The themes of these Dutch cards all look very Christmassy but as you can see from the bottom two, they are in fact cards to greet the New Year. It's interesting, to me at least, to see the scenes and motifs I associate with Christmas used for New Year. I don't know if that continues to be the case in the Netherlands but I have been sent New Year's cards from Russia with Father Christmas, sacks of toys and decorated Christmas trees, with the caption "Happy New Year". The toadstools on the sleigh put me in mind of the card from Estonia on my previous post. I have never connected toadstools with either Christmas or the new Year.
They all seem to date from the 1930s but I'm sure only of the final one, 1938. That one has an edging of gold glitter which doesn't show up very well. The style of the first two make me think they could be later cards but the date is very unclear, apart from the fact that they were posted on 2 January.
A post for Sepia Saturday. A click on the button will take you to the Sepia Saturday blog where you can find links to all the other people taking part.
What a delightful post you've shared today! I am all smiles! God bless you and all your family!
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting perspective on images of the holidays. I wonder if the use of Christmas images on the New Year cards had anything to do with the celebration of Epiphany / Little Christmas on January 6. At any rate, Merry Christmas to you!
ReplyDeleteI just love the artwork on the first three cards. The last one however, appears the more interesting. The sliegh is made of horseshoes, a sign of good luck in the UK. Whilst I've never seen a New Year card, we traditionally wish people Good Luck for the New Year. Horse shoes, as symbols of good fortune, most frequently appear on Wedding Cards, but the horse shoes are always upright so the Good Luck doesn't drain out.
ReplyDeleteLovely cards Sheila, and thank you for your kind comments on my blog. My belated condolences on your loss - I don't know how that one passed me by. I'll be thinking of you over Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a real New Year card; all theses are delightful. Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
ReplyDeleteNew Year cards, also in combination with Christmas, are quite common here in The Netherlands. The Dutch seem to be frugal people so here you get two wishes for the price of one :) The artist of the first card, Lies van Willis, seems to be well known here. It was easy find more of her work (http://www.inoudeansichten.nl/ansichten/lies-van-willes/p97155-lies-van-willes-24.html). I did not yet find out when she lived but I've seen one card designed in 1941.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Sheila AND a Happy New Year!
Lovely cards but the second one looks a tad scary to me...
ReplyDeleteMy fave is the third, what with the silhouettes.
Is that shamrock she's carrying?!?
Happy Holidays!!
:)~
HUGZ
I agree with TB, the second one with the magpies seems more like Hansel and Gretel going off into the wilderness. The last one might easily be an advert for the Hobbit. Happy Christmas.
ReplyDeleteWhat a charming selection ... hope that you have a good Christmas this year, Sheila.
ReplyDeleteKathy M.
I don't know which countries use the red and white toadstools (which I call mushrooms)a lot, but they seem to be fairly common. My old family tree had some really nice glass mushroom ornaments which I assume were imported to the U.S. as were most glass ornaments.
ReplyDeleteThese are lovely photos for Christmas, to me they have that fairy tale charm also. @ Postcardy - we have the same personal term for those red and white toadstools, mushrooms are what I call them too! I forgot the German term for those, yet I know for certain these Christmas ornaments are also found in Germany during the 60s to 70s
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