Christkindlmarkt

These two treasures came from one of the booths at Christkindlmarkt in Bethlehem, Pa. Either I lost the receipt or never had one because I paid for them in cash. I think they might have been $18 to $20 each and certainly worth it. 

Christkindlmarkt was set up on the grounds of the old steel mill in Bethlehem, where they are establishing an arts complex. Christkindlmarkt was in a couple of tent-like structures and the open space between and around them. 

Inside were lots of Christmas and other items, including a Käthe Wohlfahrt shop from Germany and a Coca-Cola polar bear house made of Coke cartons with a Sprite carton Christmas tree inside. 

Outside, were glass-blowing and ice sculpture demonstrations and a garden of ice creations, including a pair of penguins.

Uzbekistan needle painted round ornament with fishing penguin and fish

Acquired: December 18, 2011, Christkindlmarkt, Bethlehem, Pa.

Number: 1021

Size: 2.5 inches in diameter

Price: no receipt

Uzbekistan needle painted egg-shaped ornament with two big penguins and distant march

Acquired: December 18, 2011, Christkindlmarkt, Bethlehem, Pa.

Number: 1022

Size: 3.5 inches tall

Price: no receipt

Where’s the penguin?

From the front it doesn’t look like a penguin ornament, but spin the Snowbaby around on her sled disk and you’ll see she has a passenger.

Wait. Is that a speck of dirt on my computer screen? Oh, it’s just the little penguin’s itty bitty eye. This is my third Snowbabies ornament. Click here and here to see the others.

Snowbabies In a Spin

Acquired: Dec. 9, 2011, Boscov’s department store, Steamtown Mall, Scranton, Pa.

Number: 1016

Size: 2.25 inches tall

Price: $15.50

Messy messages

The Hallmark stores devote an entire section to their Keepsake ornaments, but they often have others scattered around like this one. It’s a green sled and it was available with different messages like “Our First Christmas” or “My Favorite Uncle.” All the messages were smeared and messy, but this one seemed to be the most appropriate one for me and also the easiest one to read.

Giftcrafts green sled “With Love at Christmas”

Acquired: November 4, 2011, Jill’s Hallmark, Brodheadsville, Pa.

Number: 0967

Size: 2.25 inches tall

Price: $2.99

What a catch

If this had been the only ornament I found at Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, it would have made the trip worthwhile. I think that’s all I have to say.

Precious Moments porcelain bisque “Catch the Spirit of Christmas” 2011 penguin in pink hat fishing for present with candy cane pole

Acquired: September 23, 2011, Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, Frankenmuth, Mich.

Number: 0954

Size: 3 inches tall

Price: $22.50

Christmas crafts

We decorated ornaments in the afternoon on Christmas Day at the Babazes’ house. I tried to make a little blue penguin on this ceramic stocking with glitter glue. As the glue dried, it flattened out. Those are supposed to be little red eyes and you can hardly make out the orange beak and feet. Maybe I’ll do better next time.

Christmas craft stocking with blue glittery penguin, made by me

Acquired: December 25, 2010

Number: 0911

Hum dinger

A couple of days after the shopping spree in Scranton, I went to the mall near my home and found another ornament. It’s a huge ceramic jingle bell painted to look like a penguin. One of my favorites.

Large ceramic jingle bell, red and green hat, decorated with snowflakes

Acquired: December 12, 2010, Bon Ton, Stroud Mall, Stroudsburg, Pa.

Number: 0906

Size: 3.5 inches diameter

Price: $4.80

Jumbo egg

This is an unusual egg-shaped ceramic ornament that has a penguin stuck on the front. The oversized black egg blends in with the penguin’s body and it has a big label on the back for a personalized message.

Big, black ceramic egg with penguin in relief on front with Santa hat, candy cane and peppermint buttons, and personalized label on back

Acquired: December 10, 2010, La Ti Da Kidoodles, Steamtown Mall, Scranton, Pa.

Number: 0899

Size: 5 inches tall

Price: $14.99

Hallmark bonus

These two penguin ornaments came from a Hallmark store, but they aren’t part of the Hallmark collection. They’re bells, but the dangling legs aren’t the clappers. Instead, each has a sjingle bell hanging inside that rings as it bangs against the sides of the hollow ceramic body

Two jingle bell bells with dangly legs

Acquired: October 27, 2010, Banner’s Hallmark, Tyson’s Corner Centre, McLean, Va.

Number: 0830 0831

Size: 3 inches tall

Price: $4

All by itself

Here’s the last of the ornaments I found at Crate & Barrel in Virginia. It’s actually part of a set that also included a reindeer and a Santa in the same shape. I first saw them in a catalog where they were only available as a full set, so I was happy to see them for sale individually at the store. O.K., I would have bought the whole set if I had to just to get the penguin.

Ceramic Christmas icon penguin with red knit hat

Acquired: October 27, 2010, Crate and Barrel, McLean, Va.

Number: 0828

Size: 2 inches tall

Price: $2.95

Bell on its toes

This round ceramic penguin ornament is a bell. Its two dangling feet are the clappers.

Round ceramic ball with feet clapper, buggy eyes, red earmuffs and red and green scarf

Round ceramic ball with feet clapper, buggy eyes, red earmuffs and red and green scarf

Acquired: August 8, 2010, The Christmas Shop, St. Michael’s, Md.

Number: 0805

Size: 3 inches tall

Silver beauties

My visit to The Christmas Shop in St. Michael’s, Md., yielded an unusual number of silver penguins. I was so happy with the blue penguin tree last year that I might try a silver or silver and gold tree next year.

Frosty silver and white penguins with black feet and beaks

Acquired: August 8, 2010, The Christmas Shop, St. Michael’s, Md.

Number: 0797 0798

Size: 3 and 3.25 inches tall

Price: $6.95 each

Four penguins with long silver stocking hats

Black polka dot ball

Acquired: August 8, 2010, The Christmas Shop, St. Michael’s, Md.

Number: 801

Size: 3.25 inches tall

Price: $7.50

Silver tree

Number: 0802

Size: 3.5 inches tall

Price: $6.95

Long silver box

Number: 0803

Size: 4 inches wide

Price: $6.95

Silver candy cane

Number: 0804

Size: 3.5 inches tall

Price: $7.50

Small glass silver penguin and chick with white frosty bellies

Acquired: August 8, 2010, The Christmas Shop, St. Michael’s, Md.

Number: 0809

Size: 4.75 inches tall

Price: $8.95

Painted penguin

On the way home from Rehoboth Beach, Del., St. Michael’s, Md., seemed like it would be a good place to stop for lunch. It also turned out to be a good place to stop for penuin Christmas tree ornaments. This penguin looks a little cross-eyed here, but it’s a beautiful ornament with a distinctive style. Wait ‘til you see the others I found.

Antique wood look ceramic penguin with holly and “Love” on front

Acquired: August 8, 2010, The Christmas Shop, St. Michael’s, Md.

Number: 0796

Size: 2.75 inches tall

Price: $7.50

Merry Christmas to all

This is another one of the handmade ceramic ornaments from Anne and Leo Klosters’ shops in Regensburg, Germany. Frohes Fest is German for Happy Holiday, but no matter how you say it, My Penguin Tree wants everyone to have a Merry Christmas. And here are all my penguins, tree by tree.

The winter fun tree at the Electric City Trolley Museum in Scranton. All skiing, all skating, all sledding.

The big tree in the living room. It's all glass and class.

The blue tree in the tv room. I <3 this tree!

The little tree and front windows with all the stuffed animal and fabric penguins.

The wood tree in Jenny’s room upstairs.

The fun tree (all the rest of the ornaments) in Becky’s room.

Red clay ceramic Frohes Fest penguin

Acquired: July 1, 2009, Regensburger-Tändlerei, Regensburg, Germany

Number: 0657

Size: 4.5 inches tall

Price: 14.50 euros

Homemade penguins

After spotting one penguin ornament and thinking that I was finished shopping, Anne Klosters, the shop owner, began to show me others, including some of these hand-painted ceramic ornaments that she and Leo, her husband, made themselves.

“We stopped making them when we could no longer compete with the cost of Chinese-made ornaments,” she told me. I don’t remember exactly which of the ornaments she found first, and it’s possible she showed me a couple that I already owned, but after I had five or so penguins selected, Anne said, “We have more in our other shop.” First we had to “close up” this store, because Leo had just stepped away to the post office. Closing up meant turning out the lights and attaching a chain across the open door. Then we went to the other shop a couple of doors down on the other side of the street.

Acquired: July 1, 2009, Regensburger-Tändlerei, Regensburg, Germany

Small red clay penguin looking back with yellow feet and beak

Number: 0656

Size: 2.5 inches tall

Price: 4.90 euros

Thick white ceramic cutout with green scarf and orange feet and beak

Number: 0659

Size: 2.5 inches tall

Price: 5.50 euros

White ceramic penguin with orange feet and beak

Number: 0660

Size: 2.5 inches tall

Price: 4.90 euros

Red clay cutout penguin with red scarf and orange feet and beak

Number: 0661

Size 3.75 inches tall

Price: 4.90 euros

Holiday rush

It was just a few days before Christmas and I had one or two gifts to buy. I knew I could find what I needed at the mall, but I wasn’t looking forward to traffic and hordes of eleventh-hour shoppers. The weather was a wintry mess, but I was happy to find out that traffic was light. And when I got to the mall in Allentown, I parked easily and found the gifts I needed right away. It gave me time to check out the Christmas department in JC Penney, where I found these nice, brightly colored ornaments. The place was pretty much picked over by this time, but I also picked up a penguin stocking hanger and a tree bag (for storage). I also spotted a penguin tree skirt on a display tree, but I couldn’t find anyone to help me with it. I got in line to buy my things and asked the season-weary clerk if I could buy the display skirt. “Well, uh, sure,” she said. Should I help myself to it? “Uh, yeah. Next in line!” On the way back to take the skirt off the display tree I noticed some decorations around the corner from the rest of the Christmas department, including more of the penguin skirt I wanted. I waited in line again to pay for the skirt and the clerk was happy and surprised to see that I had found it. At last, I was done, and headed for my car. Halfway down the mall, I remembered I had left a cup of coffee on a shelf at Penney’s, so I turned around and went back for it. Then I headed for the car again and was almost out of the mall when I dropped the bag with my ornaments. An ugly crashing sound told me that it would not be pretty. The clear glass ornament, above, was crushed to bits and the stocking holder was broken beyond repair. Back to Penney’s I went, where I was lucky to find replacements for my broken purchases. I had to wait in line (for the third time) and told the clerk my tale of woe. Then the best thing happened: she gave me credit for my broken goods, bringing the story to a happy end.

All acquired Dec. 21, 2008, JC Penney, Lehigh Valley Mall, Whitehall, Pa.

Flattish, felt covered ceramic penguin with purple and pink striped top hat, pink scarf, and carrying gifts

Number: 0596

Size: 5 inches tall

Price: $3.99 (60 percent off, originally $9.99)

Wood penguin head in Santa hat over a long pink and green, curly-toed stocking with a blue boa and dangling jingle bells

Number: 0597

Size: 8 inches tall

Price: $3.19 (60 percent off, originally $7.99)

Painted penguin with a pink and white striped stocking cap on a flat glass bulb filled with glittery snow

Number: 0598

Size: 4 inches diameter

A walk in the park

These ornaments might not look like they belong together, but have something in common. They represent what can happen to you when you go on an innocent Christmas shopping trip to Bryant Park in New York City a couple of blocks from where I work. Every year the park is converted for the season into an ice skating rink surrounded by scores of gift booths. It’s great for those last-minute and hard-to-find gifts on your list. It’s also a great place to find penguin ornaments. You’ve already seen a couple of other penguins I found in the park in previous years.  You can see them by clicking on the Bryant Park label below. All of today’s penguins came in one fateful trip to the park a couple of years ago. I didn’t go there looking for penguins, but found plenty.

All acquired December 17, 2008, Bryant Park, New York

Two hugging porcelain penguins in colorful scarves and hats

Number: 0579

Size: 3.25 inches tall

Price: $12.99

Flattish ceramic penguins balancing on big round mints

Number: 0580 0581

Size: 4 inches tall

Price: $10.99 each

Big silver jingle bell with plastic head, springy wings and dangling “butterfly” feet

Number: 0582

Size: 3 inches tall

Price: $13

Pear-shaped glass penguin with tall, glittery top hat, red sequined bow tie and long dangly legs

Number: 0583

Size: 6.5 inches tall

Price: not recorded

Three large glass penguins on blue ice blocks holding ornament, gift and tree

Number: 0584 0585 0586

Size: 6 to 6.25 inches tall

Price: $14 each

Three flattish glass bulbs, painted and filled with snow, green hat with candy cane, blue hat with gift,  and red hat with tree

Number: 0587 0588 0589

Size: 4.5 inches tall

Price: $14 each

Christmas Rocks epilogue

The journey’s not over until it’s over. I flew to Texas from Philadelphia, which means I would have to go by New Hope on the drive home. Well, I don’t have to go through New Hope, but I’ll use any excuse to visit a Christmas shop, and New Hope is the home of A Christmas Past, one of my favorites. I never know if I’ll come away with a couple of shopping bags full of penguins or just a handful. I’ve even struck out a couple of times, mostly because I’ve already got whichever penguins they have available from a previous trip. I visit A Christmas Past two or three times a year. Even if I leave empty handed, it’s always fun to stop in and it’s a nice way to take a break during a long drive home.  On this particular visit, I found quite a few penguins, including a couple of the duplicates in my collection. More about those repeats tomorrow.

Kurt S. Adler plastic skaters

Acquired: September 28, 2008, A Christmas Past, New Hope, Pa.

Number: 0511 0512 0513

Size: 5 inches tall

Price: $9.95 each

TJ’s Christmas penguins with red knit hats and scarves holding gifts, tree and skis

Acquired: September 28, 2008, A Christmas Past, New Hope, Pa.

Number: 0514 9515 0516

Size: 3.5 inches tall

Price: unknown

Cool

It’s just a simple message from a little penguin holding a big star. This ornament is flat on the back, but it has a lot of nice relief detail on the front, including the raised letters on the sign.

Small ceramic penguin carrying star with message

Acquired: June 28, 2008, Jim Thorpe, Pa.

Number: 0489

Size: 2.25 inches

Penguin treasures

This penguin’s opalescent front is decorated with a raised floral design and diamond rhinestones. I found it on my spur-of-the-moment trip to Seattle to check the Mariners’ stadium off my list of major league baseball parks. The airport store where I bought it also had some fantastic watercolor greeting cards with penguins celebrating birthdays and other events. I finally used the last of the cards recently and wish that I had bought more of them.

Ceramic penguin with opalescent front and raised floral pattern

Acquired: June 17, 2008, Fireworks, SEATAC airport, Seattle, Wash.

Number: 0487

Size: 4.25 inches tall

Price: $6.50