These snow globes stand about 3 inches high and are about 3 ½ inches long. This one is of Santa sitting down with the globe resting on his tummy. This cute little Santa has his red coat and red stocking cap with a sprig of holly on the cap. He also has green pants and black boots and belt on. Sitting next to Santa is a small light brown teddy bear wearing a little red bow tie. The globe itself has 2 Christmas presents in it, one blue with gold stars on it and a red ribbon bow and the other wrapped in a white and green with a red ribbon on it. He is holding the globe with his blue mitten hands, as it rests on his tummy. A simple shake will cause the snow in the globe to whirl around the gifts as if in a snowstorm. Select this link to view our Unique Christmas Gifts.
History of Snow Globes
Precisely when the first snow globe was made remains unclear, but they appear to date from France during the early 1800s. They may have appeared as a successor to the glass paperweight, which became popular a few years earlier. Snow globes appeared at the Paris Universal Expo in 1878, and by 1879, at least five companies were producing snow globes and selling them throughout Europe. In 1889, a snow globe containing a model of the newly built Eiffel Tower was produced to commemorate the International Exposition in Paris, which marked the centenary of the French Revolution. This globe quickly became a favorite souvenir for attendees.
Snow globes became popular in England during the Victorian era and, in the early 1920s, crossed the Atlantic to the United States of America where they became a popular collectors item. Many of these globes were produced by Atlas Crystal Works, which had factories in Germany and America. In the United States, the first snow globe-related patent was granted in 1927 to Joseph Garaja of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1929, Garaja convinced Novelty Pool Ornaments to manufacture a fish version underwater. In America, during the 1940s, snow globes were often used for advertising. In Europe, during the 1940s and 1950s, religious snow globes were common gifts for Catholic children. Snow globes have appeared in a number of film scenes, the most famous of which is the opening of the 1941 classic Citizen Kane. In the 1950s the globes, which were previously of glass construction, became available in plastic. Currently, there are many different types of snow globes available. These globes are produced by a number of countries and range from the mass produced versions of Hong Kong and China to the finely crafted types still produced in West Germany. Snow globes feature diverse scenes, ranging from the typical holiday souvenirs to more eclectic collectibles featuring Christmas scenes, Disney characters, popular icons, animals, military figures, historical scenes, etc. Snow globes have even been used for election campaigns. Select this link to view our Collectible Santa Claus Gifts.
Gifts, Shoes and Stockings.
In Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Czechoslovakia and parts of Germany, folk tradition cast St. Nicholas in the role of a Christmas season gift bringer. Folk representations of St. Nicholas usually portray him as an elderly white bearded man who carries a bishop’s staff and dresses in a red bishop’s robe and miter. This kindly saint distributes presents to others in honor of his feast day. On the night of December 5 he brings fruit, nuts, cookies, candy and other small gifts to well behaved children. Those who have misbehaved too often during the year might receive a stick, warning them of punishment to come. Select this link to view our Christmas Figurines.
Children expecting presents on St. Nicholas’s Eve helpfully provide small receptacles in which the saint may deposit his gifts. In the Netherlands children leave their shoes by the fireplace. In Czechoslovakia children attract the saint’s attention with stockings hanging on the window frame. In Austria Nicholas knows to look for children’s shoes on the windowsill. Perhaps inspired by legends of pagan spirits descending into homes via the smoke from the hearth, St. Nicholas often enters homes through the chimney. Select this link to view our Unique Christmas Ornaments.