Christmas is supposed to be a joyful season. A season of hope, of love and of joy. But every evening when I turn on the news I am reminded that in many ways, and for many people the world is not a peaceful place. My heart is heavy and sad with the news about the shooting in Connecticut, the ongoing war in Syria, the famine in Africa and the stories about so many families struggling to make ends meet every day.
Blogging about Christmas decorations seems so trivial and frivolous….
And yet Christmas is a time of hope…..
How to Assemble Angel Chimes
How to put angel chimes together.
Christmas to me means celebrating and  remembering the good times, the love and the friendship. Ever since I have lost my parents I have chosen to NOT be sad about missing them during these special days. I choose to remember them, to surround myself with special pieces that bring back good memories and to be grateful for having had them as my parents.
Like this very old and tattered angel chimes. It is the one that mesmerized me as a child. It is old, the copper is fading and the top angel is missing. But when I light the candles the angels still go round and round, striking the little bells and filling the room with their little tingling sound.
It is the sound of my youth and I love it. I have vivid memories about these chimes. About cleaning the copper every year and making them shine. About forever fiddling with the position of the bells because the angels didn’t ‘hit’ them. About that one year when we had slightly bigger or taller candles and the angels started spinning so hard that they flew off the chimes. About one or another sibling always coming in the room and starting to ‘complain’ about that awful noise and me in turn standing up to defend my little angels.Â
How to Clean Angel Chimes
The past ten years or so the angels have lived with my sister. She gave them me so they could come live with me last year. I am so happy to have them in the house. And as my Love remembers them from his youth too, we both share in the joy that they bring us.
Blogging about these little angels will not change the world. Not blogging about these little angels will not change the world either.Â
How do Angel Chimes Work
All I can do is trying to make my little corner of the world a loving and peaceful place and praying for those who need peace and love in their lives.
So I have lit the four candles today and made the angels sing and with the sound of their bells I have send up my prayers and thoughts to those who need them.Â
How to Make Angel Chimes Work (What to Do When Angel Chimes Don’t Spin)
Why won’t my angel chimes spin?
May the angels be with you this Christmas season.
Where to Buy Angel Chimes
Where to Buy Angel Chimes Candles
Marianne Songbird is the founder of Songbird, where she hopes to inspire everyone to create a home they love, one DIY project at a time. She shares anything from craft ideas to home decor inspiration and from DIY projects to decorating hacks. Originally from the Netherlands Marianne and her husband Lex are currently renovating a 250-year-old farmhouse in Germany.
Bec says
what beautiful angels and beautiful words to remind us all to be grateful for all we have and help those less fortunate or who cannot help themselves… unbelievable events like this recent shooting is heart wrenching and I hope the love from all over the globe can comfort those affected in some small way!
thank you for sharing your angels….
Bec x
Suzan says
Lovely message today. Thank you for sharing part of your Christmas memories with all of us.
Anne says
Marianne it is heartbreaking.This happens way too much.But I am and have not watched any coverage.I chose to pray for all instead.I don’t want to hear about this person and why they did it.I don’t want to give that person even though he is dead any of my attention.But just send prayers to all those victims,family’s and the community.I pray for peace that this will stop.But with guns around I don’t think it ever will.But maybe a bill can be passed to make it harder to own one.I don’t know.So this holiday I want to hold my family a bit closer.And visiting blogs and sharing the pretty is good.It keeps your mind sane and occupied.Try not to get caught up in all of the media.Don’t give that monster any of your attention.If you do it will consume you.Just keep praying.
This is a wonderful memory to have of this angel.
I baked cookies with my daughter yesterday and I so thankful for those moments.Cherish them.
xx
Anne
Doreen@HymnsandVerses says
Oh my goodness – those chimes bring back a lot of memories! We had a set when I was growing up and I can even remember begging my parents to buy them in a cute little gift shop! I haven’t seen them in years! So nice that you still have them and the imperfections just add to the charm! Thanks for sharing these!
Gail says
Beautiful words from your heart to mine. Thank you.
Kristin McNamara Freeman says
Thank you for sharing the angel chimes! My grandmother had a pair, mother did as well. Each holiday season we loved to light the candles and listen to the sound of the bells. .. I, too put out the angel chimes each holiday season and my daughter has them in her home and my grandchildren are now asking to have the candles lit each night to sit quietly and listen to the angel’s song…sweet memories, traditions to pass on…the best part of any season in the home….sharing time together, building memories.
I read your blog every post…and am saddened by the “trend” of some folks to use others to create their own story… how sad for them, they have missed out on the whole purpose of the blog….your words create a story shared that is uniquely you…their blog then becomes simply a masquerade.
Many blessings to you and yours this holiday season and always.
Lorrie says
Beautiful words, Marianne. Your angel chimes are the same we had. I don’t know where they went. In the midst of all the darkness and sadness of life, and there is just so much of it, hope is the message of Christmas. Hope for a world in which all have enough to eat, wars cease, and little children are safe. Let’s light our candles, sing our songs, and hold each other close.
Marilyn says
Lovely post, Marianne. Yes, Christmas is about the Hope whose birth we celebrate at Christmas. Thank you for sharing this lovely post. I was delighted at the angels swirling at the bottom, and turned up the sound to see if I was missing their “song.”
Merry Christmas!
suzy says
I have these angel chimes too! My mom had a set when I was little and I loved them then. Those were lost along the way but I was fortunate to have found a full set second hand a few years ago and can now share their sweetness with my son. Their chimes mean a little more to me today as they lift my prayers up as well. Thank you for such a lovely entry.
Elzabeth@ Blue Clear Sky says
So beautiful, Marianne.
Rhondi says
We had those angels when I was a little girl. I used to love to listen to the tinkling sound as it turned around. Thanks for the reminder of Christmases long ago.
Emilou says
Marianne, so very touching. Thank you for sharing and choosing to be happy…… Amen
Katie @ Wildwood Creek says
Beautiful message. You put into words what many of us feel in our hearts.
Marianne says
Wij hadden een soortgelijk stel thuis. Ik weet niet waar het gekomen is, waarschijnlijk heeft mijn moeder ze weggegooid. Vorig jaar kocht ik een kleine (met hartjes ipv engeltjes) via het internet en ik zag ze laatst bij Action for een klein prijsje.
Ik vind het fijn als dingen van vroeger weer terugkomen. Hmmm, heeft waarschijnlijk met de leeftijd te maken.
groetjes,
Marianne
Moni ~ Zu Haus at Home says
Thank you for sharing from the heart…. and for bringing back Christmas memories. Merry Christmas!
karen@somewhatquirky says
We had one of these while I was growing up. I miss having one now and am totally charmed every time I see one during the holidays. Lovely post! Thanks.
Siggie says
Hi Marianne, what a nice post! We used to have some chimes like that too, brought back some nice memories! Yes, posting about decorations seems trivial in times like these, but have times ever really been different? No, when you and me and others post these things, it shows that we have not given up hope and can still find joy in the beauty of everything God has created. Even the so called trivial little things count, It’s like lighting a candle of hope for everyone to see and enjoy. Wishing you much Christmas happiness! Siggie
Grey says
A lovely post Marianne. It is as though you were reading my mind talking of your memories of the angel chimes, family, and Christmas. I still have most of the parts for mine too and adore it-for the sounds and the cherished memories.
ainead says
I’d never heard of the swedish angel chimes before but after reading your post I asked my little sister (currently living in Europe) to buy some for me if she saw them on her travels to the Austrian Christmas Markets. She bought me two sets and I am looking forward to using them in Christmas 2013!
Thanks!
ainead.
Marianne Songbird says
Oh, that is so nice! What a lovely thought that next year you will have your own set of angels during Christmas. I love that I inspired you like that!!
Ellen says
My mother had one. I was fascinated by it. Do they even still make them? I would love to have one. I’m going to have to be on the lookout. I thought about trying to make one. My nephew has been taking apart a lot of metal items and I’m going to see how much copper he was able to collect. May all of the angel chimes be enough to add some comfort in some way to those who need it most.
Marianne your words were so very touching. You said what I could not put into words. Thank you. Thank you for this post. May all have a joyous and Merry Christmas.
Ellen Day says
I forgot what I was originally going to ask. You have a sentence in this post that says “Where can
you buy the angel chimes. Could you answer that please if you know. I’m going to try to look for them.