These Beautiful Angels with Praying Hands
are 3¼ inches tall and hang from a 3 inch gold cord loop. The Praying Angel Ornaments have a ¼ inch diameter clear glass bead for a head with a gold glass halo attached at the back. Her skirt flares out into a shell shape with a scalloped edge and gold highlighting. Inside the scallops are 5 gold glass beads, four are one eighth inch in diameter and the center one is almost ¼ inch in diameter. These Unique Christmas Ornaments have her hands folded reverently in prayer. Her wings are edged in gold and four curly strands of frosted glass are set into the hollow interior of the angels wings. Select to see a complete listing of our Christmas Decorations Ideas.
History of Angels.
Angels are literally messenger or emissaries of God and have played an important role in the Nativity and Christmas celebrations through the ages. They have long been symbols of Christmas in the form of ornaments, especially tree toppers. Christmas cookies are baked in angel shapes. In Lithuania the traditional wafer is termed “bread of angels.” They have always been a popular theme on Christmas cards and have an important role in manger scenes, where they hover over the stable.
The medieval mystic Henry Suso, in his sorrows, dreamt that angels came to comfort him, took him by the hand and led him in a dance while one sang “In Dolci Jubilo.” When he awoke he wrote the music down in the form of a carol, which became “Good Christian Men Rejoice.” Angels have been the subject of Christmas music in many lands, particularly in their role as annunciators of the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. From France came “Angels From the Realms of Glory,” from Moravia “Angels and Shepherds.” From England came “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” and “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night.” American angel carols include “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.” Select this link to view our Unique Christmas Ornaments.
Angels were used in Medieval dramas centering on the nativity, such as the 12th century “Play of Herod” which begins “When Herod and the other persons are ready, an Angel shall appear with a multitude of the heavenly host. He shall announce salvation unto them while the rest keep silent.”
They have also been included in Christmas movies, such as “The Bishops Wife,” where an angel rescues a troubled marriage and in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” where an angel saves a good but desperate man from suicide.
Countless girls and boys have been dressed in white robes for their part in the seasonal dramas staged by churches and schools. Angels accompany street processions re-enacting the journey to Bethlehem in Latin America and the Philippines. In Europe angels are part of the Star Boy groups, which go from door to door.
According to Irish legend the Virgin Mary sends angels, each Christmas Eve, to awaken children and take them to heaven to sing a carol to the Christ Child. Such children are then returned to their beds and are accounted lucky for the rest of their lives. In Europe angels often accompany the gift bringer and advise which children have been naughty or nice.
Angel is the name for spiritual beings who are messengers of God. The word originated from the Latin, angelus, itself derived from the Greek, ángelos, and means messenger. Hebrew word for angel is mal'ach. Angels are supposed to be immortal spirits, which live in Heaven. Dionysius believed there were nine orders of Heavenly beings of which angels were the lowest and seraphim were the highest. Select this link to view our Glass Ornaments.
According to many religions an angel is a spiritual being created by God. According to religious tradition, angels live in heaven and act as God’s servants and as messengers between God and man. They also serve as guardians of individuals and nations. Angels traditionally are pictured as have a human body and wings. Poets and artists have portrayed angels as symbols of innocence or virtue.
Many religions have teachings about angels or similar beings. In some primitive religions, legends tell of bright, powerful spirits that appear in dreams and visions and protect people or tribes. In Hinduism and Buddhism many major gods are accompanied by a band or court of spiritual beings. Select this link to view our Fiber Optic Angel Tree Topper.





