ÿþ<html> <head> <title>Lithuanian Christmas Ornaments </title> </head> <!-------------------------------------------------------------> <body bgcolor=white> <center> <!-------------------------------------------------------------> <font face="arial, helvetica" size=2> <table cellpadding=4> <tr> <td align=center> <img src="xorn/ornaments.jpg" alt="ornaments" height=125 width=600> </td> </tr> </table> <p> <!-------------------------------------------------------------> <table border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width=600> <tr> <td valign=top align=left> <font size=2 face="verdana, arial, helvetica" color=green> <b>ORIGIN OF STRAW ORNAMENT TRADITION</b><p> </font> <font size=2 face="verdana, arial, helvetica"> The unique straw ornaments, so typical of Lithuanian Christmas trees today, have an interesting origin. Josephine Dauzvardis, the wife of Petras Dauzvardis, former Consul General of Lithuania in Chicago (1937-?), was asked to decorate a Christmas tree with Lithuanian ornaments as part of an international Christmas tree exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Wanting to distinguish the Lithuanian tree from all others, she, with the help of Sisters of St. Casimir, came up with the idea to use ornaments made of straw. Ornaments made of wheat or rye straw were used as house decorations by Lithuanian farmers during weddings and other festive occasions. Mrs. Dauzvardis decided to make her Christmas tree ornaments from white paper drinking straws and with the Sisters came up with a variety of designs: stars, snowflakes, chains, bird cages, bell towers, and other geometric patterns. The Lithuanian Christmas tree with its distinctive white ornaments became a great hit at the exhibition and straw Christmas tree ornaments became a Lithuanian tradition. </font> </td> </tr> </table> <a name="ornaments">&nbsp;</a><br> <!-------------------------------------------------------------> <table border=0 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=600> <tr> <td valign=top align=left> <font size=2 face="verdana, arial, helvetica" color=green> <b>ORNAMENTS MADE WITH NATURAL STRAWS</b> </font> </td> </tr> </table> <p> <table border=0 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=600> <tr> <td width=120> <img src="../bios/norvilas/norv23.jpg" alt="Norvilas" height=120 width=117> </td> <td width=30> &nbsp; </td> <td valign=middle align=left width=450> <font size=2 face="verdana, arial, helvetica"> <a href="../bios/norvilas/index.html"> <b>28 two-dimensional ornaments made by Ona Norvilas.</b> </a> </font> </td> </table> <p> <!-------------------------------------------------------------> <table border=0 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=600> <tr> <td valign=top align=left> <font size=2 face="verdana, arial, helvetica" color=green> <b>ORNAMENTS MADE (MOSTLY) WITH DRINKING STRAWS</b> </font> </td> </tr> </table> <p> <!-------------> <table border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width=600> <tr> <td width=75> <img src="xorn/cage.jpg" alt="cage" height=93 width=75> </td> <td valign=middle align=left width=225> <font size=2 face="verdana, arial, helvetica"> <ul> <a href="xorn/cages.html"> <b>Bird cage ornaments.</b> </a> </ul> </font> </td> <td width=75> <img src="xorn/flake.jpg" alt="flake" height=87 width=75> </td> <td valign=middle align=left width=225> <font size=2 face="verdana, arial, helvetica"> <ul> <a href="xorn/flakes.html"> <b>Snow flake ornaments.</b> </a> </ul> </font> </td> </tr> </table> <!-------------------------------------------------------------> <table border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width=600> <tr> <td width=75> <img src="xorn/star.jpg" alt="star" height=80 width=75> </td> <td valign=middle align=left width=225> <font size=2 face="verdana, arial, helvetica"> <ul> <a href="xorn/stars.html"> <b>Star ornaments.</b> </a> </ul> </font> </td> <td width=75> <img src="xorn/novel.jpg" alt="novel" height=98 width=75> </td> <td valign=middle align=left width=225> <font size=2 face="verdana, arial, helvetica"> <ul> <a href="xorn/novel.html"> <b>Novel ornaments.</b> </a> </ul> </font> </td> </tr> </table> <p> <!---------------> <table border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width=600> <tr> <td> <font size=2 face="verdana, arial, helvetica"> <b>Acknowledgement:</b> The images of the above ornaments are provided by the courtesy of Sister Mercedes and Sister Perpetua of the Sisters of St. Casimir in Chicago, Illinois, and by Aldona Vaitkus of Paradise Valley, Arizona. </font> </td> </tr> </table> <p> <!-------------------------------------------------------------> <table border=0 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=600> <tr> <td width=120> <img src="../bios/palionis/cross.jpg" alt="Palionis" height=120 width=82> </td> <td width=30> &nbsp; </td> <td valign=middle align=left width=450> <font size=2 face="verdana, arial, helvetica"> <a href="../bios/palionis/index.html"> <b>12 plastic drinking straw ornaments made by Sofia Palionis.</b> </a> </font> </td> </table> <p> <!-------------------------------------------------------------> <table border=0 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=600> <tr> <td valign=top align=left> <font size=2 face="verdana, arial, helvetica" color=green> <b>PAPER STRAWS</b><p> </font> <font size=2 face="verdana, arial, helvetica"> Paper drinking straws, so useful for making Christmas tree ornaments and so common in all stores a few years back, are becoming hard to find. Paper straws are still made by Artstraws, Ltd., 6-7 Wyndham Court, Swansea Enterprise Park, Swansea SA6 8RB, tel. (01792)796151, fax (01792)700540. Artstraw paper straws come in 4-mm (standard) and 6-mm (jumbo) diameters and are approximately 16.5 inches long. A box of 900 jumbo or 1800 standard straws costs about $30.00 (plus any shipping costs). This company has distributors that can be found on the internet:<br> <ul> <li>The Chenille Kraft Co., Gurnee, IL 60031 USA, tel. 800-621-1261, website catalog <a href="http://www.chenillecraft.com/html/catalog.htm">www.chenillecraft.com/html/catalog.htm</a><br> <li>J.L. Hammett Co., tel. 800-955-2200, website <a href="http://www.hammett.com">www.hammett.com</a> </ul> The above information is supplied for your convenience only. Lithuanian-American Community, Inc., does not benefit or assume any responsibility for the listed products or services. </font> </td> </tr> </table> <p> <!-------------------------------------------------------------> <table border=5 cellpadding=10 cellspacing=0 width=600> <tr> <td align=center> <font size=1 face="verdana, arial, helvetica"> <a href="http://www.lithaz.org/home.html">lithaz.org</a>: Internet home of Arizona Chapter of Lithuanian-American Community, Inc. </font> </td> </tr> </table> <p> </center> <p> <!-------------------------------------------------------------> </body> </html>