Nazi or Nice? Finns Snap Up Swastika Rings for Christmas

[Ikutiera]

A Finnish charity is selling silver rings emblazoned with a swastika to raise money for World War II veterans. The group selling the rings say they bear no relation to the Nazi emblem and that they are just a way for Finland to honor those who fought for the country's independence.

Nazi or Nice? Finns Snap Up Swastika Rings for Christmas - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News

[Kernunnos]

They had swastikas well before the nazi took power or even existed, it was a traditional symbol that was centuries old.

Swastika is an age old religious symbol to many peoples in the world, as said so often everywhere, germanic people also called it flyfot, the Saxons had it etc.

In India it is still a commonly used religious symbol, as it is for the chinese Falun Gong buddhist denomination.

[Errigal]

Good for the Finns.

[Routasydän]

The story of the rings is quite interesting. In 1939 people were urged to give up their golden weddings rings and other golden jewellery for the war effort. 300 000 rings were given to the state, and in exchange people received an iron ring instead. This was a substantial amount of gold, but due to mostly technical and circumstancial difficulties, the gold was never actually used in the purchase of war materiel. At the end of the war, it was smuggled to Sweden because the Finns feared a Soviet occuopation. In 1945 there was a currency crisis in Finland and much the gold was sold to Sweden, while the rest was given to a domestic goldsmith for melting.

I might get one for christmas, it looks pretty nice.

[Aptrgangr]

These Finnish cookies look tasty,


and that's how Finns prepare their fried potatoes I presume

[Gavril]

De-Nazification of the Swastika? Not for another hundred years...

[Crvena zvezda]

Over reactions. In Serbia a year ago the Chinese opened a Buddhist Center and for once the western funded NGO's stopped their usual criticism regarding NGO and called it outrageous that the Serbian government would allow a swastika to be displayed publicly (their was a buddha in front of it that had a swastika). I found it ironic how these same groups always argue about minority and religous rights and yet in this case they're disregarding both.

[Breogan]

Very nice.

[swordjumper]

I want one !

[Susi]

They're really cute actually. I want one too.

[Lutiferre]

Originally Posted by Ljubomir

De-Nazification of the Swastika? Not for another hundred years...

Maybe not, if thats the attitude people continue having.

But I think it'd be foolish and ignorant to just write the Swastika out of history because of the misrepresentation of it by a few pricks. Its been used for so long, and means so much else than that. I even remember reading its the oldest symbol in the world, not sure if thats true though.

Very nice rings indeed!