Swastikas Gift Wrap: Neither Merry nor Right
Filed under: Decorating + Crafts, Weird
Have a very...Nazi Christmas? Credit: YouTube
Casey Lehman thought she was getting a bargain when she bought the roll of paper at a $1 store, but instead found herself about to wrap a present with a symbol most closely associated with Nazi Germany.
"I pulled it down from the closet, and for the first time saw it and thought, 'Oh wow. That's really inappropriate'," Lehman told Orlando TV station WESH. She added, "If I had sent this out on my Christmas gifts and someone had pointed it out to me I would have been mortified. I would have been really embarrassed."
The swastika symbol has been around for a long time, and hasn't always had a bad reputation. Swastikas appear on pottery and coins as early as 3,000 years ago, in cultures as diverse as China, Germany and Greece, and it remains a sacred Hindu symbol. However, since it was adopted by Adolph Hitler during World War II, you could say it's fallen out of favor as a design element in Western culture.
The pattern on this wrapping paper, in fact, is most likely an ancient Sanskrit symbol for good luck rather than an actual swastika (a dot included in each quadrant distinguishes it from the Nazi swastika). Either way, Lehman won't be using the paper to wrap any gifts this year. She and her mother and fiancé all agree that the swastika design isn't the kind of Christmas spirit they were looking for.
The manager of Dollar Mania, where Mrs. Lehman bought the paper, denied any knowledge of the design before she brought it to his attention -- but he's definitely making sure he doesn't sell any more of the potentially-upsetting wrapping paper.
Recent Posts
- Holiday Cheer: Links Round Up for Monday, February 8 (2/08/2010)
- Mardi Gras Party Decor (2/08/2010)
- 'Baywatch' Babe Gena Lee Nolin's Romantic Valentine Plans (2/08/2010)
- Surprising Valentine Gifts for Your Loved One (2/08/2010)
- 5 Valentine's Gifts That Will Show Her You're a Thoughtless Dunce (2/08/2010)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 13)
Add your comments
Featured in Holidays
Martha Stewart
It's game time!
Holiday Tailgaiting Tips From Holidash
Get helpful hints and plan a festive party with recipes, decorating ideas, activities, themes and crafts!
Sharon Kamp 11-16-2009 @ 6:20AM
Isn't the design also associated with our Navajo Indians??
Reply
S 11-16-2009 @ 6:32AM
This symbol is from India and is also used by some Buddhists. Americans are ignorant and want to immediately associate everything with hate and evil.
The wrapping paper was probably made in India.
Go to Wikipedia and type "Swastika" for some cultural info.
Big John 11-16-2009 @ 6:46AM
Yes, before the Nazis used it it was a symbol that the Navaho indians used. Its translates to me "To be good.".
DivaTalk 11-16-2009 @ 7:34AM
"OUR Navajo Indians?" Miss, that is not appropriate. Unless you own some Indians -- in your closet, or slaves in your cotton fields. No group of people can be referred to in that kind of language - as if they were your property. We're in the 21st century please learn to treat people with dignity. Repeat after me: "What about the Navajo, Cherokee, Iroquois, Mohawk, etc, etc. They're not OURS, we don't OWN people.
WaltJake 11-16-2009 @ 7:58AM
Yes...the Navajos, along with several other cultures, used it as a "Good Luck" symbol, long before the Nazis twisted its meaning around
Cassie 11-16-2009 @ 8:27AM
in response to "S," First of All, by referring to all Americans as ignorant, you are in turn making yourself appear Ignorant. Secondly, Wikipedia is not a web-site that should be used for any factual information. The information on that web-site can be submitted by anyone and does not have any substantial educational value. The article states that the Swastika symbol was used previous to the Nazi relation but was adopted by Hitler. It's amazing the number of people who write for AOL and read AOL News lack common sense and knowledge.
Lady Blackmour 11-16-2009 @ 9:52AM
S, your comment is ignorant and judgmental. Saying "Americans want to see hate everywhere" only marks you as foolish. The fact is that it was Adolph Hitler and his Nazi party who made the symbol associated with hate, and considering all the atrocities committed in the name of that symbol, it's inappropriate to say people are being ridiculous when it makes them uncomfortable.
As for DivaTalk: She obviously meant nothing by it, so get over yourself.
earth mama 11-16-2009 @ 12:17PM
this symbol is also associated in the same kindness toward humanity manor with Tibetan Buddhist... as usual, nothing original from hitler except turning something beautiful into something vile.
bonnie 11-17-2009 @ 12:49AM
Yes it is! I have a necklaace that was made my great grandmother over 100 years ago and it also has the swastika. I wore it once when I was about 20 and folks thought I was wearing a NAZI symbol. It is in my jewelry box but I never wore it again
Lisa 11-16-2009 @ 3:48PM
So true. I think we've "politically correct-ed" ourselves into uptight freaks
AVA 11-16-2009 @ 3:51PM
DIVA TALK GET A FEAKING GRIP! I'M SURE SHE DIDN'T MEAN IT LITERALLY. IT'S PEOPLE LIKE YOU THAT MAKE THIS COUNTRYTHE WAY IT IS.
MediaOneTV 11-16-2009 @ 6:58PM
Hey Diva: You are a perfect example of how political correctness --and the ignorance on which it is invariably based-- is destroying the soul of America. Your comment is nothing short of asinine. Suppose I say about a buddy of mine, "He is 'my' friend..." does that mean I own him? To anyone with a brain, the reference to "our" Navajo's simply meant that they are Americans....as opposed to the other nationalities the writer referenced in the article (Germany, India, etc.) I haven't heard about anybody "owning" their own personal Navajo in our history. The problem with you Left-Wing Thought and Speech Police is that you don't even have the brains to know what your talking about...but you still want to try to tell others how they should think and speak. In fact, the comment "our" Navajo's was actually a kind and endearing term...as in, acceptance and inclusiveness and unity. But what would radical politically-correct leftists who are angry at everybody and everything know about unity? Next time, try using your brain before using your mouth.
Sandia 11-28-2009 @ 8:56PM
@ DivaTalk: I'm navajo and when i read her comment i knew what she meant.
She was not saying she owned us, it was quite obvious.
You're an embarrassment.
CaroLady 11-28-2009 @ 6:07PM
Diva---Chill! I think you over-reacted to the Sharon's "our Navajos" comment. I'm married to a Navajo and I don't think he'd be offended. I don't think she meant anything derogatory. She meant as part of the United States, our Americans...
Betina 11-30-2009 @ 1:08PM
it also has to do with astronomy. The symbol was here long before Nazi's GET OVER PEOPLE. It's just a symbol. I think sometimes people just like to pick and *itch about everything and anything they can. If that was my wrapping paper I would have just thought it was part of a design. I guess though some of us have nothing better to do but complain and maybe lack intelligence is another reason why people gripe so much. Almost all words have more then one meaning to them because that's just what seems to happen over 100's and 1,000 of years. We give double meaning to lot's of things. Each generation adds to it.
phuntingtonbeach 11-16-2009 @ 6:22AM
Whoa nelly! Take an even closer look at the paper and right next to the swastika is the chrysanthemum....symbol of the Emporer of Japan!! What's going on here?
Reply
Pat 11-16-2009 @ 6:33AM
It's a bummer that a symbol can get such a bad rap because the wrong people inappropriately adopt it as their own. Look what klansmen and skinheads have done to the Confederate battle ensign, and the ACLU dares to wrap itself in Old Glory while Jerimiah Wright spews hate with a cross in the backgroung.
Reply
Pat 11-16-2009 @ 10:34AM
there is no need to bring the confederate flag into this.... i hate everyone equally!
openmind 11-16-2009 @ 12:04PM
pat, it can easy for one to confuse hate for pain suffered just because of ones ethnic culture.
Brandy 11-16-2009 @ 6:49AM
This shows some ignorance on what the symbol actually means. The swastika is one of the oldest symbols in the world -- and relates to peace and harmony. This is what the image meant for LITERALLY THOUSANDS of years. Hitler changed that in the 1930's and 1940's, and his image runs counter-clockwise.
Some countries still use the swastika in its true intent -- as a sign of love, peace, harmony, good luck, and moving WITH the flow of things. Hinduism still uses the sign in their Dwali (New Year) festivals.,
This article just shows the blind ignorance of Floridians, Americans, and moderns when it comes to one another and understanding cultural nuance. Sensitivity toward racism, and its abolishment, is great but this is a total over-reaction.
Reply