulgaria. In some regions, upon the man's return he asks "Do you glorify the Young God?" three times and receive a positive answer "We glorify Him, welcome". After that a hole is bored in one end of the badnik and filled with Chrism made of wine, cooking oil, and incense. The hole is plugged, and that end of the log is wrapped with a white linen cloth before the badnik is festively burned on the hearth. The log is considered to possess special healing powers and the ritual includes songs and uttering of wishes as the log is lit much like the Serbian ritual described above. The log has to burn all night and it is believed that its warmth and light symbolize the coming of Christ as well as providing a warm welcome to Virgin Mary and the family's ancestors who are believed to be guests at the table according to traditions in some regions. Sometimes the fire is put off using wine in the morning. Remains of the log are cherished and sometimes used to make personal crosses, also to make a plough and ashes are simply spread over a field or vineyard to induce better yields.

Bringing in the Yule Log at an environmental center.