* Actual ornaments viewable on Zazzle site.
Kids love to hang special ornaments on the tree, and a ceramic or pewter snowflake ornament with an original historic design is sure to please young history enthusiasts. Their creator, Richard Fay, even provides information on why they have historical significance.
White Rose of York: It is said that the first Duke of York, Edmund of Langley, adopted the white heraldic rose as an emblem of the House of York. The white rose was one of several devices that appeared on the banners and badges of the Yorkists during the series of English conflicts now known as the Wars of the Roses. It identified allegiance with the House of York.
Red Dragon of Wales: Linked in legend to King Arthur and the seventh-century Welsh prince, Cadwalader, the red dragon was adopted by the Tudors as part of their armorial bearings and now appears on the flag of Wales.
Other designs include:
Red Rose of Lancaster:Tradition has it that the House of Lancaster used the red rose as a badge during the fifteenth-century Wars of the Roses. Though there is some doubt as to the truth of this tradition, the Red Rose of Lancaster was later combined with the White Rose of York to form the Tudor Rose, which remains the floral heraldic emblem of England.
Tudor Rose: Upon his marriage to Elizabeth of York, Henry VII, first monarch of the Tudor Dynasty, combined the Red Rose of Lancaster with the White Rose of York to create the Tudor Rose. This emblem symbolised the bringing together of the two warring houses that had vied for power during England’s Wars of the Roses.
Claddagh: The claddagh is a traditional Irish ring said to symbolise friendship, love, and loyalty. Having originated in the Irish fishing village of Claddagh, the design dates back to the 17th century.
Scottish Thistle and Saltire: According to legend, the plans of the Norwegian King Haakon IV to launch a decisive surprise attack on the Scots in 1263 came to naught when one of his men cried out in pain after stepping barefoot on a thistle. Thus alerted to the approaching enemy, Alexander III’s men defeated the Norse invaders. Whatever the historical truth may actually be, it was during the thirteenth century that the thistle became an important Scottish national symbol. Later, the prickly flower was adopted as a badge by James III and appeared on his silver coinage of 1474.
Legend says that the adoption of the white saltire on a blue field as a Scottish national symbol can be traced back to the appearance of white clouds forming an x in a blue sky on the morning of a battle the Scots and Picts fought against the Northumbrians in 832 AD. In 1286, it appeared as a national symbol on the seal of the Guardians of Scotland.
Black Eagle of Germany: A black eagle appears on the coat of arms of Germany. In the medieval period, the Holy Roman Emperors adopted a black eagle on a gold field as their heraldic emblem. The Weimar Republic used the eagle, minus the monarchial symbols displayed on the German imperial eagle. A modern form was adopted in the 1920s and was re-introduced by the Federal Republic of Germany in 1950. This German Eagle design melds the modern and the medieval. It was inspired by both the modern federal eagle and various medieval heraldic eagles.
All the above can be found at:
http://www.zazzle.com/richardfay/ornaments
And you don’t have to stop with ornaments. Richard Fay’s historic designs appear on all kinds of merchandise, such as: caps, aprons, T-shirts, scarves, ties, necklaces, pillows, tote bags, mugs, plates, candy jars, teapots, laptop sleeves, mouse pads, i-Pad & i-Phone cases, lamps, clocks, and watches.
Check them out at: http://www.zazzle.ca/richardfay
Cards and wrapping paper are available at:
Time Travelling With Kids 
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