Hand Grenade Christmas Tree Ornaments Spark Outrage

You won't find these hanging on Bill O'Reilly's tree.

The Swedish Army Museum in Stockholm is coming under fire for selling Christmas tree ornaments shaped like hand grenades.

The Stockholm museum is selling the ornaments to raise money for Christian Aid, a charity that combats poverty and helps with disaster relief. The museum's website says the ornaments are "a subtle reminder of those who are less fortunate than we are during the holiday season," according to UPI.com.

But visitors like Elinor Lindeborg feel the grenade ornaments don't really fit the "peace on Earth, goodwill toward men" sentiment associated with the season.

“Quite simply I think it's distasteful, especially if they are raising money for charity," Lindeborg told Sveriges Television (SVT). "This is a museum frequented by children, and it's hard to explain to them why there are hand grenades in the Christmas trees.”

She believes that even though the ornaments are being sold at an army museum, the gifts sold there should "still try to highlight a non-war perspective," reported TheLocal.se.

The new ornaments are apparently bombing with other Swedes. One woman griped to a Swedish radio show: "How in Lord's name can they come up with such an idiotic idea to make Christmas tree balls shaped like hand grenades? Sick! Shameful.”

Despite the explosive reaction, the museum's division head Helena Martinsson claims the response has been mostly positive.

“Having a decoration like this on the tree can get people to reflect on how good we have it here in Sweden and that there are people who have it much worse,” Martinsson told the Swedish language newspaper The Expressen.

Comments

[LadySusan56]

12:28 PM on 12/15/2011

I wouldn't decorate my tree with them...but it is a free country. I also have seen where people decorated their trees with beer cans and condoms. No accounting for taste. But I am free to "NOT BUY" them...

[Pete00097]

08:23 AM on 12/15/2011

My mother grew up in northern Iowa in a Danish community whereDanish was still spoken. My mother thought that "dumb swede" was one word. However, turning armements into ornaments is like turning swords into plowshares.

[Mother of Chloe]

06:33 AM on 12/15/2011

Fa-la-la-la-la-la-BOOM! =0D

[Mother of Chloe]

06:23 AM on 12/15/2011

It's a free country, for now. "By their fruits (grenades?), you shall know them" so, go home take cover and try, try to relax...

[Thaddeus Jude]

12:54 AM on 12/15/2011

Coming under fire? For that? I'd put them on my tree... THEY ARE awesome.

[denoferth]

12:51 AM on 12/15/2011

You know what "offends" me? All the attention we give to the small minority of boorish jerks who are "offended" by just about everything. Guess what; you do not have the right never to be offended. It's called freedom of choice. Walk away, put it down, turn it off or change the channel but please, shut the fu#k up!

[marco01]

11:28 PM on 12/14/2011

"This is a museum frequented by children, and it's hard to explain to them why there are hand grenades in the Christmas trees.”

It's an ARMY museum, and you are complaining about children seeing the ornaments on the Xmas tree? How about not take them to such a museum in the first place if you are afraid for what the children might see?

[kbrown2225]

11:24 PM on 12/14/2011

"This is a museum frequented by children, and it's hard to explain to them why there are hand grenades in the Christmas trees.”

Okay how about this, it is an army museum and hand grenades are something the army uses.

God I am sick of people complaining because someone or something forces them to have a conversation with their bratty kids. When I was a kid I would have understood 100% why an "army museum" would have a hand grenade ornament (then I would have asked my dad to buy if for me!)

[mech126]

01:17 AM on 12/15/2011

Me too.....

[tapautoman]

02:05 PM on 12/14/2011

what's the problem, they are pinecone granades, where can I get somek, I think they would look good on the tree!!!

[SoulOfDespair]

12:12 PM on 12/14/2011

I wonder if they have a light up feature one, lol.
Also, in a way, it sort of looks like a pinecone...

[WoodsideCraig]

09:59 AM on 12/14/2011

This is an old topic and was dealt with effectively many years ago. You will remember as soon as you see it. This is not something anyone ever truly forgets. Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOrgLj9lOwk

[kbrown2225]

11:25 PM on 12/14/2011

Okay that was funny linking it to Monty Python...and that rabbit was dynamite!

[WoodsideCraig]

11:35 PM on 12/14/2011

I'm glad you liked it. :)

[Mother of Chloe]

06:28 AM on 12/15/2011

Dy-No-Mite! LMAO!

[mech126]

01:21 AM on 12/15/2011

I forgot all about that one, thanks.....

[portugee565]

08:48 AM on 12/14/2011

Bad taste. And the Swedes make such good Christmas cookies too.

[CherMoe]

07:56 AM on 12/14/2011

They're probably hanging on the trees of the last administration. Those guys LOVE war and all the profits that go with it.

However, these ornaments somehow remind me of some from way back in the 50's and 60's.

[keedyk87]

07:20 AM on 12/14/2011

One cannot appreciate the daylight without the night.

[RyanBurke]

01:13 AM on 12/14/2011

Don't like it? Don't buy it.

[irocker350]

09:53 PM on 12/14/2011

Very well said!