Christmas pyramid facts for kids
Christmas pyramids (called Weihnachtspyramide in German) are special Christmas decorations. They come from the Ore Mountains area of Germany, but now people all over the world enjoy them. These pyramids have a decorated frame with places for candles. In the middle, there's a spinning part, like a carousel. Warm air from the lit candles makes the top part spin. The carousel often shows scenes from the Christmas story, like angels and wise men. You might also see figures of miners or forest scenes, showing everyday life from the Ore Mountains.
What Are Christmas Pyramids?
Christmas pyramids are not shaped like the pyramids in Egypt. Instead, they are like a carousel with several levels. Some levels show Christian scenes, like angels or the manger where Jesus was born. Other levels show everyday life, like mountain people or forest animals.
These pyramids spin because of heat. Small candles are lit at the bottom. The warm air from the candles rises and turns a propeller at the top. This makes all the levels of the pyramid slowly spin around.
Most Christmas pyramids are made of wood. They usually have a base with four to eight sides. A tall pole in the middle acts as the main support, like an axle. This pole holds up all the different spinning levels. The small figures on the platforms are also usually made of wood.
You can find Christmas pyramids in many sizes. Some are tiny, detailed houses with pointed roofs. Others are very large, multi-level structures that show off many carved figures. In many towns in the Ore Mountains, you can see huge Christmas pyramids in the town square during the Christmas Market.
Many pyramids show scenes from the Christmas story. This includes the birth of the Christ child, shepherds and wise men visiting, and angels celebrating. The nativity scene is often on the biggest shelf at the bottom. A pine cone or a star usually sits at the very top of the pyramid.
The History of Christmas Pyramids
Christmas pyramids were first used in German homes. People would hang them from the ceiling. Over time, this tradition spread to other parts of Europe, like Italy and England. German immigrants also brought them to America in the 1700s.
The idea for Christmas pyramids goes back to the Middle Ages. Back then, people in southern and western Europe would bring evergreen branches, like boxwood, into their homes. They hung these branches to make their homes feel brighter during the dark, cold winter. In northern and eastern Europe, people used candles for the same reason. The Christmas pyramid eventually combined these two traditions. It became a special symbol of Christmas.
Before the pyramids, there was something called a Lichtergestelle. This means "light stand." These were popular in the 1700s. They were made of four poles decorated with evergreen branches, tied together at the top, and lit with candles.
In big cities, the Christmas tree slowly took the place of the Lichtergestelle. But in the mountains, people saw something different. The pyramid shape reminded them of the capstans used in the mines of the Ore Mountains. These capstans were machines that spun to lift things. So, the spinning motion was added to the pyramid shape, and the first Christmas pyramids were created.
The name "Christmas pyramid" came about after the Napoleonic Campaign in Egypt in the late 1700s. Pictures of the Egyptian pyramids came back to Europe. These reminded people in the Ore Mountains of their mining capstans and their Christmas decorations.
A big reason Christmas pyramids became so popular was the discovery of kerosene around 1830. Before that, people used expensive candles or rapeseed oil to light them. Kerosene was much cheaper. This made it easier for more families to have and enjoy these spinning decorations. Today, you can find Christmas pyramids in many styles and sizes all over Germany and in many parts of the United States.
See also
In Spanish: Pirámide de Navidad para niños
- Angel chimes
- Wooden toymaking in the Ore Mountains
Images for kids
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A Christmas pyramid
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A large Christmas pyramid at a Christmas Market in Düsseldorf
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A pyramid at the Christmas market in Mainz
