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features 18
CHRISTMAS 2014
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The Christmas Wreath
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Caroling, Caroling Poems by Caroler Fans and More!
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Santa Claus Lane The Many Styles of Christmas
10 Hot Chocolate Know-How 12 Accessories 15 “A Christmas Carol” 16 A Few of Our Favorite Things It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
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Sweet
way to decorate
“You can never overdo Christmas.� First Lady Pat Nixon stands next to the first White House gingerbread house, 1972.
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othing marks the arrival of the holidays more than the smell of gingerbread baking in the oven or the tradition of decorating a gingerbread house. This rings true for the White House as well! During her tenure, First Lady Patricia Nixon initiated the tradition of the annual White House gingerbread house during the holiday season. The practice has continued since, and the gingerbread house is one of the most popular White House Christmas decorations. Early constructions were basic A-framed houses standing 2 feet tall; simple compared to modern designs which have weighed in over 300lbs!
First Lady Laura Bush requested that the gingerbread house actually represent the White House building or a structure in its architecture (something that still continues today). Over the course of several weeks, this annual gingerbread house is expertly designed and crafted by the White House Pastry Chef and staff. As part of White House holiday tradition, the famous confection is displayed in the State Dining Room. Sugar Cookie Cottage Resin Gingerbread House
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history of the
For many, the first sign of Christmas is the hanging Christmas wreath on the front door of the house. But wreaths are more than just decorations. The art of hanging Christmas wreaths originated from the Romans who hung wreaths on their doors as a sign of victory and of their status in society. Women usually wore
no beginning and no end. From a Christian religious perspective, it represents an unending circle of life. The evergreen, most frequently used in making wreaths, symbolizes growth and everlasting life. Holly branches have thorns. When used in a wreath, it represents the thorn on Jesus’ crown when he was crucified.
them as headdresses as a symbol of pride, and also donned them during special occasions such as weddings. Additionally, the victors of sporting events in ancient Greece were given laurel wreaths. This tradition is still being used to this day during the Olympic games in which the medals are engraved with sprigs of laurel.
The word wreath comes from the word “writhen” that was an old English word meaning “to twist.” Traditionally, Christmas wreaths have been made by twisting or bending evergreen branches into a large circle which were then decorated with pine cones and a red bow. Today you can find wreaths made of flowers, paper, fabric, ribbons, ornaments, beads and even candy canes!
The wreath also has significant meaning for the season. Its circular shape represents eternity, for it has
Cries of London: Crier Selling Wreaths, Kids with Wreaths, Street Clock, Glass Ornament Market Stall
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“A Carolers Hymn” by Kathy Cummings Whistling wind and knee deep snow Remember Christmas long ago Off a-caroling we would go Faces aglow - Faces aglow Singing our songs of love and cheer From behind closed doors folks appear We’d trill loudly and we’d trill clear So they can hear - So they can hear Joyful noise flowing through the air Grandma sat in her rocking chair Leading us in song and prayer Melody shared - Melody shared Voices soft as the turtledove Harmonize in correct octave Praising our God’s Gift from above We know His love - We know His love
Right: Family Decorating, Nutcracker Market Stall, Snow Trees Bottom Right: Family with Gingerbread, Gingerbread Market Stall
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thrill OF hope, the weary
“Caroling Poem” By Jared Pinkerton In days gone by long ago, Through Winter’s chill and blowing snow, A curious sound rang through the air. Over the clip-clop of horses’ feet, And vendors selling in the street, The sound seemed to come from everywhere. 4
Happy children, women too, As well as men with deep tones true, Arrived with many gifts to bear. The warmth they shared spread near and far, To every church, shop, home and bar, Holiday cheer covered every being. They sang songs of love and joy and hope, They hung bright baubles with twine and rope, The revelers’ voices continue to ring, Through the grand tradition of caroling.
Caroling
caroling Now We Go
Christmas Bells are ringing
world
rejoices.
“Caroling�
by Ernest Clayton It was a silent night. But if you listened carefully You could hear voices Beautiful voices, young and old Singing words that filled your heart with JOY!
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Red & Velvet
Classic Combo
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Santa Claus Lane
Very
Vintage Christmas
From modern to vintage, simple to over-the-top . . . there are many styles of Christmas and Jolly Old Saint Nick!
When decorating, festive touches make the holidays all the more merry — and memorable!
Left: English Countryside Santa and Mrs. Claus, Wine Santa, Red Velvet Santa & Mrs. Claus, Nautical Santa & Mrs. Claus Above: Vintage Sage Santa, Caribou, Nordic Santa & Mrs. Claus, Polar Bear Cub, Seated Polar Bear Cub
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Bold
Moder n Motif
e Check
ck/Whit
ith Bla Santa w
k white chec d n a k c n nct bla The disti ttish tarta o c S a anta is on this S illitoe. named S
The “Jingle Bells” Santa for this holiday season is the third figure in our Favorite Christmas Carol series. Inspired by one of our best-loved holiday songs, “Jingle Bells” was originally written to be sung for American Thanksgiving.
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Jingle Bells Santa 19” Display
Chimney Sweep
According to legend, an English King (some versions say George II) was once riding through the streets of London when his horse spooked at the sight of a mangy dog and nearly threw the king to the ground! A chimney sweep was passing by as the horse reared. Thinking quickly, the chimney sweep grabbed the reigns and calmed the startled horse. In thanks, the King invited the sweep to attend his daughter’s wedding. Since then, it is said to be lucky for a bride to see a chimney sweep on her wedding day and even luckier to have one attend the ceremony!
Buying newlyweds a Christmas-themed wedding present is a thoughtful gift which has become popular in recent years.
Our
First Christmas Coachman, Traveling Woman, Coach
as Mr. & Mrs.
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Snow Day: Kid with Sled, Kid with Snowballs, Mom with Hot Chocolate, Boy with Snowboard, Toddler with Snowball, Toddler with Skates
When was the last time you had a real cup of hot chocolate?
It is easy to make at home and once you try it, you’ll have a hard time going back to those hot cocoa packs. Real homemade hot chocolate is thick and rich — the real essence of what chocolate in a glass on a cold day should be! Be sure to start with quality chocolate. Guittard, Scharffen Berger, and Valrhona are all great choices if you can find them. Use bittersweet or semisweet chocolate for a higher cacao percentage and richer chocolate flavor. Semisweet chocolate is usually 35-40% cacao, bittersweet up to 75%.
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Use whole milk for the creamiest and sweetest hot chocolate, but feel free to use lowfat or nonfat milk if you prefer. For a thicker, richer consistency, try switching out 1/4 cup of milk for cream. Experiment with spices and herbs to create unique flavors with your hot chocolate. Vanilla, cinnamon, orange and peppermint are all good choices. Brew your choice spices into the milk during the initial heating process. After the milk is steamy, strain out the spices, before adding the chocolate as you normally would. Don’t forget the whipped cream! Continued on page 14 Left: Snow Day Kid with Sled, Snow Day Kid with Saucer
Hot Chocolate
If you like a little extra heat, try adding some ground chili peppers to really spice it up.
4 cups whole milk
1 Tbs. powdered sugar
8oz. chocolate (60% cacao, preferably)
1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/8 tsp. salt
Finely chop the chocolate into small pieces — they need to dissolve easily in the liquid. Place the milk into a small, thick-bottomed pot on low heat and bring to a low simmer. Whisk once in a while to ensure that the milk doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. If you plan to steep herbs or spices: add the herbs or spices to the milk, bring to a simmer then take off heat and allow to steep for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid then place back into the pot and return to a simmer. Add the vanilla, powdered sugar, salt, and chocolate and whisk vigorously until the chocolate has melted. Heat for another 4 minutes, constantly stirring. Serve and enjoy!
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Accessories set the stage for your caroler displays
Street Clock (19” High; requires 1 “N” battery) Lamppost (22” High; electric) Gumdrop Gables Resin Gingerbread House (9.5” Wide x 15.5” High x 13” Deep) Wrought Iron Fence (Plastic; 21.5” Wide x 6.5” High) “Axel” Kindle on Skates Bunch of Holly (17” Long; 5 sprigs per bunch)
This wooden Advent calendar can be used year after year providing a tradition that your family is sure to treasure! More styles can be found on www.byerschoice.com
Nativity Advent Calendar (15”High x 18.5”Wide)
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1 Polar Bear Cub (5.5” High x 8” Long) , Seated Polar Bear Cub (4” High x 4” Long) 3 Coach (15” High x 8” Wide x 26” Long) 6 Nativity Table (8” High)
4 Horse (13” High x 15” Long)
2 Glass Pickle Ornament (4.5” High)
5 Display Risers (11” High x 20” Wide x 10” Deep)
7 Fireplace with Candelabrum (10” Wide x 8” High x 3.5” Deep)
8 Reindeer (8” High)
9 Red Candy Cane Tree (12” High), Green Candy Cane Tree (13” High)
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God Bless Us, Every One! Charles Dickens’ literary masterpiece, A Christmas Carol, continues to shape the way we celebrate Christmas over 150 years after the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and the three spirits of Christmas first touched hearts in 1843.
Dickens on the Road Gerald Dickens, the great-great grandson of Charles Dickens, returns to the United States this Fall for his American tour of A Christmas Carol. Mr. Dickens will be performing at Byers’ Choice December 5th & 6th. Please visit our website for details and a complete tour schedule. www.byerschoice.com
Bob Cratchit & Tiny Tim, Scrooge, Spirit of Christmas Present
“For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.” Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol Left: Kids with Snowboards, Kids Holding Skates, Toddler with Skates, Kids Roasting Marshmallows, Small Snowman with Wreath, Snow Day Kid Building Snowman
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a few of our
FAV O R I T E TH INGS Snowmen
Clear Toy Candy
The sweetest toy under the tree! Long a mainstay of American Christmas tradition, clear toy candy has been a familiar sight at Christmas for hundreds of years, since the earliest settlers brought it from the Old World. It is sweet and simple — a little sugar, water and food coloring melted and poured into a variety of molds. The candy originally came to America by way of German immigrants, who brought with them the molds, recipes and traditions needed to make the special treat. For generations, children of all ages have delighted on Christmas morning to find the delicately molded sweets in their stockings. The children would play with them as long as they could bear before smashing the figures apart to enjoy their sugary Christmas treat! Clear toy candy is still handmade at Shane Confectionery, America’s oldest continuously run candy shop, located in Philadelphia, Pa. shanecandies.com
Caroler Condo A tidy little home for your Carolers! Safely store your collection until the next time you put it on display. Stores 12 Caroler figurines; made of sturdy cardboard with protective vinyl cover.
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Salvation Army Band: Woman with Drum, Man with Tuba, Girl with Bell, Boy with Cornet, Kettle with Tripod
The Red Christmas Kettle You know Christmas is near when you hear the familiar ringing of the Salvation Army bell and see the trademark Red Christmas Kettle stationed along Main Street corners and in shopping centers throughout the country. The tradition began in San Francisco 1891 by Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee. Over the decades, the Salvation Army’s red kettle collections have raised millions of dollars in donations for the organization’s work.
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Decorated Tree with Lights Decorating the Christmas tree is a family tradition enjoyed around the world. This Victorian Christmas tree is beautifully decorated in classic glass ornaments.; requires 3 AA batteries
German Christmas Markets Generally held in the town square and surrounding area, the markets kick off the Christmas season. Food, drink, and seasonal items are sold from openair stalls, accompanied by traditional singing and dancing.
Woman Selling Glass Ornaments, Man with Glass Ornaments, Children with Glass Ornaments, Glass Ornament Market Stall
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Deliver cookies and treats to your local fire station, police department or staff at a hospital. After all, they’ll be working through the holidays.
No visit to a German Christmas market is complete without sampling some Christmas treats: Stollen – traditional German Christmas bread with dried fruits, nuts, spices, and sugar icing Glühwein – a hot spiced wine Nürnberger Rostbratwürste – small charcoal-grilled Nuremberg sausages Lebkuchen – gingerbread biscuits Bratäpfel – baked apples Gebrannte Mandeln – roasted almonds Maronen – roasted chestnuts Marzipanbrot – Marzipan Bread, a big piece of Marzipan, shaped like a loaf of bread Nutcracker Vendor, Christmas Market Shopper, Nutcracker Market Stall, Kids with Nutcrackers, Woman Selling Gingerbread, Kids with Gingerbread, Gingerbread Market Stall
Three Kings The
Three Kings came riding from far away, Melchior and Gaspar and Baltasar;
Three Wise Men out of the East were they, And they travelled by night and they slept by day, For their guide was a beautiful, wonderful star.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American poet and educator. Born in Maine 1807, he became a national literary figure by the 1850s, and a world-famous personality by the time of his death in 1882.
The star was so beautiful, large, and clear, That all the other stars of the sky Became a white mist in the atmosphere, And by this they knew that the coming was near Of the Prince foretold in the prophecy. Three caskets they bore on their saddle-bows, Three caskets of gold with golden keys; Their robes were of crimson silk with rows Of bells and pomegranates and furbelows, Their turbans like blossoming almond-trees.
Blue Wise Man with Frankincense, Golden Wise Man with Gold, Red Wise Man with Chest of Myrrh, Camel (Sold Out)
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And so the Three Kings rode into the West, Through the dusk of night, over hill and dell, And sometimes they nodded with beard on breast And sometimes talked, as they paused to rest, With the people they met at some wayside well.
Holy Family, Shepherd Man, Shepherd Boy, Donkey, Lambs, Nativity Backdrop
“Of the child that is born,” said Baltasar, “Good people, I pray you, tell us the news; For we in the East have seen his star, And have ridden fast, and have ridden far, To find and worship the King of the Jews.”
So they rode away; and the star stood still, The only one in the gray of morn Yes, it stopped, it stood still of its own free will, Right over Bethlehem on the hill, The city of David, where Christ was born.
And the people answered, “You ask in vain; We know of no king but Herod the Great!” They thought the Wise Men were men insane, As they spurred their horses across the plain, Like riders in haste, and who cannot wait.
And the Three Kings rode through the gate and the guard, Through the silent street, till their horses turned And neighed as they entered the great inn-yard; But the windows were closed, and the doors were barred, And only a light in the stable burned.
And when they came to Jerusalem, Herod the Great, who had heard this thing, Sent for the Wise Men and questioned them; And said, “Go down unto Bethlehem, And bring me tidings of this new king.”
And cradled there in the scented hay, In the air made sweet by the breath of kine, The little child in the manger lay, The child, that would be king one day Of a kingdom not human but divine. www.byerschoice.com 21
Cheese Monger
historic charm of the holidays
The word cheese monger brings back old world memories of huge truckles of Stilton cheese balancing on market stalls along cobbled lanes. Stepping off a page of a Dickensian novel, our Cheese Monger is a merchant who specializes in the selling of cheeses he procures from local farmers. Stilton, known as the “king of English cheeses,” is synonymous with Christmas. It is as festive as oranges studded with cloves, cranberry sauce and decorative chocolate tins. Stilton production has evolved over many centuries and is seen as a Christmas luxury. In small English villages, people still bustle about shopping for their Christmas cheese. The festively decorated wedges of blue cheese adorned with holly are often displayed in glass cabinets as Christmas lights twinkle above. It would be difficult to imagine a more festive scene. Stilton cheese is enjoyed and paired with the ripe fruits and delicious nuts of the Christmas season.
Warm Stilton, Caramelized Pear, Hazelnut and Bacon Salad (serves 2) 4 thin slices of bacon 2 pears 5 oz Stilton or Blue cheese
Stilton is a “protected name” cheese and by law can only be made in the three English counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire.
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1.5 Tbs super fine sugar 1.5 cups of salad leaves splash of balsamic vinegar
Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry in olive oil. While the bacon is frying, slice the pears into quarters, remove the core and then dice into bite-size cubes. Once the bacon is crispy, remove from the pan and put the pears in with the bacon fat. Fry for one minute. Add sugar and toss in the pan using a wooden spoon. Cook for about 5 minutes, until they are caramelized, but take care as this is very hot. Put bacon back in the pan and heat a little. Empty the salad leaves into a large bowl. Add crumbled Stilton, nuts, pears and bacon. Toss thoroughly and add a splash of balsamic vinegar.
2014 Colonial Shopping Family, Door
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Women
in
Pharmacy he pharmacist profession in the United States was once dominated by men who typically owned and operated small drugstores on nearly every Main Street corner throughout the country. As late as the mid 1960s, less than 10% of all pharmacists in America were women. It wasn’t until the rise of the major drugstore chains in the 1980s that opportunities for women in the field greatly improved. Today, women account for more than 55% of pharmacy professionals. When the chainstores expanded and increased the demand for pharmacists with more locations, bigger staffs and increased hours, the field’s professional associations made a targeted effort to reach out to women. Chainstores offered few barriers to entry for young professional women. A pharmacist no longer had to juggle the responsibilities and long hours associated with owning a small business. Today, the pharmacist profession provides the opportunity to pursue a career as a health professional with a reasonable length of study while also having some work-life flexibility.
Did you know?
Pharmacist, Woman Pharmacist
America’s first Christmas store was opened by Pharmacist Leonard Brynolf Johnson in Smethport, Pa. During the Great Depression, Doc Johnson’s hobby for handcrafting Christmas decorations grew into quite the side business / tourist attraction and remained open for more than 70 years!
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Blessings This Thanksgiving, serve your favorite stew or soup in a hollowed pumpkin shell — use a larger pumpkin for a tureen or smaller ones for adorable “soup bowls.”
Pilgrim Man, Pilgrim Woman, Pilgrim Girl, Pilgrim Boy Harvest Table (Sold Out), Turkey on Base, Harvest Wheelbarrow
4355 County Line Road Chalfont, PA 18914 Customer #
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$6.00 CHRISTMAS 2014
2014 Christmas Market Collection