Vintage Thingie Thursday: "What is our country?"

Hello dear friends,

Since I posted about our vintage school poster last week, I thought I'd share with you, today, a book from circa the same time period.

It is a book for the 5th class of Primary school, 10-11 year olds.

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This is a short story from our ancient history, about true friendship and loyalty.

The themes change according to the season. Animals are often the protagonists.

 Above, Winter, and a bird that needs feeding.

Below, May 1st, and lobsters!

There is no thing such as "generation gap". Generations are tightly knit, and children are often portrayed listening to stories from their grand parents.

From the ancient times, to modern times: The war of independence, 1821.

This is probably among my two favorite childhood poems. Although now considered naif, I love the visual impact it has, and the truth of its words. 

The poet wonders what our country means. Is it the mountains, the sun, the sea? 

Everything is our country, he says. And something more. Something we have deep in our hearts and is bright like the rays of the sun, and pushes us on.

I like the sketches on this book as well as the texts, that have something useful to teach a child and help her become a better person. The style, the shade of green, the two tone printing, it all speaks of times past.

I shall show you some more next week.

Thank you for coming , and thanks to Colorado Lady for hosting!

I am off to visit with you!

Vintage Thingie Thursday-Autumn poster

Hello dear friends,
Today for Vintage Thingie Thursday, I am going to show you our Autumn poster. It is one of four seasonal posters we put up according to the season.
These posters were used in Primary Schools across Greece until the early 1980s, to teach the seasonal activities in the classroom. They depict a time and era when life was simpler, and closer to Nature and God. They were then considered anachronistic, and were banned as they were against the multicultural society that was becoming the thing du jour.
We found a few stored away in an old bookshop and bought them with the intention of selling them in my on-line shop. I never put them up for sale, but we use these four every year.

The original artwork is by a lovely naif painter, Spyro Vasiliou.
(click on images to view larger)

At the center to the left there is the school. Notice the artist's depiction of the school. It links the present with the past, the traditional architecture of the Greek countryside to the pillars of the ancient times, still visible in the many ruins that are scattered across Greece. 

The girls are wearing a blue dress with a white colar, the school uniform that was abolished in 1982 because it  "insulted the kids' individuality". The school uniform was in fact abolishing in the school ground social rivalry and discrimination of the richer and poorer, and helped children concentrate on their studies, not the latest fashions.

To the right, the women are occupied with traditional household work, from feeding the livestock to knitting.

Top and center stage is given to the church, with the little girl kissing the priest's hand, a gesture of respect accompanied by the priest's: "Christ's blessing".

Seasonal activities are also shown, like apple picking and shooting.

Autumn is the season of the land: ploughing and spreading the seeds that will give the crops in the Spring.

It is also the season of wine and spirit making. As the old saying went, three are man's most important toils: harvesting the wheat, harvesting the vine and going to war.

With special thanks to Coloradolady for hosting.

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. 

See you all next week!

Vintage Thingie Thursday-Holly Hobbie 1977

Hello dear friends,
I have decided to join the Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady. I have a growing appreciation for older objects in the past couple of years, so I thought I'd share my love for them with you. For the first post, I have picked an item that is not very old, but is of one of my favorite childhood characters. I have grown up with Holly Hobbie and Sarah Kay and those romantic images. I want to bring some of that to my life, from a time more romantic and innocent that my daughters have not experiences as much as I did. So here is one of my Holly Hobbie objets.

This vintage tea towell from 1977, a very nice year in my life, reads "Simple pleasures, life's treasures" which is my belief, too. Purchased from Retrolabs at Etsy.
Thank you for stopping by. I hope to join many, many more Vintage Thingie Thursdays and visit with all of you.