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Wrapping Paper

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Wrapping Paper

Without wrapping paper, what would you do?

  • ‘Wrapping paper’ is also known as ‘gift wrap’ and in the early 1900s it was known as ‘gift dressing’.
  • Wrapping paper is used to attractively hide the content of presents using anything from paper to bags to boxes.
  • Wrapping paper is commonly held around the gift and taped to itself with pressure-sensitive tape and embellished with ribbon and ribbon bows.
  • Wrapping paper was first recorded in Ancient China, dating back to 100BC, and was probably used for protecting items from damage, rather than to hide its contents.
  • Thick, decorative wrapping paper was often used by the wealthy in the 1800s to cover gifts, and in the early 1900s, plain red, white or green tissue paper was commonly used to wrap Christmas presents.

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  • In 1917, Rollie and J.C. Hall, founders of the greeting card company Hallmark, sold out of tissue paper in their retail store in the lead up to Christmas, so they supplied customers with fancy coloured envelope linings as an alternative, which were extremely popular, and this caused decorative wrapping paper to be quickly added to their line of products.
  • Wrapping paper is sometimes reused, but is usually discarded, and in the United States alone, 3.6 million tonnes (4 million tons) of the paper and shopping bags from the Christmas season is sent to the rubbish dump, and accounts for 4/5 of the extra waste in that period.
  • Decorated paper is the most common type of wrapping paper, although historically, fabric wrapping cloths, known as ‘furoshiki’ in Japan and ‘bogaji’ in Korea were typically used, and these, as well as other fabric wrappings and reused paper from various sources, are sometimes used as an environmentally friendly alternative.
  • Up until the early 1900s, brown paper was typically used as wrapping paper for gifts and purchased goods.
  • People spend large quantities of money on wrapping paper; an estimated $2.6 billion in the United States, every year.
Bibliography:
Garber M, Wrapper’s Delight: a Brief History of Wrapping Paper, 2012, The Atlantic, http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/12/wrappers-delight-a-brief-history-of-wrapping-paper/266599/
Gift Wrapping, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gift_wrapping

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Bethlehem

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Bethlehem

Luke 2:11 NIV Bible ‘For unto you is born this day in the city of David [Bethlehem] a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’

  • Bethlehem is a religious city located in Palestine, in the West Bank, in the Middle East, and it has a large proportion of Christians and also Muslims.
  • ‘Bethlehem’ is also known as ‘Bēt Lahm’, ‘Beit Sahur’, ‘Ephratah’ and ‘the City of David’, as well as many other names, and the name has at least two different meanings – in Hebrew, ‘house of bread’ and in Arabic, ‘house of meat’.
  • Bethlehem is the city of Jesus Christ’s birth, and is one of the oldest Christian settlements.
  • The first known reference of Bethlehem is in a 1400 BC dated letter, involving the King of Egypt and King of Jerusalem of the era.
  • Bethlehem has seen much unrest in its history, with opponents taking over the city a number of times, and it was occupied by the Romans in 132 AD, and later Muslims from 637 AD.

Bethlehem City, Town, Middle East, Palestine, Jesus' Hometown, modern, birds eye, panorama, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

Bethlehem
Image courtesy of David Poe/Flickr
  • Conflict between Israel and Palestine has been evident for a century and so the control of Bethlehem was in Israel’s hands for some time, however the city has been governed by the Palestinian National Authority since 1995.
  • Bethlehem has a population of approximately 25,000 people, and a fifth of those live in the original area of the city, known as the ‘old city’.
  • Temperatures in Bethlehem range, on average from 5 to 30°C (41 to 86°F), and June to September are generally dry months, while November to January are generally the wettest.
  • Bethlehem accommodates approximately 2 million tourists annually, with the industry supplying 65% of the city’s wealth.
  • Bethlehem saw its first female mayor in 2012, Vera Baboun, who was previously a headmistress and lecturer, and is the home of 135 schools, 100 of which are government schools operated by the Palestine Authority.
Bibliography: Bethlehem, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethlehem
Mor L, Bethlehem History, n.d, Holy Land Network, http://www.holylandnetwork.com/bethlehem/bethlehem.htm

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Fruitcake

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Fruitcake

Fruitcake may sound healthy… But it has lots of sugar!

  • Fruitcake is typically made of dried and/or candied fruit, with added spices, flour, sugar, egg, butter, and often nuts.
  • ‘Fruitcake’ is also known as ‘fruit cake’, ‘Christmas cake’ and ‘black cake’.
  • Fruitcake is a cake that is commonly eaten during the Christmas season or at weddings, and sometimes at other occasions including special anniversaries.
  • Fruitcake, in some countries, is covered with icing, or marzipan, or eaten with cream or similar, while many countries eat it plain.
  • Fruitcake started to become popular during Ancient Rome, where preserved fruit was made into a cake with other ingredients.

Fruitcake, Christmas cake, Sultana, Fruit, Slice, Ten Random Facts, Dessert, Food,

  • Many countries of the Commonwealth cook dark brown coloured fruit cakes, known as ‘traditional fruit cakes’, that emphasize the use of nuts and fruit, and light fruit cakes are sometimes baked in these and other countries.
  • Some Christmas cake recipes use alcohol, like rum, brandy or whiskey, to enhance the flavour and extend the shelf-life of the cake.
  • Fruitcake has been used as a tossing item in competitions, particularly in the tossing tournament in the US’s Colorado.
  • Once candied fruit was being produced in the 1500s, fruit cake became more common and cheaper.
  • Fruitcake can be preserved for over 20 years with the use of alcohol, even without refrigeration, and has been used by soldiers due to its long shelf life.
Bibliography:
Douglas J, Ultimate Guide to Fruitcake, 2013, TLC, http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/fruitcake1.htm
Fruitcake, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruitcake

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Christmas Card

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Christmas Card

“Have a very merry Christmas and fun handing out Christmas cards!” – from Ten Random Facts.

  • ‘Christmas cards’ are also known as ‘holiday cards’ and traditionally have greetings, commonly “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”.
  • Christmas cards are traditionally exchanged during the Christmas season and are often posted or given out as early as November.
  • Printed Christmas cards were first produced by the Englishmen, Sir Henry Cole with artwork by John Horsley, in 1843, partly to make use of the new, cheap, postal service.
  • Christmas cards originally depicted the season of spring, typically flowers, unlike the Christmas designs now found on cards.
  • American Louis Prang significantly increased the popularity of Christmas cards, notably introducing the cards to America in the 1870s.

Christmas Cards, Santa Claus, Nativity, Imagine Make Believe, JJY Productions, Santa, Mrs Claus, Candy Canes, Jesus, Christmas Tree, Ten Random Facts.

  • Christmas cards are typically bought singularly or in packets of two or more, and can be found in supermarkets, department stores, newsagents and other shops, and they can also be purchased through charities to help raise funds for their organisation.
  • In 2005, residents of the United States sent 1.9 billion Christmas cards, and in 2008, the British sent nearly 670 million cards, although in the past decade their has been a decrease in the number of cards purchased, due to the higher costs of postage, cost of cards, economic climate, availability of e-cards and the use of email and social media.
  • Christmas cards are traditionally made of card (strong paper), but more recently electronic cards have been designed and are generally cheaper.
  • Christmas cards are commonly collected by many people, and Queen Mary’s (1867 – 1953) collection of cards is owned by the British Museum.
  • Of the 1000 Christmas cards that were printed for Sir Henry Cole, only 10-12 have survived the centuries, one of which sold in 2001 for £22,500.

If you would like to buy some Christmas cards depicted in the photograph, visit Imagine Make Believe.

Bibliography:
Christmas Card, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_card
Copper J, The History of Christmas Cards, Why Christmas, http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/cards.shtml

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Poinsettia

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Poinsettia

An important Christmas flower: poinsettia.

  • Poinsettias are decorative plants, from the family Euphorbiaceae, the family of spurges.
  • Poinsettias are small trees or shrubs that grow from 0.6 to 4 metres (2 to 13 feet) in height, and have large leaves.
  • The scientific name of poinsettias is ‘Euphorbia pulcherrima’, and they are also known as ‘lobster flowers’ and ‘flame-leaf flowers’ and there are over 100 varieties of the plant.
  • Poinsettias are native to Central America and Mexico and can be found in forests, which is their natural habitat.
  • Poinsettias are a popular, symbolic Christmas plant, as they resemble the colours of Christmas, typically being red and green coloured.

Poinsettia, Red, Green, Christmas, Plant, Winter, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not dangerously poisonous, although the sap can cause sickness if consumed and an allergic reaction can occur for some people if they touch the sap.
  • Poinsettias are primarily green, although the bracts, that are often mistaken as the flower, come in various colours, and different varieties can be found in red, orange, pink, white, pale shades and white shades, as well as speckled and multicoloured.
  • Poinsettia flowers are generally small, clustered, and yellow in colour, centred in the middle of the bracts.
  • Poinsettias are popularly grown indoors and although they are often incorrectly believed to lack survival outside, they can be grown outside all year round, as long as they are not exposed to frost.
  • ‘Poinsettia’ is named after Joel Poinsett, who was a politician, physician and botanist, and the first United States Minister to Mexico.
Bibliography:
Poinsettia, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poinsettia
Poinsettia Facts, 2013, University of Illinois Extension, http://urbanext.illinois.edu/poinsettia/facts.cfm

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Chandelier

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Chandelier

An important addition to all spectacular homes: a chandelier.

  • Chandeliers are large decorative light fittings, usually able to hold multiple bulbs or candles, and are hung from ceilings.
  • ‘Chandelier’ comes from the old French word ‘chandelabre’, that has its origins in the word ‘candelabrum’, a Latin word meaning ‘candlestick’.
  • The first chandeliers were originally wooden cross-sections that held candles during the Middle Ages.
  • Chandeliers are typically used for decoration and luminescence, and add a feeling of luxury, although they are not so common as they once were one or two centuries ago.
  • The largest Bohemian crystal chandelier in existence today weighs 6 tonnes (4.5 tons) and was given to Dolmabahçe Palace in Turkey, by Queen Victoria in the 19th century, however, larger crystal chandeliers can be seen, including a Swarovski crystal one in the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Oman, which is 8 metres wide and has a height of 14 metres.

Chandelier, Lights, Crystal, Glass, Shop, Many, Candles, Ten Random Facts, Glassware, Decoration, Hanging,

  • Chandeliers were historically made from wood, brass, iron and other metals, and glass and crystal were added to spectacularly disperse and reflect light throughout the room.
  • Chandeliers were originally only owned by the higher classes and were a symbol of wealth, and Dolmabahçe Palace in Turkey has one of the most extensive chandelier collections in the world.
  • Chandeliers were often powered by gas and electricity from the 1800s, and during that time, crystals were sometimes included.
  • Authentic chandeliers originating from the Middle Ages are quite rare, as most hung in churches and were destroyed in the 1500s due to the reformation.
  • Chandeliers have been produced in numerous different styles, and the largest chandelier in the world in 2010, called ‘Reflective Flow’ is a non-traditional chandelier that holds 165,000 LED lights, has a weight of 18, 000 kg (39, 683 lb), is 5.8 m (19 ft) tall, 12.5 m (41 ft) wide, and 38.5 m (126 ft 4 in) long, and hangs in the atrium of the Al Hitmi office building in Doha, Qatar.
Bibliography:
Chandelier, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandelier
History of Pendant Lamps – the Chandelier, 2010, Designboom, http://www.designboom.com/history/p_chandelier.html

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