O My!

Yesterday unexpected honorable mentions were bestowed on me for being the first Follower of MyTempO! now. I am grateful and encourage everyone to go check it out. It's a great party. Join me!

My Aunt Wrote A Book

On January 1st, not one child in Flanders, the Western half of Belgium, escapes reading New Year's Letters to its parents, grandparents, godmother and godfather. These are moments that stay carved in each one's memory: decked out in best clothes, trembling voice, sweating hands, all eyes fixed on the reader.
New Year's Letters are part of a unique Flemish tradition that has been traced back to the 16th Century. During the course of several centuries superb treasures have been created with splendid draftsmanship, fine calligraphy and nostalgic verses. Popular themes recur but these illustrated letters are often also a mirror of their time through layout and topic.
Abundant flower bouquets enhanced with goldleaf and glitter replaced religious images. Snowy landscapes are reminiscent of a Flanders that no longer exists. Fear and poverty during both World Wars are profound in the texts from those periods. During the 60's and 70's creative crafts are introduced. Typical also are the decorations of the Belle Epoque and Art Nouveau. Each New Year's Letter tells a story filled with hope, in each verse hides the dream of a child.

For this book, Nelly Haelterman made a widespread selection out of her collection of more than 7000 New Year's Letters. To learn more or order, visit the English version of her website.

A New Year Past

My Aunt Nelly sent me these pictures of a few new acquisitions for her vast collection of New Year's Cards. These date from the 1880's and are quite elegant.

Update

ARRIS STUDIO, received a new shipment of furniture from the workshop in Mexico. The last two weeks kept me busy preparing for their arrival, unpacking, assembling, making deliveries, etc. I also found time to paint and some new work is nearing completion.
In the meantime, it continues to rain in Central Texas...

New Years' Cards

Front page of a bifold New Years' Card from 1942


My aunt Nelly is an avid collector of New Years' Cards. She was the first to realize the importance of preserving a typical Flemish transmitted custom in this age where individual cultures worldwide are fastly eroding due to uniform international commercializing, aka Americanization.

Flanders has a unique tradition that has persisted for several centuries and deserves wider attention because of its educational value as well as firming family bonds. It is the writing of distinct New Years' Cards by young children, reading and offering them to their parents, grandparents on New Year's Day, receiving a gift in return.
The appearance of these cards has evolved, subject to the fashions and ideologies of the time. Nowadays they are mostly bifolded, industrially printed, having lost some of their previous luster. Nevertheless they remain a noteworthy aspect of early education in that region.
Children, age 6 -10, pen in their best handwriting on these highly adorned cards wishes for the new year to their family members. The preparations and writing happen in the schools. The reading and presentation is an intimate family affair.
To learn more about this remarkable custom, the history and the ritual, visit my aunt Nelly's informative website with English version and her blog.


A New Years' Card dated 1851