2013 caroler chronicle

2013magalog-kmh.indd 1 10/15/13 1:51 PM

6 Snow Day Memories Poems by Caroler Fans and More!

12 German Christmas Markets

20 Gingerbread The Sweet Smell of Christmas

26 Caroler Accessories Completing your Caroler Displays

32 History of Blown Glass Ornaments

39 The Nativity Christmas Decorating Starts Here

44 www.byerschoice.com Explore our New Online Features

46 A Victorian Christmas

50 Kindles — Guardians of the Christmas Spirit

features CHRISTMAS 2013

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www.byerschoice.com 1

note from joyce

JOYCE BYERS Founder & Designer, Byers’ Choice Ltd.

Last December, Bob and I took a short trip to Germany to visit the Christmas Markets. It had been twenty years since our last Christmas Market experience, and we planned this trip with visions of nutcrackers, gingerbread and beautiful glass ornaments dancing in our heads.

The first stop was a chocolate factory in Cologne where beautiful Christmas candies, similar to those held by Byers’ Choice figurines, were made. In a quaint Bavarian town, we had a lesson in Christmas cookie baking and decorating followed by warm gingerbread Santa cookies to be enjoyed with hot chocolate and Glühwein.

The charming old towns, and their magnificent cathedrals and markets decorated for the Christmas season, put the entire country into a holiday spirit. You could hear and feel “Merry Christmas” echoing from every wall. We see less and less of this in the United States today. Are we too busy to take time to enjoy the holiday season? Have we become too politically correct? I hope not. The idea of friends and neighbors congregating to share the spirit and tradition of Christmas is a very old one which goes back hundreds of years. We can’t let it die on our watch.

Celebrate, congregate, and share the spirit of Christmas with one and all. Fill your home and your heart with the joy of Christmas. Invite friends to join you. Move into the streets with song and good cheer to thank God for the gifts He has given us. Be a participant in this season we call Christmas.

Merry Christmas to All!

2013magalog-kmh.indd 1 10/18/13 9:55 AM

Favorite

Christmas Carols

Traditional Red Velvet Santa


Christmas carols spread a little joy throughout the holidays. And we all have a favorite

whether it is a classic or new jingle. What is your favorite Christmas carol? Do you have fond or comical

memories of singing carols with your family each holiday season?

Our “Deck the Halls” Display Santa is the next installment in the Santa’s Favorite Carols series. These

display Carolers are larger-than-life versions of their more common counterparts. Mounted on a wooden

base, they stride confidently into any scene singing with pride their favorite carols.


“Deck the Halls” Santa“Walking in a Winter Wonderland” Santa


4 BYERS’ CHOICE LTD. 215-822-6700

In Poland, Christmas is often called the

Festival of the Star

Polish Star Man, Caribou



Christmas by the sea

Nautical Mrs. Claus, Nautical Santa



Snow Day L E T I T S N O W ! L E T I T S N O W ! W h e n i t s n o w s , i t ’ s h a r d t o r e s i s t n o t g o i n g o u t ! L E T I T S N O W ! L E T I T S N O W ! L E T I T S N O W ! L E T I T S N O W ! L E T I T S N O W !

Over night, a winter storm has covered the landscape with a blanket of thick white snow. Children gleefully wake to

news that school is canceled and an

afternoon filled with snowball fights

and sledding ensues — oh snow day

memories!

Left: Snow Day Kid with Sled Snow Day Kid with Snowballs

I looked out the window -

Hip! Hip! Hooray!

The snow has piled up

And it’s a Snow Day.

For me, no books or tests

That I dread -

Just flying down the hill

On my trusty wood sled.

I’ll bundle up cozy

And head out to play.

School is forgotten

On this great Snow Day!Poe

m b

y A

pril

Ke

llenb

erg

er

Kids Skating



L E T I T S N O W ! L E T I T S N O W ! W h e n i t s n o w s , i t ’ s h a r d t o r e s i s t n o t g o i n g o u t ! L E T I T S N O W ! L E T I T S N O W !

One of the very best reasons for having children is to be

reminded of the incomparable joys of a snow day.

Susan Orlean

Adults with Skis, Kids with Snowboards

Kids Roasting Marshmallows


Snow is coming… we wait and pray,

please keep us home we want to stay.

We toss and turn and try to sleep,

sleds and snowballs are the dreams we keep.

A winter wonderland we awake to find,

and school no longer comes to mind.

We’re home to stay so let’s all play,

for you never know how long it’ll stay!


Poe

m b

y D

onn

a B

aro

ne

Toddler on Sled

Toddler in Wagon

Small Snowman with Lights Small Snowman with Candy Canes

Snowman with Santa Hat Snowman with Wreath



Peeked out the frosted window,before I went to bed.Not even one flake!I yearn to use my sled!

As I peacefully slumbered,the town was painted white.You should have seen it.What a sparkling sight!

Listened to the radio,anxiously ready to hear,my school number to be called.A snow day is finally here!

Hurry! Hurry!Find my mittens, find my boots.I want to make an angel.Where is my snow suit?

Out the door.With a joyous pause to look around.Oh, there’s Billy and JoeyThrowing snowballs like clowns!

Let’s climb that big hill.And sled down super fast.I like when the cold windhits my face--it’s a blast!

Up and down that powdery hill,we sled all day.But it was getting dark,to our dismay.

Quick! Make a plump manBuilt out of snow.Then trek back home,Tipping full branches as we go.

Warmed by the crackling fireWith sweet cocoa in handWhat a fantastic dayAren’t snow days just grand!

Poe

m b

y C

hris

tine

Wo

rre

ll

Above: Small Snowman with Skates, Small Snowman with Birdseed Ball Snowman with Snow Shovel, Snowman with Birdfeeder

SNOW DAY Fun!. . . Baby it’s cold outside!


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Gretel, German Santa, Hansel

Dear Santa . . .The tradition of writing a letter to Santa has

been in practice for generations around the globe.

GERMANY Children leave letters on their windowsills for Christkind, a winged figure dressed in white robes and a golden crown, who distributes gifts. Sometimes the letters

are decorated with glue and sprinkled with sugar to make them sparkle.


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BRITAIN Children write their letters to Father Christmas and then throw them into the fireplace so they will float up the chimney and fly to the North Pole. If the lists catch fire first, they have to rewrite them.

UNITED STATES Children begin mailing their letters to Santa during the weeks leading up to Christmas. History shows that the US Post Office began receiving letters to Santa Claus more than 100 years ago!

Old English Santa, Old English Mrs. Claus

Scottish Santa

Right: Candy Cane Santas, Candy Cane Table


12 BYERS’ CHOICE LTD. 215-822-6700Woman Selling Gingerbread, Gingerbread Market Stall,

Girl with Gingerbread, Boy with Gingerbread


Every Christmas, millions of people travel to cities across Germany

to experience the magic of the German Christmas markets.

For generations, craftsmen have gathered during the month of December to sell their

wares to a city’s people. Each city has its own market with a unique character born of

the days when only local tradesmen were permitted to attend.

In the shadow of the city’s iconic cathedral, the Cologne Christmas market’s vendors

lay out their wares in booths and tents packed onto the cobblestones of the old town

square. Booths selling hand-made Christmas toys and ornaments nestle in next to food

sellers grilling bratwurst and sweets stalls laden down with baskets of foil-wrapped treats

sparkling and glittering in the lamplight. The smells of fresh-baked gingerbread and

Glühwein—mulled wine, traditional Christmas market fare—fill the chilly air between the

stalls. The centerpiece of the market, a giant Christmas tree—the largest in the Rhineland—

towers over all but the cathedral spire, twinkling in the night.

Germany’s Famous Outdoor

Christmas Markets




The Yule Goat is a Scandinavian Christmas

tradition. Originally, he was an invisible spirit

who would come to your home to ensure

you were properly preparing for the Yuletide.

He later became associated with pranksters

and jokers and for a while the Goat was

the figure that brought gifts to children on

Christmas day.

The NutcrackerPainted, decorative nutcrackers got their start in

Saxony, in Germany, in the towns and villages of the

Erzgebirge, the mountain range that today separates

Germany and the Czech Republic. For hundreds of

years, the native inhabitants had mined silver and tin in

the foothills. But when the mineshafts began to run dry,

they turned to the only other natural resource available

to them—the lush forests of the Erzgebirge—to earn

their living. For many generations, the people of the

Erzgebirge had decorated their homes with wooden

carvings and statues and had become accomplished

woodworkers. It did not take long for the former miners

to begin exporting their creations throughout Germany

and across Europe.

Woman Selling Straw Ornaments Christmas Market Stall



In 1872

Wilhelm Füchtner,

known as the

“father of the nutcracker,”

made the first

commercial production

of nutcrackers

using the lathe

to create many of

the same design.

It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air.

~ W.T. Ellis

Above: Gifting Family Left: Nutcracker Vendor, Kids with Nutcrackers, Nutcracker Market Stall, Snow Trees


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The Christmas Peddler walks

the cobblestone streets of

London hawking his wares.

Toys, shovels, ornaments,

wrapping paper, and more—

anything you care to imagine

he has somewhere in his kit,

and if he doesn’t have it

today, he’s sure to have

it for you tomorrow!

Christmas Peddler



• InVictoriantimes,itwasveryfashionabletogo carol singing with small handbells to play the tune of the carol. Sometimes there would only be the bells and no singing! Handbell ringing is still popular today.

• InsomechurchesintheUK,itistraditionalthat the largest bell in the church is rung four times in the hour before midnight and then at midnight all the bells are rung in celebration of Christmas.

• ManyofthemostpopularChristmassongsare about the ringing of Christmas bells – “I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Silver Bells,” “Jingle Bells,” among many others.

fun Facts

Man with Bells

Clockmaker

Man Selling Candy Canes


Christmas Preparations

Toddler Boy Decorating Tree Toddler Girl Decorating Tree

To prepare our hearts for Christmas,

we must cultivate the spirit of expectancy.

Handel H. Brown



It used to be that every house on the block

had a chimney; he could land his reindeer up

on the roof and shimmy down the chimney into

the living room to deliver his presents and then

dart back up it again without anyone being

any the wiser. Nowadays, Santa’s had to start

getting creative. He’s been swizzling his way in

through the radiator when he can’t find a proper

chimney, but that’s a tight squeeze for a big

man like Santa!

Santa wanted to make sure he could get into

every house with good little girls and boys in

it to deliver their presents (and make sure he

doesn’t get stuck doing it!), so he’s started making

these special keys. Each one is enchanted. If you

hang it on your doorknob before going to bed

on Christmas Eve, it’ll let Santa open your door

and deliver your presents. Don’t forget to leave

him a plate of milk and cookies to thank him!

Santa has always had trouble

with houses that don’t have a fireplace.

Above: Red Velvet Santa with Train Red Velvet Mrs. Claus with Gelatin Mold

Fireplace with Candelabrum, Milk & Cookies Table Decorated Tree with Lights

Top Right: Santa’s Key


Every year at Christmas time it’s the same. The children all come

clamoring into the kitchen where slabs

of gingerbread are cooling on racks—

soon to be walls, chimneys and roofs—

next to bowls of candy and chocolate

that will become windows and doors,

and one big bowl of white icing to hold

it all together. The kids argue amongst

themselves, deciding who will get the

choicest pieces of gingerbread.

Each child clutches a stack of hard-

baked gingerbread and sets to work

at the kitchen table. They’re silent

now, too intent on their work to talk

amongst themselves. Soon enough, the

houses start to come together; walls rise

and roofs take shape. Little hands are

reaching for the candy bowls. Rooftops

are adorned with gumdrops and ordinary

chocolate bars become window shutters.

gingerbreadH O W S W E E T I T I S

Each house is unique, just as each child is. Some are meticulous and minimalist in

their design, with seams carefully hidden by icing and peppermint sticks and not one

decoration out of place. Others are ornate mansions, teeming with color. Icing swirls

across the rooftops, gumdrops circle the foundation, and not a single inch lacks some

candy feature. It doesn’t matter, of course, every one is beautiful in its own special

way! Each child glows with happiness as they add their creations to the little

gingerbread village in the dining room and run off to play before Christmas dinner.

“And if I had but one penny in the world. Thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread.”

William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost

Sweet Bungalow

Vanilla Icing


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Gingerbread Santa Gingerbread Mrs. Claus


Homemade GinGerbread

Stir a bowl of gingerbread,

Smooth and spicy brown.

Roll it with a rolling pin,

Up and up and down.

With a cookie cutter,

Make some little men.

Put them in the oven,

Till half past ten.

Family with Gingerbread, Rock Candy Chimney

Sugar Cookie Cottage

Santa’s Chalet


LebkuchenA relative of gingerbread, this German confection has a lemon glaze and is sometimes dipped in chocolate!

Stir together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat

the egg. Add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Stir in

honey and molasses and beat until well mixed. Add dry

ingredients to the mixture, stirring well until combined.

Stir in nuts and fruits. Chill overnight.

Roll chilled dough on a floured surface into a 14-inch

square. Cut into 3 1/2 x 2-inch rectangles or use cookie

cutters to form the desired shapes. Place 2 inches apart

on greased cookie sheet and bake at 375°F for 12 to 14

minutes. Let cool 1 minute before moving to wire rack.

While Lebkuchen is baking, make the lemon glaze.

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Brush onto the

cookies while they are still warm.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups flour

1 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. allspice

1 egg

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 cup dark molasses

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup mixed chopped candied fruits & peels

Lemon Glaze:

1 slightly beaten egg white

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Dash salt


Gift Idea!

Nothing says Christmas more

than the smell of gingerbread baking

on a cold December day.

Wouldn’t you agree?

Favorite Family Christmas Traditions

Make a Gingerbread House

Decorate the Christmas Tree

Send Christmas Cards

Write a Letter to Santa

Open a Gift

on Christmas Eve


24 215-822-6700

For generations people have used a variety of ways to mark the passing

of the days leading up to Christmas. Starting in the Protestant regions

of Germany in the 18th and 19th centuries, it became popular to

hold the season of Advent as a time for reflection and to prepare

oneself for the celebration of Christmas. To mark the passage of the

season, many families drew lines in chalk on the kitchen wall or put

out an “Advent Clock,” a wreath with 24 candles on it, one more of

which was lit each night at dinner on each of the days of December

preceding Christmas.

In 1908, Gerhard Lang, a German, published the first commercial

Advent calendar. As a child at Christmas time, his mother had made

him a board with 24 candies stuck to it and let him take down one

each morning during Advent. Remembering this when he designed

his own calendar, Lang made one with little colored pictures so

children could add a new one to the scene each day.

Following the war, in 1946 an artist named Richard Selmer created

a paper Advent calendar depicting a little town street whose doors

and windows opened up to reveal Christmas celebrations inside the

buildings. He printed it and sold it throughout

Germany, later building a business for himself

designing and printing Advent calendars

that was carried on by his children and

grandchildren after his death. During

this time, Advent calendars spread to

the United States, helped along by

pictures in a newspaper article

showing President Eisenhower’s

grandchildren all gathered

around the Little Town

Advent calendar, counting

down the days until

Christmas.

German advent

calendars were hugely

popular through the 20s

and 30s. A myriad of new

designs were created and

sold all over the world.

During the Second World War,

however, production ceased

when cardboard

was rationed and it was

forbidden in Germany to print

calendars with pictures.

Woodland Santa Advent Calendar

Santa’s Sleigh Advent Calendar

Nativity Advent Calendar

Advent


Christmas Tree Advent Calendar, Fireside Advent Calendar, Christmas House Advent Calendar



Display Riser Kit (11”H x 20”W x 10”D)

Lamppost (Electric; 22” High)

Gingerbread Market Stall

(11”W x 6”D x 18”H)

Decorated Picket Fence (20”W x 7”H x 1.5”D)

Sweet Bungalow Resin Gingerbread House

(9”W x 12”H x 10.5”D)

Candy Cane Table (7”W x 9.5”H x 3.5”D)

Milk and Cookies on Table

(6” High)

New!

New!

Set the stage for any scene you can imagine with these

Accessories — they’re the perfect items to tie a group of Carolers together and

make your display stand out.

Reindeer (8” High)



Polar Bear Cub (5.5”H x 8”L)

Nativity Table (8” High; Astd. Styles)

Street Clock (Requires one “N” battery –

not included; 19” High)

Spiral Staircase (Left; 24” High)

Seated Polar Bear Cub (4”H X 4”L)

Fireplace with Candelabrum

(10”W x 8”H x 3.5”D)

Caribou (11” High)

Green Candy Cane Tree (13” High)

Red Candy Cane Tree (12” High)

Decorated Tree with Lights (Requires 3 “AA” Batteries; Not Included / 18” High)

New!



A Colonial Williamsburg

Christmaswww.colonialwilliamsburg.com/holidays

Photos courtesy ofThe Colonial Williamsburg Foundation,

Williamsburg, VA.



2013 Colonial Holiday Family



Dickens of a ChristmasThe first time we saw Gerald Charles Dickens perform A Christmas Carol,

we knew that we had seen something very special. There are so many movie

and TV versions of the story that it is hard to find a person who is not familiar

with Ebeneezer Scrooge. But Gerald’s version was new and unique.

Gerald bears more than a passing resemblance to

his famous ancestor, Charles Dickens, who originally

toured the U.S. in 1867 reading his literary works

before spellbound audiences. According to Gerald, his

great-great grandfather adored theater and initially

wanted to be an actor but pursued writing as a

career for practical purposes. For many years, Gerald

says that he himself “avoided anything to do with

Dickens like the plague.” But in 1993 when a friend

asked him to do a reading of A Christmas Carol on

its 150 anniversary of publication for a fundraiser, he

couldn’t turn him down. To his surprise, he enjoyed

doing it and has been delighting audiences around

the world with his rendition ever since.

During his energetic one-man show, Dickens brings

A Christmas Carol to life. He leaps, he sobs, he

laughs . . . as he entertains . . . depicting 26

characters of the classic tale, with just a table, wing

chair, and hat rack accompanying him on stage. He

has created different postures and voices for each

character, achieving this so adeptly that the audience

has no doubt about “who is who,” so to speak.

Gerald will perform at Byers’ Choice again this

December. Please visit our website for details and

Gerald’s complete 2013 American Tour Schedule.

www.byerschoice.com


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Scrooge, Mrs. Cratchit, Bob Cratchit & Tiny Tim, Spirit of Christmas Present, Marley’s Ghost

“Given what A Christmas Carol meant to Charles Dickens, what it means to my family and to me, I am honoured

to be performing it for audiences today.”Gerald Charles Dickens



BlownGlassornaments

continued on page 34

Germany has contributed many of the elements that we consider a “natural” part of the Christmas celebration. But there are other Christmas items we take for granted that have

their origins in German Europe. The next time you decorate the

Christmas tree (or take the decorations down), take a closer look at

the ornaments. Those shiny glass balls (glaskugeln) and tinsel (lametta)

are German inventions.


www.byerschoice.com 33Crier Selling Glass Ornaments, Woman & Children with Glass Ornaments


34

It is believed that the first glass balls

made to be hung on a Christmas

tree were produced by a German

glassblower in the river valley town of

Lauscha in the early part of the 19th

century. It wasn’t long before locals

fell in love with the shiny decorations,

and he began producing enough for

gifts to be sold in his shop.

Soon this unique holiday decoration

spread across Germany and all the

glassblowers in Lauscha began

producing blown glass ornaments to

keep up with the demand. By the

mid to late 1800s, entrepreneurs were

blowing glass Christmas ornaments all

over Germany not only for domestic

use, but for export into the United

States as well.

By the time the Christmas ornaments

actually made their way to the United

States, they were no longer just tiny

glass balls. The Christmas ornaments

now consisted of all sorts of glass

pieces such as fruits and nuts, hearts

and stars, and dozens of other shapes

that had been molded and colored in

an endless prism of hues and forms.

The inside of the ornaments were

made to look silvery, at first using

mercury or lead, then later using a

special compound of silver nitrate and

sugar water.

In the 1880s it was the American

dime-store magnate, F. W. Woolworth,

who discovered Lauscha’s glassworks

during a visit to Germany. Despite his

initial reluctance to stock the glass

ornaments, he later made a fortune by

importing the German glass ornaments

to the U.S. By 1890, Woolworth’s was

selling millions of dollars of ornaments

at nickel and dime prices.

The American love affair with

European glass ornaments continued

through to the beginning of the

Second World War when the British

Blockade of 1939 prevented exports to

the U.S. The Corning Glass Company

in New York seized the opportunity

and stepped in by converting a light

bulb making machine to one that

made ornaments.

Many of us probably remember

these glass ornaments as part of

our childhood. They take us back

in our minds and hearts to a more

uncomplicated, innocent time. Like

a smell or a song, one look at a

special ornament can bring all those

memories back again, and reconnect

us to one another and the past.

While early ornaments resembled

fruits and such, today’s Christmas

ornaments remain a beautiful sight

to see. No two Christmas trees ever

look alike and the traditions that

began in the early years continue

to grow and prosper. Those tiny

Glass Ornaments, 1940’s-1950’sNearly all of the early glass ornaments

that hung on American Christmas trees

were imported from Europe. However,

beginning with the British Blockade

of 1939, no further ornaments were

imported until after World War II. The

Corning Glass Company in New York

stepped in and, by converting a light

bulb making machine to one that

made ornaments, began producing

ornaments for the Christmas of 1939

and became the prime manufacturer

of American ornaments.

World War II created a severe

shortage of the materials necessary

to manufacture Christmas ornaments,

especially for silver and other metals,

which were needed for the war effort.

There is a direct correlation between

each year of the war and the

appearance of our ornaments. The

first wartime ornaments were made

from glass, but were not silvered on

the inside. That made them appear

very dull, so very quickly they were

decorated with a sprig of tinsel on

the inside to make them sparkle. As

the war effort intensified, even this

practice was abandoned because

every piece of metal was needed.

Another German invention,

tinsel was first created around

1610 and was made from

genuine silver. Machines were

invented that shredded silver

into thin tinsel-sized strips.

Since silver tinsel tarnishes and

loses its shine with time, artificial

replacements were invented.

The original inventor of tinsel

remains unknown.




Joyce Byers has designed a variety of figures you

might see walking down the street in Victorian London.

Everything from street vendors and criers to normal

people on a stroll down the avenue. They group nicely

together to bring back the feel of a cobblestone street

in Old London Town.

DID YOU KNOW? October is American Pharmacists Month!

The pharmacist’s trade dates back hundreds of

years. For centuries apothecaries, the forerunners

of modern pharmacists, weren’t only responsible for

mixing and selling medicines, but also for diagnosing

illnesses and even for performing surgery and

delivering babies!

Man with Pocket Watch, Street Clock

Pharmacist



Belsnickel

Visit from

Belsnickel Santa



The German immigrants who came to Pennsylvania around 1700 brought with them their own beloved Christmas traditions, which are still alive and well in Pennsylvania Dutch communities today.

When German immigrants first arrived in

Pennsylvania, however, they were taken aback by

their English neighbors’ lack of Christmas spirit!

In Germany they had been used to a Christmas

filled with joy and mirth, where friends and

family gathered to sing and eat, exchange gifts

and make merry. Few colonists in the north paid

much attention to the holiday, letting it pass

by without celebration like any other day. The

Pennsylvania Dutch responded by celebrating

their most cherished Christmas traditions from

home and creating a few new ones.

At the center of a home’s Christmas celebration

was the tree, a fir cut from Pennsylvania’s

abundant woods and brought inside a few days

before Christmas. Children kept busy stringing

popped corn and cranberries to hang on the

tree for decoration and making ornaments out of

blown eggshells (leftover from baking Christmas

treats) and bits of colored paper to adorn the

tree’s branches. Around the base of the tree,

or somewhere nearby, a “Putz”—the Pennsylvania

Dutch version of a nativity scene—would be set

up, the figures and setting often handmade by

the family out of clay or wood. Finally, each child

would set out a little basket for gifts from their

parents and from Christkindl—the Christ Child—

who came on Christmas Eve.

But before children could receive any gifts,

the children were visited by Belsnickel. He

would arrive unannounced on an evening in

December, usually portrayed by a masked uncle

or grandfather clad all in furs, and make himself

known with a rap on the window pane with the

wooden switch he used to beat naughty children.

“Der Belsnickel!” screamed the children as they

ran from the frightening creature. Soon enough,

their parents would gather them up and sit them

down in front of Belsnickel. In a rumbling voice,

Belsnickel would ask each child if they had been

naughty over the past year; an honest admission

of guilt would earn a rap on the knuckles, but

lying resulted in an even worse punishment!

Once every child had been judged, each was

asked to recite a prayer or prove something they

had learned in school to earn a small treat from

Belsnickel’s bag.

Even after Belsnickel and the Christkindl were

replaced by the Santa Claus we know today,

the tradition of “Belsnickling,” where groups

of masked young people went door to door

entertaining on the nights preceding Christmas,

continued for many years.

One hundred years ago,

pretzels were used as

decorations on Pennsylvania

Dutch Christmas trees.

Today, this tradition

continues for humor and

good luck.

Above: Pretzel Ornament


Holy Family, Shepherd Man, Shepherd Boy, Donkey, Lambs, Nativity Backdrop



Throughout the western world, the nativity is perhaps the most recognizable symbol of Christmas aside from the Christmas Tree. Centered on the Holy Family— Mary, Joseph, and the baby

Jesus—the nativity display (called a crèche in French or a

presepe in Italian) depicts the birth of Christ on the very

first Christmas night in a manger in Bethlehem. Often, the

Holy Family is placed in a stable with animals adoring

the newborn child and surrounded by shepherds, the three

wise men, and a chorus of angels.

Nativity displays grew out of the “miracle plays” of the

Middle Ages. Traveling players would stage performances

of prominent Bible verses in town and village squares and

teach people the meaning of important biblical stories. In

a time when very few people could read and almost no

commoners could understand the Latin used to conduct

mass in the Catholic Church, miracle plays were an

important way for people to learn about the Bible.

Saint Francis of Assisi is said to have created the first

nativity in the early 1200’s in the little town of Greccio,

Italy. Francis then gathered the townspeople together and

shared with them the Christmas story. In the surrounding

fields, shepherds tended to their flocks, just as they had

on the first Christmas night.

For many years after, the townspeople told the story

that the next day one villager’s sickly cow ate the hay

St. Francis used to fill the manger and was suddenly

cured of her ailments and returned to perfect health.

NativityChristmas Decorating

Starts with a




Decorating Family

decorating Try at least one new decorating idea this

Christmas season!

A tidy little home for your Carolers! Safely store your collection until the next

time you put it on display. Stores 12 Caroler

figurines; made of sturdy cardboard

with protective vinyl cover.

(14”Hx15.5W)

Caroler Condo


Word spread quickly and the tradition

of putting on a live nativity scene

at Christmastime grew in popularity,

eventually spreading throughout the

Christian world.

Different people added their own

unique touches and over time, new

animals, shepherds, angels, and the

three wise men were added to the

scene. Eventually the live actors and

animals were replaced by stone, wood,

and plastic statues, but the spirit of the

scene created by St. Francis lives on.

continued from page 39


Above: Just a few of the nativities from around the world in the year-round display in the Crèche room at the Byers’ Choice

Gift Shop located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. For details, visit : www.byerschoice.com

The charity closest to the Byers family’s

heart is the Salvation Army. A portion

of the proceeds from the sale of each

Caroler in the Salvation Army line

goes to this benevolent organization.

In 1992, the Salvation Army gave

Byers’ Choice permission to design a

line of figurines representing Salvation

Army members. Joyce introduced

the line beginning with the Salvation

Army Women with Kettle on the

one hundredth anniversary of their

trademark red kettle symbol. Since

then, Joyce has created more than a

dozen figures in the series.

Right: Salvation Army Series — Girl w/ Doughnuts, Man w/ Soup Pot,

Woman Shopping, Boy w/ Coffee, Red Kettle w/ Tripod


42

This is the last year that all twelve pieces will be in production!

Above: Partridge in a Pear Tree Santa, Two Turtledoves Woman, Three French Hens Chef, Four Calling Birds Man, Woman with Five Gold

Rings, Six Geese A-Laying Man, Seven Swans A-Swimming Woman, Eight Maids A-Milking Woman, Nine Ladies Dancing Woman, Ten Lords

A-Leaping Man, Eleven Pipers Piping Man, Twelve Drummers Drumming Man



Celebrating one of the most famous Christmas songs of all time, “The

Twelve Days of Christmas” Carolers each represent one of the gifts

the singer receives from his “true love” in this traditional carol. First

published in 1780, The Twelve Days of Christmas was originally sung

by English school children during the time between Christmas Day and

the beginning of the season of Epiphany. They would often sing this

song as a game where anyone who failed to sing the correct words had

to share his sweets with all the others. Because all the previous lines

are repeated after each new one, the game grows harder and harder

the longer ones play!

Counting Down

The Byers’ Choice Countdown Calendar is charmingly illustrated and

designed with 12 numbered doors allowing room for a small surprise for each

day. It is ideal for the young and young-at-heart as they find each gift from

their “true love”— enjoying the excitement and delights of the season!



About the Carolers• In this section, we have included a

new Production Gallery of images

highlighting the Caroler-making

process. Scroll through this gallery,

and you’ll feel like you’re looking

over the shoulder of our artisans

as they handcraft each step in

the process from the wire hanger

armature to the final dressing

department.

• TheSpecial Pieces section shows

recent custom Caroler designs

that Joyce has made for various

organizations, businesses and

specialty retailers. Joyce designs

dozens of figures for groups with

special requests each year.

• Ifyouaretryingtoidentify

an older piece, there is a new

Old Friends Look Up page to

make it easy.

• Scrolldownfurtherandyou’llfind

an expanded Decorating Tips &

Display Gallery filled with tips and

suggestions of new ways to arrange

your Carolers this year.

Come Explore our New WebsiteThis Fall, Byers’ Choice launched a brand new interactive website that has loads of new images,

display ideas and added functionality to enjoy. In addition to expanded information about our

Company, Products and Christmas Museum in Bucks County, PA, we have really tried to pay extra

attention to the stories and traditions that are the inspirations behind Joyce’s creations. We invite

you to take a moment and explore our site at www.byerschoice.com.

There are many sites on the internet that promote and sell the Byers’ Choice Carolers, and it is easy to get confused. If you are online and interested in seeing our company site, make sure

you find our Home Page at www.byerschoice.com.

We hope you’ll come and see it soon!

“CAROLER PRODUCTION” GALLERY

• TheCaroler Care page provides information about the best ways to care for

your Carolers and store them safely at the end of the season.



Store Locator• IfyouarelookingforaCarolerdealerclosetoyourhome,just

click on the Store Locator at the top of the screen and type in

your zip code to find the authorized dealers in your neighborhood.

My Account• FortherealCarolerfans,thereisanareatocreateyourown

My Account page. Use this area to create your own personal

Collections and even make a personalized Wish List of Carolers that

can be e-mailed to a friend. By setting up your personal account,

you can request information and special promotions regarding the

collections and activities that are of specific interest to you!

Christmas Traditions• IfyouareafanofChristmashistoryandareinterestedinlearning

more about how Christmas is celebrated around the world, including

photos and recipes, visit the Christmas Traditions section of the site

for additional background information.

“CAROLER PRODUCTION” GALLERY

Online Store• We’ve also included lots of new

information about each Caroler

including its background Story of

inspiration and expanded display

galleries with more images of the

Carolers and Kindles in group

settings. You’ll be able to view all

the new designs from each angle and

even leave a Review of your favorite

pieces for others to enjoy.

Design Your Own Caroler• Want to create a one-of-a-kind Caroler

as a special gift? Go to the Design

Your Own Caroler section and choose

everything from the figure’s clothing

colors and style of dress, to its facial

features, hair and eye colors. It’s really

fun to design a Caroler to represent

each member of your family. Put on

your designer hat and give it a try!



Two hundred years before, Christmas celebrations had been

briefly banned by the Puritan government during the English

Civil War. Although the law lasted only a few years, Christmas

was no longer a fashionable holiday, and was seen by the

wealthy and middle classes as a holiday for the poor to forget

their sorrows for a short time.

First published in 1843, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

almost single-handedly restored Christmas to its former glory. The

first printing of the book sold out in less than a day in London.

Readers across Britain were touched by the story of the redemption

of the bitter old miser Ebenezer Scrooge and fell in love with

Dickens’ idealized picture of a jolly, mirthful Christmas focused

on family and filled with charity and good will towards men.

Victorian Christmas

The Victorian Era saw a great revival in the celebration of Christmas in Great Britain.



Manor House Footman, Manor House Cook



In the years that followed this explosion in popularity,

English Christmas began to take its modern form.

In 1850, a Christmas tree became a necessity in

every fashionable Victorian home when a print was

published depicting the royal family gathered around

their own Tannenbaum, a tradition Queen Victoria’s

husband, Prince Albert, introduced from his native

Germany. Soon enough, live trees could be seen in

every home, strung with popcorn and cranberries,

hung with hand-made paper and wooden ornaments,

and lit with dozens of glowing candles. On Christmas

Eve the whole family would gather together—uncles,

aunts, cousins, grandparents—and sit around the tree,

exchanging small, hand-made gifts with each other.

Christmas Eve was also the time for caroling, an

age-old English tradition that had all-but disappeared,

but was revived when two writers named William

Sandys and Davis Gilbert took it upon themselves

to gather together traditional Christmas songs from

the towns and villages of the English countryside.

Carolers would go door-to-door in the chilly winter

air, singing at each house they came to and hoping

to be invited in for a warm drink.

Christmas PuddingNo dish speaks to Victorian Christmas dinner quite like the pudding. Many

households kept their own special pudding recipes, closely guarded secrets

handed down generation to generation.

Puddings are traditionally made on “Stir-up Sunday”—the Sunday before

Advent, the fifth before Christmas Day—when each member of the household

must take a turn at stirring the pudding mix while making a wish. Often, a few

silver coins or a ring are placed in the mix, to bring riches or luck to whoever

may find them in the piece they are served on Christmas Day. The pudding

is then boiled in a pudding cloth and set to rest until Christmas Day so the

flavors can mix.

Chef Baking Christmas Cookies



Mulled wine was popular in Victorian England

at Christmas. One recipe was Smoking Bishop

which appears in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

“SMOKING BISHOP”5 unpeeled oranges 1/4 pound of sugar

1 unpeeled grapefruit 2 bottles of red wine

36 cloves 1 bottle of port

Wash the fruit and oven bake until brownish.

Turn once. Put fruit into a warmed earthenware

bowl with six cloves stuck into each. Add the

sugar and pour in the wine (not the port).

Cover and leave in a warm place for a day.

Squeeze the fruit into the wine and strain.

Add the port and heat. DO NOT BOIL!

Serve “smoking” warm.

Yield: 15 to 20 servings

Taste of History

Chef w/ Wine & Cheese

Wine Santa


50

Perhaps

you have already

seen their work.

If you’ve ever

wondered how a snowman

seems to wink just as you

walk by, or how the lights on the

tree seem to have an extra sparkle on

Christmas Eve — consider Kindles.

Far away, in a land where snow falls in

glittering heaps of confectioner’s sugar, there

lives a group of sprites whose vast experience,

energy and spirit have given them an extraordinary

opportunity. These aren’t just elves, they’d be quick

to point out with pride and distinction: they’re Kindles,

Guardians of the Christmas Spirit.

It seems a Kindle’s work is never done,

but far from being drudgery, the Kindle’s work

involves mounds of chatter, laughter and

lightheartedness. A room that has been

touched by Kindles is swept with the glitter of

fantasy, the charm of Christmas gone by and the

sparkling prospects of what is

yet to come.

Tangle Kindle with

String of Lights

Crumb Bakerkin with

Gingerbread Man

Icing Bakerkin with

Gingerbread House

Coco Bakerkin with Chocolate

Spoon


51

Each Kindle is an original from the top of their

hats to the tips of their toes. Sometimes musing and

more often amusing, they are sure to evoke

the creative spirit within!

Gherkin Kindle with Glass Pickle Ornament

Axel Kindle on

Skates

Stamp Kindle with

Letter

Wraps Kindle with Packages

Dingaling Kindle with Jinglebell



glass balls that were once blown in Germany

now are sold all over the United States and

many other countries in the world. Not only

does nearly every Christmas tree have at

least a few of these traditional Christmas

ornaments on it, we now cover our trees with

a spectacular showcase of lights and other

ornaments, many of which have been passed

down through the family for generations.

The next time you look at your Christmas

tree, or any Christmas tree, think about the

origin of the Christmas ornament. It was

more than 200 years ago when the first glass

bulbs were hand blown by the glassblower

in Lauscha, Germany. And yet still today,

we decorate our Christmas tree with bulbs

that are nearly identical in nature. Christmas

ornaments have only become increasingly

popular over the years. It’s a tradition that

is likely to be passed on for many more

years to come!

Tree Decorating TipsWhen decorating your Christmas tree, put

the lights on first, then the garland and

lastly, the ornaments.

Also don’t hang all your ornaments on the

tips of the branches. Place ornaments and

other decorations ‘inside’ your tree to add

depth and interest.

Christmas Pickle

By Christmas Eve, there’s only one very special ornament

yet to be added to our family’s tree—the glass Christmas

Pickle. It waits in its box on the mantel until all the

children go to bed. “You’d better go to sleep,” we say after

they’ve helped put out the milk and cookies, “or else Santa

will have to skip our house!”

After we’re sure they are all asleep, we tiptoe back downstairs

and bring out the presents from their secret hiding place.

We carefully arrange our gifts for them under the tree.

There’s one present, wrapped in bright green paper and

ribbon, left over on the mantelpiece. It goes with the Pickle;

whichever child finds the Pickle receives this gift.

“Where should we hide the Pickle?” I wonder aloud. We

both circle the tree and look for the perfect place, nowhere

it would be spotted immediately, but somewhere it can still

be found with a little effort. Finally, we settle on a little

hollow in the branches just low enough for all the children

to be able to reach it and tiptoe back upstairs to bed.

In the morning, we are awoken by little hands tugging on

our sleeves. “Mom! Dad! It’s Christmas, wake up!” We both

slide out from under the covers and into our slippers and

follow the little ones downstairs. As soon as they see the

tree and all the presents underneath, their eyes light up.

I tell them to each pick one from their pile and take turns

opening them, one at a time.

A half hour later, there’s one present left under the tree,

wrapped all in green. “Who’s that one for?” they ask. “Well

think about it,” I remind, “who was

the special present for last year?”

Realization dawns on their faces—

they dash off to search high and

low on every branch of the tree,

behind every ball and bauble…

“Mom, Dad, look! I found it!”

Mom! Dad! It’s Christmas, wake up!

The

continued from page 34


www.byerschoicecraftshow.com

Fine Traditional and Decorative Crafts by 70 Skilled

and Professional Craftsmen

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ingtextiles • stoneware • watercolors • wood carving • handbags • quilts • glass • metal • clothing • prints

textiles • stoneware • watercolors • wood carving • handbags • quilts • glass • metal • clothing • prints

Mother’s Day Tradition

3rd Annual American Artisan Showcase

As a company based on the values of handcrafted items,

we couldn’t be more excited to host this one-of-a-kind

artisan showcase. We know the love and dedication that goes into the

pieces that will be on display, and we’re eager to highlight some

of the best artisans. It will be a great way for people to spend

Mother’s Day Weekend. ~ Joyce Byers


$6.00 CHRISTMAS 2013

4355 County Line Road Chalfont, PA 18914

Customer #

www.byerschoice.com

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