site.btaAntique Christmas Toys from Silent Night Museum on Display in Burgas
Antique Christmas toys over a century old from the Silent Night Museum's collection in Wagrain, Austria, was unveiled at the Ethnographic Museum in Burgas on Tuesday. The opening of the exposition was accompanied by the opening of a small outdoor bazaar selling authentic Austrian Christmas food, drinks, mulled wine and decorations.
The exhibits also include old Christmas cards and books. Visitors can learn about the symbolism present in each artefact.
The antique Christmas toys are displayed for the first time in Bulgaria thanks to the cooperation between the Regional Museum Burgas and the cultural association Blaues Fenster in Wagrain, which runs the Silent Night Museum.
Maria Walchhofer, who runs the Blaues Fenster association together with Karl-Heinz Kreuzsaler, said that what makes the artefacts on display special is the dedication with which they were created. In times of poverty, people in the region used simple means and various materials to create small objects that bring joy around the Christmas holidays. Christmas stories were also read aloud and traditional carols were often sung. These carols can be heard as background music in the exhibition hall in Burgas.
Walchhofer spoke about the town of Wagrain and its relation to Joseph Mohr, a Roman Catholic priest and author behind the lyrics to Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht (Silent Night). She said that Silent Night is not just a carol but a message for peace. The Silent Night Museum uses that message every year to invite countries from around the world to present their Christmas customs.
In November 2019, a team of ten people from the museums in Burgas and the region were invited to present Bulgaria and its Christmas customs, said Milen Nikolov, director of the Regional History Museum in Burgas.
The exhibition opening was also attended by the Honorary Consul of Austria in Burgas, Radostina Ivanova-Mishineva, and Diana Savateva, the Burgas Municipality Deputy Mayor for Culture.
/NZ/
Additional
news.modal.image.header
news.modal.image.text
news.modal.download.header
news.modal.download.text
news.modal.header
news.modal.text