Just For Fun

The days are getting shorter and when that starts to happen, we all know what time it is! Back to School! If this time of year makes you a little down, we have just the fun facts to cheer you right up. Read on for fun facts about school.

Did you know…?

• High school didn’t exist until the 1930s when it was started due to the Great Depression and the lack of jobs. It was decided to keep kids in school and leave more job openings for adults with families.
• Boston Latin School is the oldest public school in the US, opening on April 23, 1635. It boasts attendance from Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine, Samuel Adams and William Hopper – all of whom signed the Declaration of Independence.
• In the US, there are about 480,000 school buses running each school day.
• Crayola started making crayons in 1903 and there were only 8 colors. Now there are 120 colors. It is estimated that by the time a child turns 10 years old, they have worn down 730 crayons.
• Most elementary school kids say recess is their favorite part of the day.
• The tradition of giving apples to teachers originates from 16th century Denmark when parents paid teachers with food because teachers didn’t earn much money.
• The average family spends $700 on school supplies each year.
• The average pencil writes about 45,000 words which translates to about 70 miles.

Bridgewaters can help with your school supplies! We have pencils engraved with inspirational sayings or you can customize your own. We can engrave notebooks, phones, ipads and lots more so your kids are ready to head back to school!

Did you know that ice cream’s roots can be traced back as far as the second century BC? Based on texts that have survived, including the Bible, we know that Alexander the Great and King Solomon enjoyed snow/ice drinks flavored with honey, nectar and fruit juices. The Romans were also fans of this iced concoction including Emperor Nero in the first century AD. The emperors of the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD) are thought to be the first to eat a frozen milk-like product while in medieval times, Arabs drank sherbet, an icy drink flavored with cherry, pomegranate or quince. Europe discovered ice cream in the 16th century, calling it “cream ice” and it was served regularly in royal circles in England and France. It was until 1660 that ice cream was made available to the public.

So, how did ice cream make its way to the United States? Most likely, ice cream was brought by European settlers in the 1700s. The first ice cream parlor opened in New York in 1790. Early US presidents were fans of the cool treat. Until 1800, ice cream remained a rare and exotic dessert enjoyed mostly by the elite – at least until insulated ice houses were invented around 1800 and mass-producing ice cream became an industry. As ice cream became more widely available, new creations emerged like the American soda fountain shop and the profession of the “soda jerk” in 1874. Now a staggering 9% of American cow milk production is dedicated to this sweet treat.

Bridgewaters is having its own celebration of National Ice Cream Day on July 15 from 10am-3pm in the shop. Stop in and sample some delicious flavors while you shop for the perfect summer essentials TrayChic, Mariposa or Nambe.

Last week was National Puppy Day and throughout the year are other days to spoil your cats, dogs and other pets. And we bet you have a great story about how you found, chose or were chosen by your pet. Americans love their pets with 70% of U.S. households owning a pet.

You may have noticed that here at Bridgewaters, we love pets and often tag one of our favorite shelters on Facebook – Brandywine Valley SPCA (BVSPCA). We are strong supporters of pet adoption and hope that you are too. In fact, if you have adopted a pet since the beginning of the year, please bring in your adoption papers and you’ll receive a complimentary pet tag which can be engraved.

So why do we feel so strongly about adoption? Here are just a few reasons:

• Adoption saves the life of a pet and is a step towards shutting down puppy and kitten mills by reducing their sales.
• You get to pick from a good variety of animals that are available. Maybe an adult pet suits you better or maybe you are looking to help a senior pet live out their life happily. Shelters often have much bigger variety of animals from which to choose than places selling animals.
• Shelters offer support in many ways. Your pet has a history with the shelter and they can provide insight on their temperament and behaviors. Many, like BVSPCA, also offer other services like low-cost vet clinics, pet food pantries, medical grants, and free behavior counseling.
• The cost to adopt is significantly lower than buying. Most adoption fees range from $50 to $500 depending on the age, size, breed, behavior, medical condition, and public demand of the animal.

So if you are thinking about adding a new pet to your family, check out your local shelter! And don’t forget to bring your adoption papers to Bridgewaters for a complimentary pet tag which can be engraved!

The end of the year can feel hectic no matter what you holidays you celebrate. The pace just seems a bit faster and there is always the feeling of “how is it December already?” Add to that getting ready for all the parties, feasts, cookies, presents, etc.! We hope you take some time to relax and enjoy the beauty of the season!

December is a month that is chock full of religious holidays! Let’s start with Christmas! Christmas is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Here in the United States, we celebrate with decorated trees and cookies, the exchange of gifts and of course, Santa Claus. Traditions differ around the world, for example in Australia, you might go camping or to the beach as it is summer there or your children might leave mice pies and brandy for Father Christmas instead of cookies and milk.

Most of us have probably also heard of Hanukkah, or Chanukah, a Jewish celebration commemorating the re-dedication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem following the Maccabean Revolt and the miracle that took place. There was only enough oil to keep the menorah’s candles burning for one day, but miraculously the flames burned for eight nights. Today, celebrations revolve around the lighting of the menorah where another candle is added on each of the eight nights. Gifts are exchanged and traditional foods are fried in oil.

A more recent holiday is Kwanzaa which is a week-long celebration honoring African heritage in African-American culture. It was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana Studies. Activities such as feasts, dancing, poetry and music are organized around Seven Principles: Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity and Faith.

Whatever you celebrate, we hope that you enjoy the last month of the year. We would love to know more about what your family traditions are during this festive time so drop us a note on the Bridgewater Facebook page. And if you need gift ideas, stop in and see us!

Have you ever wondered what jewels might be just waiting to be found from pirate treasure? We wondered too and found some interesting stories as we dove in! We learned that most pirate treasure is gold, not diamonds or other jewels, however there are a few tales about diamonds.

Captain William Kidd, in 1699, hid several bags of treasure, including a large number of diamonds, with a family on what is now Long Island while he traveled to Boston to try to prove himself innocent of piracy. The diamonds and other treasure remained hidden until 1866 and were traced back to the ship The Quehda Merchant. With only these bags recovered, which is a small amount of the booty originally aboard the ship, the rest of the treasure is still lost.

In 1721, Captain Oliver La Bouche, known as The Buzzard, plundered an English ship rich with gold bullion and diamonds. The men shared out the bullion (reportedly 5,000 per pirate) and the diamonds. Each pirate received 42 diamonds except one, who was given the single large diamond. Not understanding how diamond value works, he assumed it would be worth more in multiple pieces and smashed it into smaller fragments.

We would love to find the remaining treasures whether gold or diamonds! Stop by Bridgewaters to find your own treasure!

Marking the beginning of summer, the Summer Solstice or Midsummer is the day with the longest period of sunlight. Its name derives from Latin words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still) because the sun’s position at noon doesn’t appear to change much on this day and surrounding days. Cultures around the world have celebrated this day throughout history.

Stonehenge is thought to have been built around 2500 BC in order to establish the date of the Summer Solstice and it may have been used as a starting point to count the days of the year. Stonehenge is still a gathering place for New Age and Neopagan groups on this occasion.

Ancient cultures associated Midsummer with femininity, rebirth and things related to agriculture. In ancient Egypt, it helped to predict the annual flooding of the Nile River which brings life to the areas surrounding it. Ancient Romans celebrated Vestalia, a festival in honor of Vesta, goddess of the hearth. Gauls celebrated with bonfires to boost the sun’s energy for the growing season and guarantee a good harvest come fall.

What will you do to celebrate the longest day of the year? Maybe spend some time outdoors, take a walk or have picnic and bonfire? Share your plans on Bridgewaters Facebook post today.

Here at Bridgewaters, we live and breathe jewelry. It provides our livlihood and gives us joy when we help a customer to find their perfect piece or have an old favorite repaired. We love to hear the stories of where and from whom our customers found or received their jewelry. It got us thinking about fun facts about jewelry that we could share with our customers.

Here are our favorite facts about jewelry:

• Throughout the ages, people have created and worn jewelry. The oldest jewelry found are Nassarius shells found in a Moroccan cave, dating back 82,000 years. Snail beads have been found in the Blombos Cave in Africa, dating back 75,000 years.
• Did you know that live insect jewelry has been popular throughout history? Egyptians may have been the first, wearing scarab beetles into battle. Mexican Maquech Beetles and Giant Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches have also been worn as jewelry.
• Organized production of jewelry started with the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia. Their work in advancement of metallurgy and collection of gems impacted jewelry development in every civilization that came after.
• Your gold roamed around the universe! Gold comes from meteorites, specifically believed to come from a meteor shower over 4.5 billion years ago.
• Platinum, which comes from Ore, a naturally occurring solid material, is very rare. Ten tons of Ore need to be mined to find one ounce of platinum.

What is your favorite jewelry fact? Share with us on Bridgewaters Facebook page! And check out some wonderful pieces repaired or created by owners Clay Bridgewater and Mary Bridgewater Lenoff showcased on our Facebook page.

Yes, the 56^th Super Bowl is coming this Sunday, February 13 featuring the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. So let’s run down some fun Super Bowl facts to spark conversation during the game!

• The Lombardi Trophy is made of sterling silver by Tiffany & Co. and take 4 months to create. It stands 22 inches tall and weighs 7 pounds. The winning team keeps the trophy which includes the Super Bowl number, the teams, date, location and final score on it.
• The ball is crafted by hand by Wilson craftpersons (with the aid of machines). Each team gets 108 balls, 54 for practice and 54 for the actual game. Typically, 120 balls are used during the Super Bowl.
• Super Bowl halftime artists are not paid an appearance fee. However, the exposure from being part of the game can be worth millions. And the NFL does pay for the cost of the show which can be upwards of $13 million.
• We all love the commercials, but they are getting more expensive. In 2022, a 30-second ad will run for $6.5 million up from $5.6 million just a year ago.
• The Super Bowl is the 2^nd largest eating day, second only to Thanksgiving.

Delawareans have an extra reason to be proud this year – Troy Reeder, from Hockessin, is a linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams. Troy played his college freshman year at Penn State before transferring to University of Delaware where he spent his final three years. Troy has been with the Rams since 2019. Troy comes by his talent honestly as he is the son of Pittsburgh Steelers running back Dan Reeder.

Want to show your pride in our home town guy? Stop by Bridgewaters to pick up your very own logo flag featuring Troy!

As the holidays wind down and we head into 2022, we wish our customers, family and friends a wonderful, happy and healthy New Year! We thought it would be fun to share some facts about New Years for you to delight those with whom you are celebrating.

• The first New Year’s celebration dates back to the time of Julius Caesar, 4000 years ago. He was the first to declare January 1 a national holiday.
• Caesar named the month January after Janus, the Roman god of doors and gates. Janus has two faces, one looking forward and one backward. Pretty fitting for this holiday!
• 45% of Americans make New Year’s Resolutions and 25% give up on them by the second week of January.
• Americans drink close to 360 million glasses of sparkling wine during this time.
• Auld Lang Syne was written by poet Robert Burns in 1788. Its message is to remember your loved ones, dead or alive and keep them close to your heart.
• Baby New Year is the symbol most commonly associated with New Year’s. He is often depicted in a diaper, black top hat and a sash with the new year on it. Myth states that he ages into an old man throughout the year.
• Be sure to lock your car on New Year’s Day – more cars are stolen on this day than any other holiday.

Need some new bling to ring in the new year? Stop by Bridgewaters and pick out your perfect piece for 2022. And share your resolutions on Bridgewaters Facebook page. Happy New Year!

The Winter Solstice is today, December 21. It is the shortest day of the year and marks the beginning of winter. In ancient times, it was called Yule and lasted for 12 days. It was a time of celebration as they knew that, following this time, the days would begin to grow longer.

The traditions of Yule are many and many were incorporated into Christian traditions. Evergreens represent everlasting life and were hung around windows and doors. Mistletoe, holly, ivy, yew and pine were used, each with its own symbolism – mistletoe was the healer and protector, holly is another protector, believed to repel unwanted spirits, ivy is a symbol of immortality and resurrection, yew is symbolic of regeneration and rebirth as it sends up new trees from its roots, while pine brings healing and joy to the home. The Yule Tree, a pine, was brought into the home to so the wood spirits would have a place to keep warm in the cold winter and was decorated with food and treats for the spirits to eat. The giving and receiving of gifts has been part of Yule since ancient times, celebrating the birth of the sun.

Enjoy the Winter Solstice and know that the sun has begun its climb towards the Summer Solstice! Happy holidays from Bridgewater Jewelers!