User:Giant Green Snake/sandbox

Ljuskrona (use-krone-a) is a general Swedish term for candelabra. The literal translation of the word is Light Crown. The word Ljuskrona also  specifically describes an object and tradition that is found in the United States among people of Scandinavian decent. Two types of Ljuskrona exist, those that hang and those that have a base (Ljusstaken). Also referred to as Jul Tree or Swedish Christmas Tree. In 1988 the Folk Art section of the National Endowment for the Arts awarded a grant for the implementation of a survey to document  the use and styles that existed in the United States. A traveling exhibition which included eight styles and ten photo panels was produced, as was a slide show of the styles and anomalies that were found. The slide show was funded by the Kansas Committee for the Humanities. Approximately 300 Ljuskrona were documented, generally in the midwest section of the United States. Oral interviews provided information about family gatherings to rewrap the candle holders, the custom of lighting the candles on Christmas eve and even the occasional candle holder that caught on fire. Additional research in Sweden showed that the tradition still existed as a very private tradition in some parts of that country. The Ljuskrona is visually distinctive, as it is a candleholder which is wrapped in fringed paper. or as was reported in one of James J. Kilpatricks columns berating the National Endowment for the Arts, “it’s a burnable candle holder”

Historical  Mentioned in 1756 in a Swedish publication “as passing into oblivion” Objects and photographs exist in ten different museums in Sweden including the Institutet for Folklivsforsking, Nordic Museum, Stockholm, Sweden. Mentioned in the Swedish Lutheran Yearly Report titled Prairiebloomar for the year 1878. Articles have appeared in the following periodicals: Dec. 1995 Victorian Homes Dec. 1994 Country Living 1990/6  Hemslöjden 1990 Winter  The Clarion 1990 Fall  Mid-America Folklore

Link with photo at http://www.folklifeinstitute.com/ljus.html