by: chiron99
Total views: 1
Word Count: 724

Starting at the inception of the 20th century and extending until the 1960s, it was a mark of the middle-class that young girls be given a charm bracelet before they reached puberty. At every holiday or anniversary, a new charm is added to the bracelet, often by the relative who had given the original bracelet. The demand for charms is ancient; only the method of marketing them is relatively recent. Not all the charms on these bracelets were lucky emblems -- equally common were hobby-related and school-related charms. In fact, the number of charms available, and the ordinariness of many of them -- a telephone, a car, a cheerleader's megaphone, a windmill -- may have devalued the word "charm" in the English language, so that today it's often misunderstood that if someone refers to "charms" when that person means "amulets." The French, in particular, had a list of charms called "Le Langage de Porte Bonheur" ("The Language of Good Luck Charms") and included 10 charms that symbolized: * An elephant: "Felicite" (happiness) * A heart: "Amour" (love) * A four-leaf clover: "Bonheur" (luck) * A horsehoe magnet: "Argent" (silver -- or money, due to the magnet's "drawing" power) * A die, showing seven spots: "Veine" (games of chance; gambler's luck) * The number 13: "Joie" (joy; the usual use of this number is as general luck or gambler's luck) * A pig: "Prosperite" (prosperity) * A hamsa hand: "Richesse" (riches; this is not accurate -- the hamsa hand protects against the evil eye * A horseshoe: "Fidelite" (fidelity; not entirely accurate -- the usual meaning is attraction or "drawing") * A pansy: "Souvenir" (remembrance; it belongs more properly to the "language of flowers") During the 20th century American charm bracelet at left features a variety of lucky charms in a bright mix of brass, copper, sterling silver, and gold-plated metal. This bracelet is typical of the kind of jewelry worn by adolescent girls in the 1950s and 1960s, collected charm by charm while traveling through the tourist traps, flea markets, jewelry stores and yard sales. Many of the more modern American charms symbolize: * A silver heart engraved with initials: love for the named individual * A brass heart pierced by an arrow: smitten romantic love * A silver horseshoe: attraction or "drawing" luck * A gold wishbone set with a pearl: wishes come true * A silver horseshoe on which is placed a wishbone, a four-leaf clover, a horseshoe and the words "Good Luck": good luck * A gold and green enameled four-leaf clover: luck * A silver money bag with a $ sign: wealth * A copper horseshoe on which is placed a four-leaf clover: good luck * A brass heart padlock: faithful love * A silver spread of playing cards: gambling luck * A gold double horseshoe set with an artificial diamond: money luck * A brass money bag marked 1000: wealth * A silver horseshoe: attraction or "drawing" luck Other popular 20th century charms often found on European and American charm bracelets include: * A swastika: luck (pre-Nazi Germany) * Twin hearts pierced by a single arrow: reciprocated love * An Amanita muscaria mushroom: luck * A chimney sweep or his ladder and brush: luck * A "Lucky Buddha": luck * A black cat: gambling luck And although unrelated to European and American charm bracelets -- but probably made to meet Occidental rather than Far East tastes -- are, what are know as, Chinese charm bracelets, made with glass beads, jade carvings, and metal amulets strung on black cord and tied around the wrist.

About the Author

Ann Knapp writes for Lewis Jewelers and Pandora Jewelry. Lewis Jewelers is an authorized distributor of beautiful Pandora Bracelets. See us on http://www.pandorabraceletsusa.com

---

View PDF | Print View

---

Rating: Not yet rated

--Choose-- 0 1 2 3 4 5

Comments

No comments posted.

Add Comment

You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you may be able to comment.
Next Article - New Murano Glass Beads For Pandora Bracelets
Previous Article - Saving Money With Printable Coupons

More Related Articles In This Category

1: The Pros and Cons of Buying a Used Watch
2: Tips For Buying Drum Sets For Beginners
3: What Is So Special About The Professional Series?
4: Shopping For a Vacuum Food Sealer
5: Is Shopping A Recreation Activity?
6: Thinking About Personal Safety When Out Shopping
7: Nurses Lab Coats: What You Need Is What You Get
8: Shopping And Your State Of Mind
9: How To Shop In An Ethical Way
10: How to Get The Freshest Flowers From A Philippine Florist
11: Choosing That Perfect Motorcycle Gear Purse
12: Sound Advice For The Harassed Mum Out Shopping
13: The Secrets Of Mystery Shopping
14: Men And Their Shopping Habits - Some Interesting Facts
15: Shopping Without Shopping Bags - The Eco Friendly Alternatives
16: The Secrets That Shops Use To Part You From Your Money
17: Are You A Brandaholic When It Comes To Shopping?
18: How To Plan To Shop For A Budget
19: Top Tips For More Economical Grocery Shopping
20: The Gift of Time: Choosing the Right Watch
21: How To Get The Decorating Bug
22: What Better Way To Spend Your Hard Earned
23: Office Accessory Gift Ideas for Her
24: Choosing A Bed For A Good Night Sleep
25: Amazing Bargains On Home Appliances

---

For WebMasters

Link This Article - HTML Code -

<a href="http://americanahost.com/articles/culture-and-society/shopping/the-hidden-meanings-of-european-and-american-charms.html" target=_blank>The Hidden Meanings Of European And American Charms</a>

Link This Article - BBcode -

[url=http://americanahost.com/articles/culture-and-society/shopping/the-hidden-meanings-of-european-and-american-charms.html]The Hidden Meanings Of European And American Charms[/url]

Copy This HTML Code To Put This Article In Your Web Site.

<h1>The Hidden Meanings Of European And American Charms</h1><br><br> <br><br> Starting at the inception of the 20th century and extending until the 1960s, it was a mark of the middle-class that young girls be given a charm bracelet before they reached puberty. At every holiday or anniversary, a new charm is added to the bracelet, often by the relative who had given the original bracelet. The demand for charms is ancient; only the method of marketing them is relatively recent. Not all the charms on these bracelets were lucky emblems -- equally common were hobby-related and school-related charms. In fact, the number of charms available, and the ordinariness of many of them -- a telephone, a car, a cheerleader's megaphone, a windmill -- may have devalued the word "charm" in the English language, so that today it's often misunderstood that if someone refers to "charms" when that person means "amulets." The French, in particular, had a list of charms called "Le Langage de Porte Bonheur" ("The Language of Good Luck Charms") and included 10 charms that symbolized: * An elephant: "Felicite" (happiness) * A heart: "Amour" (love) * A four-leaf clover: "Bonheur" (luck) * A horsehoe magnet: "Argent" (silver -- or money, due to the magnet's "drawing" power) * A die, showing seven spots: "Veine" (games of chance; gambler's luck) * The number 13: "Joie" (joy; the usual use of this number is as general luck or gambler's luck) * A pig: "Prosperite" (prosperity) * A hamsa hand: "Richesse" (riches; this is not accurate -- the hamsa hand protects against the evil eye * A horseshoe: "Fidelite" (fidelity; not entirely accurate -- the usual meaning is attraction or "drawing") * A pansy: "Souvenir" (remembrance; it belongs more properly to the "language of flowers") During the 20th century American charm bracelet at left features a variety of lucky charms in a bright mix of brass, copper, sterling silver, and gold-plated metal. This bracelet is typical of the kind of jewelry worn by adolescent girls in the 1950s and 1960s, collected charm by charm while traveling through the tourist traps, flea markets, jewelry stores and yard sales. Many of the more modern American charms symbolize: * A silver heart engraved with initials: love for the named individual * A brass heart pierced by an arrow: smitten romantic love * A silver horseshoe: attraction or "drawing" luck * A gold wishbone set with a pearl: wishes come true * A silver horseshoe on which is placed a wishbone, a four-leaf clover, a horseshoe and the words "Good Luck": good luck * A gold and green enameled four-leaf clover: luck * A silver money bag with a $ sign: wealth * A copper horseshoe on which is placed a four-leaf clover: good luck * A brass heart padlock: faithful love * A silver spread of playing cards: gambling luck * A gold double horseshoe set with an artificial diamond: money luck * A brass money bag marked 1000: wealth * A silver horseshoe: attraction or "drawing" luck Other popular 20th century charms often found on European and American charm bracelets include: * A swastika: luck (pre-Nazi Germany) * Twin hearts pierced by a single arrow: reciprocated love * An Amanita muscaria mushroom: luck * A chimney sweep or his ladder and brush: luck * A "Lucky Buddha": luck * A black cat: gambling luck And although unrelated to European and American charm bracelets -- but probably made to meet Occidental rather than Far East tastes -- are, what are know as, Chinese charm bracelets, made with glass beads, jade carvings, and metal amulets strung on black cord and tied around the wrist.<br><br> <h3>About The Author</h3> Ann Knapp writes for Lewis Jewelers and Pandora Jewelry. Lewis Jewelers is an authorized distributor of beautiful Pandora Bracelets. See us on http://www.pandorabraceletsusa.com<br><br> Keywords: <b>pandora bracelets, yellow bracelet, breast cancer bracelet, mother bracelet, name bracelet, amethyst</b> <br><br>Article Source : <a href="http://americanahost.com/articles"><b>Articles Directory</b></a></br> Article URL : <a href="http://americanahost.com/articles/culture-and-society/shopping/the-hidden-meanings-of-european-and-american-charms.html" target=_blank>The Hidden Meanings Of European And American Charms</a></br> Article Category : <a href="http://americanahost.com/articles/culture-and-society/shopping/">Shopping</a></br> Article Author : <a href="http://americanahost.com/articles/profile/chiron99-163.html">chiron99</a>

---

Article URL : The Hidden Meanings Of European And American Charms
Article Category : Shopping
Article Author : chiron99