The Old West Style Steam Engine Ornament
is 4.5 inches long. These Western Christmas Ornaments are a very lightweight ornament, made from resin, depicting an Old West Steam Engine towing a small coal or wood car. The Engine and small car to these Unique Christmas Ornaments are dark green with gold, silver and red trim. The small coal or wood car is connected by two hook and eye bolts and an ‘S’ hook. The Engine and Coal Car are mounted on a silver colored base that is made to look like a length of track. The Steam Engine Ornament hangs from a loop of metal. Select to see a complete listing of our Christmas Decorations Ideas.

Cowboys.
During the 16th century, the Conquistadors and other Spanish settlers brought their cattle raising traditions as well as their horses and cattle to the Americas, starting with their arrival in what today is Mexico and Florida. The traditions of Spain were transformed by the geographic, environmental and cultural circumstances of New Spain, which later became Mexico and the southwestern United States. In turn, the land and people of the Americas also saw dramatic changes due to Spanish influence. The arrival of horses was particularly significant. Horses quickly multiplied in America and became crucial to the success of the Spanish and later settlers from other nations. The earliest horses were originally of Andalusian, Barb and Arabian ancestry, but a number of uniquely American horse breeds developed in North and South America through selective breeding and by natural selection of animals that escaped to the wild. The Mustang and other colonial horse breeds are now called "wild," but in reality are feral horses, descendants of domesticated animals. Select this link to view our Western Boots Ornament.
As English speaking traders and settlers moved into the Western United States, English and Spanish traditions, language and culture merged to some degree, with the vaquero tradition providing the foundation of the American cowboy. Before the Mexican American War in 1848, New England merchants who traveled by ship to California encountered both hacendados and vaqueros, trading manufactured goods for the hides and tallow produced from vast cattle ranches. American traders along what later became known as the Santa Fe Trail had similar contacts with vaquero life. Starting with these early encounters, the lifestyle and lingo of the vaquero began a transformation which merged with English cultural traditions and produced what became known in American culture as the "cowboy". Check out our Miscellaneous Holiday Ornaments for your Christmas tree.

Santa’s Elves.
Santa has many helpers, called Elves. They live with him and Mrs. Claus at the North Pole and work all year long to help Santa get ready for his big night. Santa’s Elves wear their favorite costume that includes red and green outfits with striped socks. Their shoes curl up at the toes and their hats are similar to Santa’s but the pointed top stands up and they have bells on the toes of their shoes and the end of their hat. These elves help Santa by checking the toys and gift wrapping them. They also pack all of the toys and goodies into his toy bag.
There are elves assigned to sort all the mail and print all the emails that come into the North Pole all year long so that Santa can keep his list up to date. There are elves who take care of Santa’s sleigh and feed and care for Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Donner, Blitzen, Cupid, Comet, and Rudolph. They polish all the reindeer sleigh bells and make sure that every child will hear them ring on Christmas Eve. While Santa is making his rounds on Christmas Eve some of the elves keep Mrs. Claus company. They make lots of hot chocolate and play games until Santa comes home. Each year Santa assigns certain elves to keep track of who has been naughty and who has been nice. This is the biggest job of all and takes a lot of time and patience. Select this link to view our Christmas Trees Artificial, collars, coats and stoles as well as beaded bags and garments are quickly transformed into stunning teddy bears.