$14.95 Flat Shipping or FREE over $200

0

Your Cart is Empty

$14.95 Flat Rate Shipping or Free Over $200

June 13, 2018 10 min read

For a long time, fairies have always been the subject of children’s bedtime stories and cartoons, but it is different now. Now, you see them everywhere you go. These incredible mythological creatures are everywhere from life-size figurines in theme parks making kids and adults alike giggle to mugs to t-shirts and everything else in between. It appears that the world has been absolutely captivated by the fairy fever. So much so that there is even an international fairy day celebrated on June 24 every year!

 

So, how come these winged creatures have become so popular over the years and captured the imagination of thousands if not millions of people all around the world? Well, it all lies in its diverse history. So, let’s get started:

 

 

History of International Fairy Day

 Fairies have been in existence all over the world except not all of them were called ‘fairies.’  They have been called different names depending on the culture of the country. However, no matter where you go or live, they all have one thing in common. People everywhere believe fairies are supernatural spirits who inhabit the world around us. They also lead their lives abiding by strange laws. And that’s where the similarities end.

 

Here is a fun fact most of you probably never heard. Did it ever occur to you that dwarves and gnomes are also considered as a part of the fairy clan? Dwarves and gnomes are common in German folk stories, particularly to those who worked in the mountains and mines. Another kind of fairies is ‘Knockers’. These fairies lived in mines and often “knocked” to warn miners of possible cave-ins and other dangers synonymous with mining, hence their name.

Gnomes are red-headed creatures that are commonly seen in people gardens and backyards. Gnomes are said to be shy, quiet creatures and hail from the dark northern forests. People believe they spent most of their time living near to humans and occasionally help them out.

Here’s an outrageous one or at least it feels like one to me. There are fairies called ‘Irish Selkie’, who live in the oceans and according to folklore, these creatures have dark eyes and hair and can transform themselves into humans. Yes, you heard that right! And, not just any humans – beautiful women! However, Irish Selkie started off as seals and they would only morph themselves to women when they came ashore and shed off their skins.

 

Who Are The Fairies?

INTERNATIONAL FAIRY DAY 2018

I can already hear you all good folks asking, “Heck, what kind of question is that?” We know a thing or two about fairies. We know they are mythological creatures, have magical powers, intelligent, and can sometimes be whimsical or mischievous. But that’s not all. There are more to fairies and their intentions, as well as appearances, differ based on the country and the time period.

 

If you recall, Peter Pan, one of the most well-known fairies in children’s books, most of us will think that fairies are sweet, happy, and helpful creatures. If you go step back in history, 12th century or even earlier, you will realize that fairies weren’t always as they seem today. They weren’t the happy and helpful, in fact, far from it. Fairies such as sileni, elves, or nymphs are often depicted as sinister creatures and harmed men like they made men disappear, for example.  In Scottish folklore, fairies were portrayed as unpleasant creatures and, in some cases devilish.

 

It was only during the Shakespearean era, where the public perception of fairies took a u-turn. It was Shakespeare, who in his book ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ showcased fairies as harmless and fun-loving creatures, which is what we conceive today.  That is a whole paradigm shift for fairies if you ask me, given the fact, once they were thought to make men vanish! Phew! In the following section, we will talk a bit more about fairies.

 

Where Do Fairies Live?

 So, where do fairies live? This is a question mostly asked by children when you read them a bedtime story about Peter Pan or other fairies. According to some stories, fairies don’t live in the same world as ours. They live in some sort of a parallel world. They created this whole new magical world themselves as they got bored living in ours. Damn, if we, humans can only do that, sign!

 

You can’t see fairies in their world, but you can glimpse at them when the barrier division between the worlds gets thinner at certain times such as during the summer or winter. Some stories say it is during twilight or festivals like Beltane.

However, skeptics will deny most of this and will simply tell that the only place fairies can live is in our imagination, and that’s not a bad thing. Imagination is a wonderful thing and should be celebrated.  So, let the fairies have a great time there.

 

That’s plenty of fairy tale we had there, so to keep things more interesting, let’s jump to discuss some ideas on how we can make the most of this magical unofficial holiday.

 

How To Celebrate International Fairy Day

Similar to Valentine’s Day or Father’s Day, we celebrate Fairy Day on June 24 to honor these mythical creatures. Fairy enthusiasts and kids around the world participate in many festivals and celebrations during this day. But, if you don’t like hanging out in crowded festivals, don’t fret as you can have a festive fairy themed party at home with your friends and family.

 

Here are few things you can do to celebrate international fairy day in your home:
 

01: Build a Fairy Garden

Fairy house

We can’t think of a better way to commemorate the international fairy day than making an adorable fairy garden in your backyard garden by yourself. To all those fine folks dreading DIY projects, let me assure you one thing — it’s really easy to create a fairy garden. All you need are some simple items and following some really easy instructions. So, let’s do it:

 Things you need to make a fairy garden 

  1. A container to grow a fairy garden. You can use a tree trunk, broken flower pots, half wine barrel etc. Check some of the examples at the end of this article.
  2. Potting soil.
  3. Small plants. You can use small bonsai trees, Scotch Moss, Corsican Mint, etc. You can collect them from a local nursery.
  4. Miniature accessories and figures such as fairy houses, fairies, gnomes, or wizards.
  5. Accessories such as pebbles, glass gems, stones, sand, wood slices, etc.

 

Instructions: 

  1. Choose a container and an appropriate location for your fairy garden
  2. Select which plants you would plant in your fairy garden. You can use one plant or as many as you wish. Do the same for the accessories as well.
  3. Add soil to the container or the location you chose.
  4. Make a plan on how you will arrange your plants. Also plan where you want to see the ponds, birdbath, walkways, fairy house, and other accessories. Do this top of the soil so you can envision how the whole will look before planting them.
  5. Add water and prepare the soil for planting. Make small holes in the soil to sow your plants. Place the plants and covers the roots with soil. Be careful while doing this.
  6. Water the plants again after you finished planting them.
  7. Fill in the areas you planned for the ponds, walkways, and paths with moss, stones, pebbles, glass gems, wood slices or sand.
  8. Now, add the other fairy garden accessories and miniatures (fairy houses, fairies, or gnomes).

 

If you follow these step by step instructions correctly, you can make a great fairy garden. This is the one we made.

 

In case you’re wondering where you can get incredible accessories for your fairy garden project including fairy houses, fairy doors, fairy garden landscaping, miniature furniture, and other fairy garden accessories, check the link below: https://www.earthfairy.com.au/collections/fairy-gardens

 

02: Play Dress Up With A Fairy Princess Costume

 If you are a parent, then this is something you can ask your daughter to do just to liven up the holiday spirit of the fairy day. You daughter can dress up in a fairy costume. At first making a fairy costumemay look complicated, but it’s actually easy as you don’t have to do any sewing.  It is a perfect craft if you’re a working and don’t have enough. Furthermore, this is something that you and your kids will enjoy making together. So, let’s go:

 

  1. The first thing you need to do here is to fetch yourself a simple tutu. Add a halter strap alongside a headband and a belt. Fairy dress

 

  1. Make the skirt into a sleeveless dress by pulling the long tutu up in a way so that it stays underneath your child’s arms and over their torso. 
  1. Add a halter strap. 
  1. Now create halter top using a tie ribbon. This will also secure the dress and ensure that it holds up. 
  1. Make a flower belt using a 2-yard piece of ribbon. Use a hot glue gun to secure to 5-8 flowers of various sizes on the belt. Remember to attach the back of the flowers directly on the middle of the ribbon. Cover at least 10 inches and wait for a few moments for the glue to dry. 
  1. Add the flower belt at the waist section of the dress.

 

  1. Make a headband using flowers
    These fun headbands put the wearer into instant unicorn mode.  A sparkly horn, glittery ears, and a swath of flowers complete the look.                                                                    Fairy headband

 

 

  1. Now add wings to the dress and you’re good to go. Also don’t forget to give your kid a magic wand and some magic dust! 

 

 

03: The Pups Can Play Too!

 Mythology is a huge part of any fairy tales. Fairies, gnomes or w wizards are mythical beings. Similarly, unicorns, dragons, talking rabbits, centaurs, etc, are all mythological creatures. You can’t expect a fairy-themed party or a fairy garden without excluding these creatures. Here we will talk about a few such animals.

 

04: Unicorns

 This is by far one of the most common when it comes to fairy stories. They’re also a hit with the kids during any party or celebration. You can many variations of miniature unicorns for your fairy garden or as toys for your kids. Here are a few designs:

 

  1. A unicorn with its trusty wizard.

 

  1. A tiny fairy sleeping peacefully on a unicorn.  
    A tiny fairy has snuggled down upon the back of her trusty unicorn.  Each fairy sleeps peacefully, secure in the knowledge that has her trusty friend to look over her.  A beautiful fairy from the Flower Garden Fairy Collection

 

  1. A pair of gorgeous rainbow colored unicorns walking on the cloud.
    A gorgeous pair of pastel-colored unicorns walking alongside each other, set on a white cloud base. Such a lovely piece for a unicorn lover! 

 

05: Dragons

 

Dragons are also common in fairy stories, but unlike the unicorn, these fire-breathing creatures are often destructive in nature. But there are cute and nice dragons too, so don’t be sad! Let’s check out some:

 

  1. A cute, upward gazing dragon sitting on a rock

The "Gazing Upwards" dragon is sitting steadily upon his rock, with his wings relaxed, and his big, brown eyes looking up at you.  He has a sweet, snub nose and a broad white chest.  His brother is "Gazing Down" with his front claws fastened over his chest, and looking down dreamily.  These dragons are coated with UV paint to withstand the weather in your garden.  However they also make a charming addition to a dragon-loving child's room.

 

  1. A seated white bellied dragon
    No one could fail to find this charming fellow engaging!  He has two brothers - the White Bellied Dragon Standing and the White Bellied Dragon Resting.  Collect all three for a fun dragon display and they will stand by your fairy castle to keep a watchful eye!

 

  1. A baby dragon holding a magical orb
    These little devils are each topped with a colorful, furry mop!  More fun than scary, they make a fun playset to display in the bedroom.

 

06: Rowing Frogs 

Frogs can be seen in the real world, but how many of you have seen an adorable, smiling frog rowing a small boat? Yup, it can only happen in a fairy garden.

 Frog rowing a boat

 

07: Make a Flower Crown

 Celebrating a fairy-themed party during the international fairy day is incomplete if you aren’t sporting a flower crown. if you’re too old to don one, then at least make sure the kids are having fun with them. Below are some whimsical flower crowns we hope will be a treat to your senses. 

  1. Silk Crown 

This gorgeous crown is made of soft sustainable silk and the design takes it inspiration from dragons as it includes wings, points, and horns. It is also for children to wear.

 

  1. Mini Nature Crown 

This is an artificial, handmade vine crown that looks very natural and simple. 

 

  1. Golden Branches Crown 

This is a delicate, beautiful crown consisting of golden branches, rhinestone accents, and dragonflies.

 

 

 

08: Read a Fairy Tale 

You know what is a fun, yet intellectual activity to do on international fairy day? Yes, reading renowned fairy tales.  For centuries fairy tales has been teaching us timeless life lessons.  Here are some awesome fairy tales collections you can read to for yourself (if you’re still a kid at heart!) or read them to your kids when they go to bed.

 

  1. Aesop's Fables: A Pop-Up Book Of Classic Tales 

Aesop's Fables are one of the few fairy tales that can leap into the hearts and minds of old and young readers easily.  This collection includes popular classics such as “The Tortoise and the Hare", "The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg", etc.

  

  1. Fairy Tale Lenormand 

This is another great fairy tales collection. The enchanting artwork will easily lure readers into the fantasy world of dragons, princesses, peasants, and so on.

 

 

  1. Illustrated Fairy Tales

This is a fantastic collection of stories that are guaranteed to entertain as well as delight young kids. Favorite stories include classics such as The Frog Prince, The Swan Princess, and The Little Red Riding Hood.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

 

There is something endearing about June 24. It is the time of the year where all of our fantasy and imagination converge in honor of International Fairy Day.  These supernatural creatures have given birth to countless legends and myths that have keep up captivated for generations. Today, we cherish them by making fairy gardens, children’s books, cartoons, and movies.


Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.