Poinsettia (symbol)

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The Christmas star (also known as the Advent star ) is a Christian symbol that is supposed to represent the star of Bethlehem . According to the Gospel of Matthew ( Mt 2,1-12  EU ), this star led the wise men from the Orient to the house in Bethlehem where Jesus was born.

Electric advent stars in a shop window in Sweden.

tradition

The poinsettia as a Christmas decoration is hung up in and on residential buildings or placed on the top of the Christmas tree during the Christmas season . He usually stays there until the feast of the Epiphany on January 6th . As a pioneering symbol, it has traditionally become an important element of Christmas decorations alongside Christmas angels and Christmas cribs, which have a direct reference to Christianity. It also serves as a model for smaller elements in Christmas tree decorations . The poinsettia is a symbol of the biblical story of Christmas.

Origin and first dates

As early as 1862, the Pomeranian Brothers Institution from Züllchow near Stettin advertised in the Allgemeine Zeitung Munich: The top of the tree is adorned with a large poinsettia that rotates automatically thanks to the device provided as soon as the tree's lights are on and angels hang on its twelve rays floating around the tree, reminding of the multitude of the heavenly hosts. Due to the great interest shown in the tree top shown a year earlier, the Brothers Institution offered the poinsettia with twelve large wax angels in a box for 8 Taler for use on large Christmas trees in high rooms, churches and institutional halls. Ferdinand Gregorovius mentions in 1845 that a boy has his poinsettia on a stick. Around 1870, self-made luminous stars in the form of flat stars with pyramidal points are said to have hung in the living rooms of Webern in Sebnitz , whereas in the Ore Mountains there were only stars as Advent and Christmas decorations around 1900.

Examples

  • The Moravian Star of the Moravian Brethren is probably the best-known type of poinsettia and is widespread internationally.
  • The Annaberg folding star was invented by Karl Friedrich in Annaberg in 1924 and patented in 1926. In 1996 the Kraft bookbinding took over the production from Friedrich's descendants.
  • The Ehrenfriedersdorfer Advent Star was originally produced by VEB packaging works Ehrenfriedersdorf as part of the production of consumer goods.
  • The Hartenstein Christmas star from Hartenstein goes back to a sample copy made by Oswald Härtel in 1908 and was first presented to the public by his son in 1948. The stars from the Härtel bookbindery, which are available in 14 color combinations and have a diameter of 68 centimeters, are characterized by the fact that they are divided by stripes and thus the shining of stars should be created as an effect.
  • The Haßlau Christmas star was designed in 1985 by Matthias Wild from Wilkau-Haßlau . The base body is a pentagon dodecahedron , i.e. a body made up of twelve pentagons, which is made with a diameter of 60, 65 or 70 centimeters. In contrast to the Moravian Star , all twelve star tips are the same size and shape. In contrast to the Hartensteiner Stern, they run out white.
  • The Sebnitz Christmas star was created in Sebnitz . Today's manufacturer, still producing in Sebnitz, describes the typical Sebnitz Christmas star as a flat luminous star with six, eight or ten pyramid-shaped points .

  • Annaberg folding star

  • Ehrenfriedersdorfer Advent Star

  • Hartensteiner Advent star during assembly

  • Haßlauer Advent Star

  • Moravian Star

  • Sebnitz star

See also

Web links

Commons : Luminous christmas stars  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Nils-Eric Schumann: From Vladivostok to Mail. Mitteldeutsche Zeitung Web.de, accessed on December 6, 2013 .
  2. ^ History of the origins of the Moravian Stars
  3. ↑ Allgemeine Zeitung München, supplement to No. 334 of November 30, 1862, p. 5514 digitized
  4. ↑ Ferdinand Gregorovius: Expectant Omar and Vladislav from the desert romance , Volume 1, published by the University Bookstore, Konigsberg 1845, p 136 Digitalisat
  5. ↑ a b Manfred Blechschmidt: Christmas customs in the Erzgebirge , Altis-Verlag, Friedrichsthal 2010, ISBN 978-3-910195-60-8 , p. 30
  6. ↑ Advent decorations with tradition. Märkische Oderzeitung.de, accessed on December 6, 2013 .
  7. ^ A b Manfred Blechschmidt: Christmas customs in the Ore Mountains . Altis, Friedrichsthal 2010, ISBN 978-3-910195-60-8 , pp. 30 .
  8. ↑ Homepage of the bookbindery
  9. ↑ a b Viola Martin: Similar and yet not the same. In: Free Press . December 10, 2016, p. 14 , accessed December 12, 2016 .
  10. ↑ Homepage Hartensteiner Stars
  11. ↑ Homepage Haßlauer Poinsettia
  12. ↑ Poinsettia , PDF file, p. 4
  13. ↑ Sebnitzer Schattenspiele website , accessed on December 3, 2018