The Santa Claus Tom Brown once saw, he said was tall and slim; The one I saw down at the store didn't look at all like him; The one at our house Christmas-time looked just like any man; I can't explain just how this is - perhaps the big folks can.
The customary tradition of cutting paper angels has been around since I was a tot in Sunday school. I will keep an up-to-date listing of links to a variety of paper angels for those of my students who may wish to add a few new versions of these Christmas visitors to their mantle or tree.
Pleated Christmas hearts (Danish: Julehjerte) are a Danish and north German Christmas tree ornament.
The exact age and origin of the tradition of making paper hearts is
unknown, but the oldest known pleated Christmas hearts were made by the
Danish author Hans Christian Andersen
in 1860. However, as Andersen's heart has no handle, it seems unlikely
it could have been used as a Christmas tree ornament. That pleated heart
is today located in the Hans Christian Andersen House in the city of Odense
in Denmark. We know, however, that Andersen did make decorations for
Christmas trees, and that the predecessors of the pleated Christmas
hearts were made from wicker baskets.
The oldest known guide to making pleated Christmas hearts is found in the Official Nordic handicraft Journal
from 1871, and the oldest pleated Christmas heart (from 1873) is
preserved at the National Museum in Copenhagen. But it was still some 40
years before the pleated Christmas hearts became more widespread.
It is believed that kindergartens
from around 1910 started spreading the use of the pleated Christmas
hearts which were made from glossy paper in order to enhance the
children's creative abilities, patience and fine motor skills.
The first pleated Christmas book, called Julehjerter, was released by the Lottrup Knudsen brothers in 1975.
A more recent book, which includes a big variety of pleated Christmas heart templates, is Francis Jordt's Flettede julehjerter.
This old paper cut was designed by illustrator Jessie Gillespie. The faint writing describes the paper cut as originally measuring seven inches across. She named her piece "Hark The Harold Angels Sing" and cut it in 1911.
Christmas vendors in the city streets of American cities are not the most common subjects found in paper cuts of the 1900s. Below I have uploaded a video discussing the origins of Christmas vendors in New York City.
