Description This vintage and wonderfully tacky Christmas Snowman Candle reminds me of the ones my baba used to have. It would be perfect to adorn any home or Yule altar. While the origin of snowmen remain unclear, they have been used throughout history to make statements. In 1511, the city of Brussels held a snowman festival in hopes of appeasing its hungry and poor citizens. However, instead of building snowmen, the people built pornographic sculptures throughout the city. The concept of snowmen had made its way to North America by the Schenectady Massacre of 1690. It is said that on the night of the massacre, two guards who were in charge of guarding the north gate of the settlement of Schenectady built two snowmen to guard the gates while they went to the pub. Every year since 1818, the people of Zurich, Switzerland, celebrate the beginning of spring by blowing up a snowman. The holiday Sechseläuten is kicked off when a cotton snowman called the Böögg is stuffed with dynamite and paraded through town by bakers, blacksmiths, and other tradesmen who throw bread and sausages to the crowds. This ends with Böögg being placed on a 40-foot pile of scrap wood. After the bells of the Church of Saint Peter chime 6 times, representing the passing of winter, the pile is lit. When the snowman explodes, winter is considered officially over—the shorter the combustion, the longer summer is said to be. Candles are used in religious rituals & for spiritual means as both functional & symbolic lights. It was believed that burning candles would aid in protection & invite helpful spirits into the home. Please remember these are vintage & antique pieces so minor scuffs may be part of their charm.
