What does a distelfink symbolize?

A distelfink is a stylized goldfinch, probably based on the European variety It frequently appears in Pennsylvania Dutch folk art. It represents happiness and good fortune and the Pennsylvania German people, and is a common theme in hex signs and in fraktur.

Do Amish use hex signs?

Hex signs are a form of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, related to fraktur, found in the Fancy Dutch tradition in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. The Amish do not use hex signs.

What do Pennsylvania Dutch hex signs mean?

The Pennsylvania Dutch may have mounted hex signs on barns for their purported magical properties. Some believed that hex signs provided protection, fertility for livestock, the right balance of sun and rain, and success with crops. Hex signs could feature a variety of symbols, including birds and flowers.

Where are Pennsylvania Dutch from?

The Pennsylvania Dutch (also called Pennsylvania Germans or Pennsylvania Deutsch) are descendants of early German immigrants to Pennsylvania who arrived in droves, mostly before 1800, to escape religious persecution in Europe.

Where does the Distelfink get its name from?

A distelfink is a stylized goldfinch, probably based on the European variety It frequently appears in Pennsylvania Dutch folk art.

What does the Distelfink mean in folk art?

What does the Distelfink mean in hex signs?

It represents happiness and good fortune and the Pennsylvania German people, and is a common theme in hex signs and in fraktur. The word distelfink (literally ‘thistle-finch’) is (besides Stieglitz) the German name for the European goldfinch.