Wapuu has been making his way around the WordCamp circuit for a while now. There are so many wonderful Wapuu siblings, and the Japanese WordPress community published a great origin story in December of 2015.
This new member of the Wapuu family hails from the countryside of Lancaster County and is the mascot of WordCamp Lancaster!
Meet Jakeypuu
He resides in Lancaster county, caring for his farm! He loves spring and fall, especially around planting season and harvest time. While he’s not busy on the farm, he relaxes by using WordPress to support his local produce stand, where he not only sells great fruits and veggies, but also Meadow Tea and Amish style root beer!
Jakey’s Wapuu Family
We have several family members from Jakey’s family this year. They’re each representing a little piece of Lancaster culture. We have Wapuu holding a traditional hex sign (a popular Pennsylvania Dutch folk art style), a Whoopie Pie (a treat we had last year!), and a Dutch Apple Pie!
The Hex Sign
The Pennsylvania Dutch hex sign has a long, rich history in the area. It frequently ornaments buildings, clothing, and many other facets of life in Lancaster County and the surrounding area.
Souvenir shop in Lancaster County selling hex signs. Source: Wikipedia
About 300 years ago, groups of peasant farmers from the Rhine region of Germany migrated to southeastern Pennsylvania. These settlers came to take advantage of freedoms being offered by William Penn. They included settlers of plain dress — Amish and Mennonites – and others of more “worldly” or “fancy” dress – Lutherans and other Reformed groups. Over time, these settlers became known as “Pennsylvania Dutch.”
Like other immigrants, they brought their old world language, dress, traditions, and art to their new home.
Barn with compass rose hex signs at the historic Mascot Mills in Lancaster County. Source: Wikipedia
Mystical bird and floral designs graced their birth and marriage certificates, books, quilts, and furniture. The “fancy” farmers also decorated their large German-style bank barns with colorful geometric patterns. Six-pointed star designs were very popular. The German word for six, “sechs,” sounded like hex to their English-speaking neighbors. In time, these “hex” patterns became commonly called hex signs. This custom persists today.
(excerpt adapted from http://lancasterpa.com/shopping/hex-signs/)
Whoopie Pie
Here’s what an actual whoopie pie looks like:
Whoopie pies are delicious!
Yes, it is as delicious as it appears. Whoopie pies are a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch treat made of two chocolate pieces of cake on the outside with a sweet frosting inside filling. We won’t be serving Whoopie Pies this year like we did in 2015, but you can make them yourself.
It’s believed that whoopie pies were first made from leftover cake batter, and Amish legend has it that, when children and even farmers would find the delicious treat in their lunch pail, they’d yell out “Whoopie!,” hence the name.
Dutch Apple Pie
A Dutch apple pie is an apple pie with a streusel topping made with flour, sugar, and butter.
Everyone at WordCamp Lancaster will be getting a sticker pack that includes all of our awesome Wapuus. YAY! (While supplies last. BOO!)
If you don’t yet have your ticket to WordCamp Lancaster, grab a ticket!
If you are registered, stay tuned for updates, we can’t wait to see you!
Feel free to download these and use them as you wish. They’re all GPL, naturally. 🙂
Wapuu Wallpapers
We’ve also created these Wapuu wallpapers for your desktop or mobile device!
WC Lancaster Hex Sign Wapuu on Desktop: 1280×720, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050,1920×1080, 1920×1200
WC Lancaster Hex Sign Wapuu Mobile: 640×1136, 720×1280, 750×1334, 1080×1920, 1440×2560
Whoopie Pie Wapuu on Desktop: 1280×720, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050,1920×1080, 1920×1200
Whoopie Pie Wapuu Mobile: 640×1136, 720×1280, 750×1334, 1080×1920, 1440×2560
Dutch Apple Pie Wapuu on Desktop: 1280×720, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050,1920×1080, 1920×1200
Dutch Apple Pie Wapuu Mobile: 640×1136, 720×1280, 750×1334, 1080×1920, 1440×2560
WordCamp Lancaster Desktop: 1280×720, 1280×800, 1440×900, 1680×1050,1920×1080, 1920×1200
WordCamp Lancaster Mobile: 640×1136, 720×1280, 750×1334, 1080×1920, 1440×2560
OMG these are awesome! I need a whoopee pie wapuu… I hope there will be stickers at WordCamp!
There certainly will be!
Jakeypuu is a mascot that basically mocks the Amish, making something cute out of something quite serious – a religious way of life. The Amish are not “country folk”, they are a religious sect whose presence and participation in the greater Lancaster community is valued highly. The mascot creates an idea of ‘cute’ around a community that is bound by religion. We would not want a cute ‘rabbi’, or a cute ‘imam’ mascot or a cute ‘Dalai Lama,’ for example. I believe Jakeypuu, with his straw hat and beard, has to morph into something not referencing Amish life, and something that does not belittle the Amish community.
Hi Cecilia,
Thank you for noting your concerns. It makes me sad to see this from someone – especially if you’re from Lancaster County. The designer of Jakeypuu is deeply fond of Amish culture, and Lancaster County, having lived in the area their entire life. Like the rest of our conference designs, it’s meant to celebrate area culture, bringing to light the many facets of Lancaster County we can share with the wider community. This is a sentiment held by all WordCamp Lancaster organizers.
Jakeypuu, with his beard and rounded-brim hat, certainly does bear the likeness of an Amish or Mennonite person.
We’ve asked several citizens in the area – including several Amish and Mennonite neighbors, and although they did not echo your concerns, the highest goal of the WordPress Foundation is to provide an inclusive, welcoming environment for everyone.
Effective immediately, I’ve pulled the noted “Jakeypuu” design from the site, and all promotional items (stickers, shirts, signs, etc) will be re-made, absent any “Jakeypuu” graphics, prior to the conference.
Should you (or anyone else finding this comment) have any additional feedback, please email us directly, at: lancasterpa@wordcamp.org.
Thanks again for taking the time out of your day to detail your concerns.
Thanks so much for getting back to me on my comment and for taking action. I didn’t expect that there would be such thorough follow-up.
I’m amazed. Wow.