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Wednesday, September 9, 2009

A Warm Welcome

A while ago, I started noticing Pineapple things all over the place. Welcome signs, decorative plates, figurines .. you name it, I saw it. At first I thought it was some strange new fad but the more pineapples I saw, the more intrigued I was. I knew there had to be something behind the pineapple craze. So, I googled. And what did I find?

I discovered that the reason for pineapple paraphernalia is that the pineapple is the symbol of hospitality. Here is an explanation of the symbol:

"During the colonial days in in America, a hostess's ability to have a pineapple for an important dining event said as much about her rank as it did about her resourcefulness. So sought after were the prickly fruits that colonial confectioners sometimes rented them to households by the day. Later, the same fruit was sold to other, more affluent clients who actually ate it. As you might imagine, hostesses would have gone to great lengths to conceal the fact that the pineapple that was the visual apogee of their table display and a central topic of their guests' conversation was only rented.

In larger, well-to-do homes, the dining room doors were kept closed to heighten visitors' suspense about the table being readied on the other side. At the appointed moment, and with the maximum amount of pomp and drama, the doors were flung open to reveal the evening's main event. Visitors confronted with pineapple-topped food displays felt particularly honored by a hostess who obviously spared no expense to ensure her guests' dining pleasure.

In this manner, the fruit which was the visual keystone of the feast naturally came to symbolize the high spirits of the social events themselves; the image of the pineapple coming to express the sense of welcome, good cheer, human warmth and family affection inherent to such gracious home gatherings." - Source

Hospitality is something that I strive to create in my home. The sense of welcome, good cheer, warmth and affection that are mentioned in the above statement are things that I hope my friends and family feel when they come into our home. That being said, I began my search for the perfect pineapple to display in my home when I gleaned this new information. I was particularly fond of pineapples of the welcome sign nature. I had in my mind an exact idea of what I wanted and the exact spot where it would go when/if I ever found it.

My brother and sister-in-law knew that I was on a hunt for the perfect pineapple welcome sign. They also knew that I like to save money and do things myself whenever and wherever possible. So, they gathered some supplies and set to working, crafting for me the most perfect birthday present I could have imagined.

Say hello to my perfect pineapple welcome sign...

Yes, they think they are prettttttttttttty funny. It didn't quite fit in the space I had intended but I did find a home for it... right in my tummy.

19 comments:

Shaina said...

Ha! This is awesome. I knew about the whole pineapple/hospitality thing, which I love. But I especially love...that you ate it. :)

SnoWhite said...

love it!

How did you guys eat it? Did you grill it? I've heard that's pretty tasty :)

Courtney said...

Haha! I love it! What a great idea.. I didn't know about the pinapple=hospitality thing! Thanks for sharing!

Amy said...

I have learned something new today...very neat. I love the pineapple welcome sign...funny.
Blessings,
Amy

This Texas Momma said...

Hahaha! I thought they were pretty clever! All the things you want for your home are things that I strive for too. I didn't realize that's what the pineapple stood for, so now I might need a perfect peice too!

Brooke said...

:P

so that explains the pinnapples on top of the brick mailboxes in our neighborhood.

Gwen said...

I love the sign!!! I always stock up on pineapple scented candles to give as housewarming gifts. XOXO

Taryn said...

Haha- what a nice gift. They really do know you. = )

Thanks for sharing about the pineapples. What a cool thing.

A New England Girl said...

Haha, that is so cute! I loved the information, too. I would have never guessed! :)

Meg said...

ahahaha...that's too cute! ;)

Lucky in Love said...

Ha! Who knew??

Love it :)

Anonymous said...

You did exactly what I would have done. Yummy!!!

Logi said...

What a funny and creative SIL you have! I wonder what ideas she has up her sleeve for Christmas!

Brittany Ann said...

A delicious tropical fruit and a sign of hospitality? It's the perfect fruit!

Tricia said...

Oh my gosh! So cute!
I don't think I've been here since your birthday! I haven't ventured out of my Reader much lately. I'm sorry I missed it!
Here, I will draw you a birthday cake. K?!

''
~~
~h~a~p~p~y~
~~~~
~~h~~a~p~p~~y~~
~~~~~~~~
~~b~i~r~t~h~d~a~y~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~t~o~~~~~~~~~y~o~u~~~


Tee hee! Seriously, I'm sorry I haven't been around. I have been reading though. Cross my heart. Can't wait to see your inspiration on Saturday.

Have a wonderful week (end).

XO*Tricia

Tricia said...

Um, yeah. That totally didn't work. When I drew it, it was centered. It definitely didn't come out centered. I guess there's none to share with the FD. Sorry. ;)

XO*Tricia

Kristin said...

I LOVE IT!

Llama said...

What an awesome idea!! I must try!!

Mandi @ Sweetly Home said...

Cute!! :) I have a pineapple welcome sign. I posted it awhile back, maybe you already saw it. I just love that you want to include one in your decor as a symbol of hospitality. My grandma often had pineapple things so they also remind me of her.

Here's a bit or more pineapple info for ya. My sis went to North Carolina and learned a bit more about the tradition. Apparently when southerners throw parties, they put out their pineapples. And sometimes the party would run late and not wanting to be a rude hostess, they came up with this idea to politely let guests know the party was over with. They would start removing their pineapples! When the guests saw the pineapples being taken down/or removed, they knew it was time to go. How funny is that?