Just For Fun

The weather here in Delaware is finally turning colder and the leaves are falling. It’s nearly Thanksgiving and everyone is rushing to get the last items on their grocery list for the big meal. So what is Thanksgiving really about?

It began as a day of giving thanks and sacrifice for the blessing of the harvest and the year that has past. In England during Henry VIII reign, there were reforms that reduced the number of Church holidays, replacing them with Days of Fasting or Days of Thanksgiving. Days of Fasting were for unexpected disasters like floods, plagues or drought while Days of Thanksgiving were for celebrating good things like military victories or the birth of royal children.

When the Pilgrims came to the United States in the 1600s, they brought with them the tradition of Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving. Our modern Thanksgiving tradition has its roots in the 1621 celebration in Plymouth to celebrate a good harvest. The Pilgrims celebrated with the Wampanoags, a Native American tribe, who had helped them get through the previous winter.

As we prepare to spend time with our loved ones, what are you thankful for this year? Here at Bridgewaters, we are thankful for family and friends and especially for our customers. We thank you for continuing to allow us to serve you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Better known to us as Halloween, All Hallows Eve dates back to the day of the Celtic festival of Samhain. The day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the winter which was associated with death. They believed that the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred on this day and the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. The Celts built large bonfires and wore costumes to ward off the ghosts.

In the 9^th century the Catholic church made November 2 All Soul’s Day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain with bonfires, costumes and parades. The celebration was also called All-hallows and the night before All-Hallows Eve which eventually became Halloween.

In the United States, during colonial times, this time was a celebration of the harvest and featured stories of the dead, dancing and singing and mischief making. It wasn’t until the second half of the 19^th century that Halloween was popularized around the whole country.

Do you have special jewelry you like to wear to celebrate Halloween or fall? Share on our Facebook page!

Have you ever been curious about the use of jewelry in art? In addition to adding beauty or showcasing personal and beloved pieces, jewelry was very strategically used in portraiture. It often told of vast wealth and/or power. Queens Victoria and Elizabeth I are great examples of this use of jewelry.

In a portrait of Queen Victoria from 1859, the use of jewels and jewelry communicated her authority and wealth. She wears a crown symbolizing the United Kingdom’s three states of Ireland, England and Scotland and next to her sits another crown featuring the Stuart Sapphire and Black Prince’s Ruby. While the crowns convey her authority and power, the 161-carat diamond in her necklace showcases her vast wealth.

Queen Elizabeth I is often associated with pearls, which symbolize purity, godliness and the light of heaven. She strategically used pearls to convey her divine right as ruler and also to showcase her wealth as it was very difficult to acquire large quantities of pearls during her reign.

We have just skimmed the surface of jewelry’s symbolism in art. Next time you visit a gallery, see what you can conclude about the use (or absence) of jewelry in the portraits you view. And visit Bridgewater Jewelers to find your new favorite piece of jewelry!

July 4^th is just around the corner and with the weather being beautiful and more people vaccinated, we’ll spend lots of time outside with family and friends. To get you ready for the holiday, here are some fun facts about Independence Day!

• The official vote to declare independence from Britain was held on July 2, 1776 and the Declaration was adopted and published on July 4. The Declaration was only signed by two men, Charles Thompson and John Hancock, on July 4^th. The rest of the 56 delegates from the original 13 colonies signed over the next month.
• Independence Day became a federal holiday in 1870.
• Every July 4^th the Liberty Bell is tapped thirteen times in honor of the original thirteen colonies.
• Fireworks celebrating Independence Day date back to the first anniversary in 1777. Americans spend more than $1 billion on fireworks each year!
• Americans eat about 150 million hot dogs on July 4^th It is estimated that 7 billion hot dogs are consumed between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

So fire up the grill and celebrate the birth of our nation! Bridgewater Jewelers wish everyone a very happy 4^th of July!

Father’s Day is nearly upon us, coming up on Sunday, June 20. The first Father’s Day was celebrated in 1910, but it wouldn’t become an official holiday until 1972. Father’s Day is the fourth largest card sending holiday and the most popular gift for Dads is the necktie.

If you are looking to get a bit more creative for your Father’s Day gift this year, stop by Bridgewaters to see our selection of beautiful watches and other jewelry items for those special men in your life.

While so many of us celebrate our mom every day, this year the official Mother’s Day is May 9. Did you know that the very first Mother’s Day in the US was celebrated in 1908 and was signed into law by Woodrow Wilson in 1914? Mother’s Day is celebrated in almost 50 countries around the world, on different days in May and with different traditions.

How do you celebrate your mom and the other women in your life? Share on Bridgewater’s Facebook page and keep an eye out for special Mother’s Day sales and items this week. Stop by to find the perfect gift for the Mothers in your life.