I enjoy traditional holiday decorations: an evergreen wreath on the door; candles in the windows; white lights on the tree; resplendent reds, deep greens and brilliant gold adorning the mantle (and anything else that will stand still, honestly). I also like to bring in elements of my cultural heritage, whether they were introduced in my childhood or not. Being of Norwegian descent, I acknowledge the Jul nisse with a dish of milk and cookies, put out the Julebukk, and drink a cup of glögg to celebrate the holiday. One of my favorite holiday decorations is the Scandinavian heart basket. They are traditionally made from paper or felt then filled with treats and hung as ornaments on the tree. I found an easy template to create the baskets at home, and made one as my son’s “first Christmas” ornament. The design is easy to personalize, making this a fun holiday craft for the entire family. Glade Jul to you all!
I love those baskets, we always made them from paper. But I never knew they were special for Scandinavia 🙂 I’ve just enjoyed a cup of ‘Gløgg’, we’re still waiting for the ‘Julebukker’, which here in Bergen don’t arrive untill New Years Eve. The Norwegian ‘nisse’, however, is famous for preferring rice porridge over milk and cookies 😉
I make these from paper too, Hege. I liked the idea of felt or cloth for an ornament or keepsake for the sake of durabality for years to come. I know the “nisse” traditionally like a nice rice porridge, but I want to attempt to make sense of the American “milk and cookies” tradition for my son. I think the blending of traditions works!
Happy New Year!