Snowman Snow Globe Standing

This Snowman is leaning forward carrying the Snow Globe on his back, which makes this figurine about 3 � inches high. He has a red stocking cap with a blue and green scarf on and a big Christmas smile. And of course he has the standard carrot nose and black boots. A cardinal bird sits on a tree stump next to our friendly Snowman. Inside the globe on his back is a small Christmas tree with a gold star atop it and red ornaments on many of its snow tipped branches. 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. Select this link to view our Christmas Snowman Gifts.

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 Christmas Figurines.

History of The Cardinal.
Cardinals, which are sometimes called redbirds, are a wild bird in the finch family. They are named for the beautiful red feathers of the male bird. Cardinals usually live in the eastern United States from New York to the Gulf of Mexico. They are sometimes found as far north as Southern Canada. They are spreading through the basin of the Mississippi River and can be found as far north as St. Paul, Minn. The cardinal is about eight inches long. The bird has a crest of feathers on its head that looks like a peaked cap. The males are mostly red, but have tints of gray on their backs. Their throats and foreheads are black. The females are olive gray and buff colored with a little red in their wings, tail and crest. Both males and females have bright red bills. Select this link to view our Snowman Christmas Figurines.

Cardinals usually make their nest in bramble thickets or in low hanging trees. The nest is made of dead leaves, grass and weed stems and lines with grass or roots. Cardinals have three to five eggs that are colored white or pale blue with spots of reddish brown and lilac. Cardinals usually have at least two broods of young in each mating season. The birds feed on insects, worms, waste grain and the seeds of weeds and wild fruits. When the winter is very cold the cardinals go to barnyards and corncribs and feed on corn. They are also very fond of sunflower seeds. The male bird stays close by the female during the mating season and brings food to her and the young birds. Cardinals sing a very cheerful song. One of its whistles sounds like a boy whistling to his dog. The cardinal is sometimes called the Virginia nightingale because of its sweet song. Select this link to view our