Distlefink Hex Sign LbNA #45210 (ARCHIVED)
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Add Location| Owner: | Adoptable |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Nov 28, 2008 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Apache Junction |
| County: | Maricopa |
| State: | Arizona |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Planted by: | The Pink Ladies  |
|---|---|
| Found by: | FlipFlopFlo |
| Last found: | Nov 7, 2010 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFFFFa |
| Last edited: | Nov 28, 2008 |
About 300 years ago, groups of peasant farmers from the Rhine region of Germany migrated to southeastern Pennsylvania. These settlers came to take advantage of religious freedom being offered by William Penn. They included settlers of plain dress -Amish and Mennonites - and others of more "worldly" or "fancy" dress - Lutherans and other Reformed groups. Over time, these settlers became known as "Pennsylvania Dutch".
Likeother immigrants, they brought their old world language, dress, traditions and art to their new home. Mystical bird and floral designs graced their birth and marriage certificates, family Bibles, quilts, and some furniture. The "fancy" farmers also decorated their large German style bank barns with colorful geometric patterns. Six-pointed star designs were very popular. The German word for six, "sechs", sounded like hex to their English-speaking neighbors. In time these "hex" patterns became commonly called hex signs. This custom persists today.
These bright, colorful designs had meanings or legends. Families selected a hex sign based on color, design and its meaning. Some of the more popular symbols included: hearts for love, birds (called distelfinks) for luck and happiness, tulips for faith, and stars for good luck. The colors used for painting were also carefully chosen because of their added meaning. Blue conveyed protection, white purity, green abundance and red strong emotion. The hex symbols were individually hand painted for many years. This approach, naturally very time consuming, limited hex sign use and enjoyment even in the Dutch Country.
The Distlefink is a Good Luck bird and my hope is it will bring good luck to you on all of your letterboxing adventures.
To find the box: head to the intersection of Lost Dutchman Blvd and Idaho. Park at the Northwest corner of the intersection on Idaho. Carefully walk behind the railing and count to the 15th rail road tie guard rail support. Now carefully step back over the railing and look for the box between the tree and the rail road tie, under the rocks.
Likeother immigrants, they brought their old world language, dress, traditions and art to their new home. Mystical bird and floral designs graced their birth and marriage certificates, family Bibles, quilts, and some furniture. The "fancy" farmers also decorated their large German style bank barns with colorful geometric patterns. Six-pointed star designs were very popular. The German word for six, "sechs", sounded like hex to their English-speaking neighbors. In time these "hex" patterns became commonly called hex signs. This custom persists today.
These bright, colorful designs had meanings or legends. Families selected a hex sign based on color, design and its meaning. Some of the more popular symbols included: hearts for love, birds (called distelfinks) for luck and happiness, tulips for faith, and stars for good luck. The colors used for painting were also carefully chosen because of their added meaning. Blue conveyed protection, white purity, green abundance and red strong emotion. The hex symbols were individually hand painted for many years. This approach, naturally very time consuming, limited hex sign use and enjoyment even in the Dutch Country.
The Distlefink is a Good Luck bird and my hope is it will bring good luck to you on all of your letterboxing adventures.
To find the box: head to the intersection of Lost Dutchman Blvd and Idaho. Park at the Northwest corner of the intersection on Idaho. Carefully walk behind the railing and count to the 15th rail road tie guard rail support. Now carefully step back over the railing and look for the box between the tree and the rail road tie, under the rocks.