Christmas Eve!

This Angel is about 20 years old.

 It used to sit in my mum's shop window every year.

 Now I put it on the top of the tree here in Norway, instead of a star. 

I love it very much.  :) 

 Happy Christmas !  

demie

23rd December

There's no Christmas feeling without these Santa Clauses.The two middle sized ones are made by my grandfather and has been standing outside our house every Christmas for as long as I can remember. The biggest and the smallest ones are made by me and my sister because we wanted it to be a complete Santa Clause family. I think they were made in the beginning of the 80's and the beginning of the 90's. 

Merry Christmas from Mademoiselle.

22nd December

This is something neither Storesøster nor Lillesøster can do without at Christmas.... a little bird that always has to find its place on the Christmas tree.

The bird(s) is "born" in the 1950s and Lillesøster has inherited her bird from an aunt. The bird has celebrated many Christmases sitting in the tree and has now become a bit worn and torn. Still, its presence is vital for the Christmas spirit...

Regards from Storesøster

and

Lillesøster (A Foreigner in Italy)

21st December

Click here to read today's posting from the Norwegian version of the blog

20th December

Santa Claus is a figure with legendary, mythical, historical and folkloric aspects and in many western cultures he is said to bring gifts to the children on Christmas Eve. 

In the United States Santa Claus was depicted as a plump, jolly, white-bearded man wearing a red coat with white collar and cuffs, white-cuffed red trousers and black leather belt and boots due to a poem written in 1823 which is called "A visit from St. Nicholas". During the 1930s this version of Santa Claus reached international fame because of some Coca Cola commercials. And for most people nowadays this American figure is what they think of as the "real" Santa Claus.

The picture is found here

 However, I think the Santa Claus'es you see in the pictures below seems more Norwegian than American....

All the pictures are from Mimregubben.

In comparison we have the first Norwegian Christmas card which was made in 1883 by Wilhelm Larsen. This Santa Claus doesn't have much in common with the American one....

 

19th December

Christmas is less than one week away and it might be a good idea to take a closer look at the ornaments you're going to hang on the tree? Here are some from the good, old days, sent me by Mimregubben....

 

Do you have a favourite ornament?

18th December

From now on there will be no Christmases without the "church".

This church has always been my favourite since I was a child. Although my mum kept it in the living room all year, at Christmas time it became part of the Santa-Claus-village that my parents always put up in December.

When my mother died this spring I was the lucky one to inherit it, so from no on there will be no Christmases without it.  I've always called it a "church", but when I look at it now, as an adult I think it looks more like a tower in a Romeo-and-Juliet-castle....But that doesn't matter; for me it will remain a "church"...

I have no idea how old it really is, but we've had it for as long as I can remember. However, I think it's from before the 1950s.

 

17th December

I have lots of old itens that I use for decorating at Christmas time. This towel I bought in a second-hand shop many years ago. And when I put this up for Christmas it means that I'm done with all the cleaning and scrubbing.
 
Regards Brudeblogg

16th December

This is my Santa-Claus-Family. I've knitted them years and years ago. Somehow they're always outsmarting me and every year I have to find a new place to put them. This year I'll put them next to the fireplace. Hope they don't overheat....

Regards Storesøster

15th December

Here comes Santa Claus...  Today you'll find a Santa-Claus-Parade in the Advent calendar.  Click here for today's Christmas carol

14th December

This is a little songbook containing carols that we use to sing in Norway at Christmas time. A Norwegian brewery had them printed many years ago and they were handed out to children who participated at the "Juletrefest", a Norwegian Christmas Party which is often held at schools, kindergardens or some "social clubs". The main "goal" for the children is to eat as much cake and candy as the possibly can - and of course, having a good time. Santa Claus is always coming to the party and he bring candy, Christmas cookies, fruit etc. to the children. And the children are playing around with each other while the parents are having coffee and cakes. At some point everybody join together, holding hands, making a human circle around the Christmas tree before they start singing carols while they go around and around the Christmas tree. And since people are known to forget the lyrics to these songs from year to year, this kind of "songbook" is often handed out. 

 

The songbooks you see in the pictures are from the 1950s or 1960s - I don't know if it's still as custom handing them out at "juletrefest". 

 

We don't use this for singing at home at the moment, however, they bring back lots of memories...

 

Regards

Storesøster

13th December

THE TABLECLOTH -- which it took 3 generations and 45 years to make!

My grandfather started making this tablecloth in the middle of the 1950s. When he died shortly after, only 50 years old, my father took over. However, some years later, he also died at the age of 50 - and the tablecloth was still unfinished. 20 years later I decided to finish off what they had started, even though I was a bit scared that the same thing would happen to me. However, I completed the work in year 2000 and I'm now over 60 years old, so I think the "curse" has been broken....

Regards Storesøster

12th December

I can't do without.....

..My great-grandmother's tablecloth. La tovaglia! 

Mia nonna (norvegese) ci ricamó il nome di mia madre affinché nessuno altro se la aggiudicasse in caso lei venisse a mancare. E ora ce l`ho io! Sono solo due anni che la uso io (purtroppo) prima stava a casa di mia nonna, e lei ci teneva tantissimo. È per me simbolo del Natale norvegese, old style.

My grandmother (Norwegian) embroidered my Mother's name on it so it wouldn't be given to somebody else when she passed away. And now I've got it! I've only had it for two years (unfortunately), it's always been at my grandmother's house and she was very fond of it. And for me it's a symbol of the Norwegian Christmas', old style. 

Ciao! 

This is sent me by Vesle Serena from Norwegian foods illustrated (by an Italian) in Italian and I've translated it into English (with the hope that I've managed to do it right...)

No Christmas without the Christmas Carols...

The picture is taken from Wikipedia

Or, for me, no Christmas without Elvis Presley. When my children where small I once bought Elvis' Christmas cd and since that time both me and the children need this cd to get into the Christmas spirit. Actually, this cd has to be played at least one time every day in December...


My absolute favourite is If every day was like Christmas. Click on the link to listen to the song.

Have a nice Sunday!

10th December

 

Today I'll show you some pictures of things to hang on your front door for Christmas. It's always nice to visit friends, especially if they bid you welcome with a pretty decoration.... These decorations are from the 1950/-60s and is sent me by Mimregubben.

9th December

NO CHRISTMAS WITHOUT THE COMICS

"For 100 years the "julehefte" (the comics' Christmas edition) has given a sense of joy and "Christmas feeling" to everyone in Norway. It's almost as long as the Christmas tree and Christmas card has been part of the Christmas celebration in this country. Every year the Norwegians buy almost 1.5 millions of the "julehefte" (Norwegian population: about 5 millions). So the Norwegians appreciate their Christmas comics. And we all have our own personal favourite.
 

If you can read Norwegian you can read more on this web site: http://www.serieforlaget.no/om-serieforlaget/nyheter/juleheftene-feirer-100-ar/

Stomperud is one of my favourites - as is Blondie. I like Fiinbeck & Fia because of the drawings and Fia's great outfits.

Regards Brudeblogg

8th December

Today's picture is showing an old Advent calendar. Santa Claus is carrying a sack on his back with 24 "windows" to open. 

The picture is sent me by Mimregubben.

7th December

These pictures I have borrowed from the blog Dronninghuset.

The blog is in Norwegian, so if you're lucky enough to be able to read in Norwegian you can find the post here.

The pictures are showing some beautiful angel chimes which reminds the writer about her childhood Christmases....

.

 

6th December

I

In today's Advent calendar you find a little "Santa-Claus-village". It was made by my father in the 1950s as a gift for my aunt. Many years later, in the 1980s she gave it to me as a present. And now I can't picture a Christmas without it....

Some of the "inhabitants" in the village...