Saving Life Savers

I'll be the first to admit I've come across some weird things at sales.  I'll even admit to buying some of those weird things.  This is one of them.

The yarn and Life Saver man was made from a pack of Butter Rum Life Savers.

And not just any pack of Butter Rum Life Savers, a pack of Butter Rum Life Savers from 1974.

A foil beret completes the ornament.

Although I've never seen one of these before, after posting to a vintage Christmas Facebook group I belong to, memories began to pour forth of making these in school and scouts.

Aside from the fact this is a Christmas ornament, Life Savers will always be associated with Christmas for me. One year I received a Life Savers Storybook in my stocking. The idea of 12 rolls of candy each with a dedicated flavor (with the exception of the standard 5-flavor roll) was almost more than my 10-year old mind could handle.  Here among the familiar varieties were exotic flavors I'd never seen on the store shelf: Pep O Mint, Spear O Mint, Five-Flavor, Cryst O Mint, Wild Cherry, Lime, Wint O Green, Clove, Butter Rum, Orange, Lemon, and Stik O Pep.

I immediately went to the Wild Cherry, a candy flavor I've always liked.  But the discovery of Butter Rum was a game changer.  Aside from being delicious, I felt I was getting away with something: did they really contain Rum?  While those packs went quickly, I doubt I even broke the seal on the Clove roll.  I distinctly recall the Lime ones, though sampled, lingering well beyond the season.

Almost as amazing as the fact these Life Savers weren't eaten upon receipt in 1974 is the fact they haven't melted or completely disintegrated in the past nearly 50 years.

Life Savers Storybooks date back to the 1940's and are still produced today, although they now only contain 6 rolls instead of 12.  I also noticed, Life Savers rolls now have 14 Life Savers in them, while this one says 11.  It doesn't appear the net weight has changed though, so I suspect those little rings of candy are shrinking.