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Pineapple Tree Topper Ornament
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Our Pineapple Christmas tree topper will welcome family and friends to your home with the international symbol of hospitality--the pineapple. The tantalizing pineapples make colorful Christmas tree toppers or stunning centerpieces. Make a big impression by using several together in a display, or by combining them with other blown-glass food ornaments.
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SKU: 28R2TOP014
Price: $20.99
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The Back Story
More:
From the treat of kings to the ultimate symbol of friendship and
hospitality, pineapples have been many things to many people since
Christopher Columbus first introduced this New World delicacy to
European aristocracy. In a society where sugar refined from cane was a
rare commodity, imported at great cost from the Middle East and the
Orient, the pineapple became an item of instant celebrity and curiosity,
and remained so for hundreds of years. So much so that King Charles II
of England posed for an official portrait in an act then symbolic of
royal privilege -- receiving a pineapple as a gift.
Across the
ocean, in the American Colonies, the pineapple took on other symbolic
meanings. In a land of sparse settlements and primitive towns, where
individual homes served as hubs for the community, visiting was the
primary means of entertainment. The warmth, charm and style with which
guests were taken into the home, coupled with creative food display –
the main entertainment during a formal home visit – was a means by which
a woman declared both her personality and her family's status.
Within
the bounds of their family's means, hostesses sought to outdo each
other in the creation of memorable, fantasy-like dining room scenes. In
this atmosphere, the pineapple literally crowned the most important
feasts: often held aloft on special pedestals as the pinnacle of the
table's sumptuous display. Its rarity, expense, reputation and striking
visual attractiveness made it the ultimate exotic fruit, and visitors
confronted with pineapple-topped food displays felt particularly honored
by a hostess who obviously spared no expense to ensure her guests'
dining pleasure.
In this manner, the fruit which was the visual
keystone of the feast naturally came to symbolize the high spirits of
the social events themselves; the image of the pineapple came to express
the sense of welcome, good cheer, human warmth and family affection
inherent to such gracious home gatherings.
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