What is hope?
The traditional chest of hope is a wooden suitcase or box used to store special clothing and other domestic goods for the bride that can be used after her marriage. It is assumed that the chest of hope has evolved from necessity. In medieval Europe, many marriages were organized by parents to merge family wealth. The rich family of a prospective groom offered family money bride, land or even business ownership to get her hand in marriage. The bride's family, in turn, gave a new couple everything they needed to start their lives together. This gift, which was called dowry, included laundry, China, silver, glass, kitchen items and even furniture.
Families of limited resources could not afford sophisticated things, but wanted to be able to offer a potential husband something to marry their daughters. Mothers traditionally taught their daughters at an early age, as knocked, embroidered, sew and crochet in a pre -work for marriage. Young women, dreamingOn their wedding day, they began to accumulate a collection of special objects, including underwear, handmade embroidered hunting, towels, aprons, blankets and other crafts and their deposition in the future in a special chest that became a symbol of hope for the future. The new bride then brought her hopeful chest to her new home on her wedding day and these items became part of her new household.
Soon hopes were handmade chests produced and often lined with cedar, fragrant wood to help preserve the fabric. Many fathers built the hope of their daughter and spent them decorating works of art, wooden mosaics and other decorations. The chest of hope was then handed over from mother to daughter and became a family heritage.
tradition continued in the US, but at the beginning of the 20th century, the chest began to lose popularity. In the first World War, Lane Company has received a large government contract for a passAVBU Borovic ammunition boxes for the army. The plant modernized its assembly processes and when the war ended, they transferred the plant for the production of cedar chests. At the same time, they launched an advertising campaign to promote the new chest on Hope and young women were again interested in this romantic notion. During World War II, Lane's advertisement focused on young soldiers who, as he hoped, would be convinced of buying hope for girls who left at home.
tradition has disappeared since then, but in recent years it seems that this custom has been revived. In his book The Hope Chest: Legacy of Love , Rebekah Wilson examines the history of the chest hope and promotes the value of the transmission of traditional crafts and household skills to young women. Her book is a celebration of handcuffs created between mother and daughter Jak are preparing for daughters wedding day together.