Thursday, December 3, 2020

What makes the Herrnhuter Star Special

The Herrnhuter Star represents many things to me. At first glance, I see beauty and warmth. The first time I laid eyes on a Herrnhuter star it was in a tree in my favourite neighbourhood in the region. It was red and I was struck by its beauty and uniqueness. I started my quest to find one for myself. Then as luck would have it, my son's good friend had several white ones displayed on his front porch. His father, Pierre, always creates delightful, elaborate displays in the front of his home for the holidays. And so I was able to find out where I could buy one and I also learned about the history of the star.

The Herrnhut Star originated more than 160 years ago in the Moravian Church in Herrnhut, Germany. A math teacher in the boarding school of the Moravian Church made stars out of paper and cardboard with his students to help them better understand geometry. I was delighted to learn the star I sought had a connection to my Germanic heritage.

I wanted to touch and see a Herrnhut Star in person as the price tag is a bit of an investment. It wasn't available locally so when I made my first purchase I also inquired about selling it at the Christkindl market and I received an enthusiastic YES!

That YES! was like water poured on a seed that was planted over 20 years ago. That seed was a dream I had to have my own store where I would sell candles and decorative lighting I had seen in my travels to Europe. I can still vividly picture myself writing on a pale yellow sticky note some ideas for my store.

I have always been drawn to things that give light. And the connection I make with this is to the light we all have inside, guiding us throughout our lives. I believe that even in our darkest times, our light never goes out, it may be dim, but it is ever present. At times in my life, I have struggled with my mental health and there was always a voice inside me encouraging me to keep seeking help and to find a path back to joy and peace. My inner voice, my light never left me and I found over the years that when I am creating and helping others my light shines brighter and stronger. So, this business we have created is about a dream come true and sharing light with others. Each year we contribute a portion of the proceeds from our sales to a local organization that supports people struggling with their mental health.

May you be well and may your light glow brightly.

Posted at 12:15 PM