Hi everyone,
We are blessed today to have TWO Linda’s sharing their pictures of their Kirsten dolls dressed up for St. Lucia Day! Thank you ladies for sharing your pictures with all of us! Marilyn shared a lot of information yesterday about Kirsten’s last name and why some Larson’s are spelled with “sen” and some are “son” if you wanted to go back and read about it.
Thanks to both Linda’s for helping me out today and to Marilyn for giving us more to read about.
Hi Jeanne,
Following you daily, enjoying the outfits, praying for George and Reuban, and strength for your day.
Sissy asked for some pictures of dolls as Lucia. So, here’s a supply. Use what you want. (I did use restraint!)
Kirsten as Lucia by our Swedish tree, decorated with flags, apples, straw ornaments, tomte, pepperkaka and candles…both electric and real! 😲
Last year I tried to emphasize our Swedish heritage and dressed Kit and Kirsten in the folk dress from two of the provinces our ancestors left…Dalsland and Småland. My childhood doll played Lucia.
One of my favorite photos. Granddaughter is helping the dolls celebrate a Lucia treat time. She’s all grown up now and getting married in the spring!
The back story on Lucia from the “Visit Sweden” website:
Lucia Day – also known as Saint Lucy’s Day – can be traced back to the 4th century. A Christian feast day, it commemorates the martyr Lucia of Syracuse, who, according to legend, brought food to Christians hiding in Roman catacombs, lighting her way with a candlelit wreath on her head.
She did not deny her faith and is a good example for us.
Have a blessed Christmas,
Linda G. from Minnesota
Now, we have ANOTHER Linda sharing her love of Kirsten dressed up too! These pictures are from Linda in St. Louis.
Jeanne, here are a couple of pictures with Kirsten in her St. Lucia garb. The second picture is from last year, with Cecile, who shares her space. That is a Dept. 56 building on Cecile’s desk. I love that one!
Maybe next week and the next we can help you out and send pictures of our Christmas decorations! It would be fun to see those!
Keeping you, George and little Reuben in my prayers,
Linda💕
Thanks everyone!
I hope you have a warm weekend end where you are! We will be in the freezer again… Saturday night it’s supposed to get down to 8 degrees and Sunday’s high is supposed to be 19! BRRRR! I’m ALREADY cold! :o)
See everyone Monday!
Blessings, Jeanne
Oh, what fun to see the Kirstens in their Lucia outfits and Swedish provincial garb. At one time I had planned to make a Swedish costume representing one of the provinces that my great-grandparents came from (all 8 came from Sweden, with I think 5 provinces represented in all) but I couldn’t decide which one to represent (I have a book with all of them), and eventually that project fell by the wayside. Linda G., it’s nice to see you use the word tomte. In our house, we often talked about the tomte gubbar (elves/old men), almost as much as Santa Claus, although Santa did bring some of the gifts! And Linda in St. Louis, it’s nice to see your Cecile dressed up for Christmas, too. I remember looking at her when we had our AG store out here, thinking how pretty she was.
Yesterday Joy asked about the candles in the Lucia crown. Here’s something I know: when my dad was pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Everett, back in the late 60s to late 80s, every year they had a Lucia festival. There was a beautifully crafted metal crown, and, yes, REAL candles were used! The crown was carried on a pillow to the front of the church, and the attendants each carried a lighted candle, which she placed in the crown as the meaning of that candle was read. Then the lighted crown was carefully placed on the Lucia bride’s head, and she slowly recessed down the aisle after the ceremony was done. The crown with its lighted candles was then used as a centerpiece on the refreshment table downstairs.
My father was Extremely Careful, and always prepared; nearby, out of sight of the congregation, was a wet towel and I think a small container of water, just in case a candle got dropped. Not once was there ever an incident that I recall, nor have I ever heard of one happening (they had this festival for many years before my dad was pastor there, and for a few years after he retired). I believe some churches and universities do use battery-operated candles in their Lucia fests, but we had the real deal! And it was truly a beautiful sight!
Yes, Marilyn, -son is definitely Swedish! My maiden name is Larson; my mother’s was Magnuson. We also have Hammars (mom’s mother) and Bergdahls (dad’s mother) in our family tree. All of my great-grandparents were born in Sweden, and immigrated to the US. I am the third generation American-born of pure Swedish extraction. Other than myself and my brother, the rest of our generation (our cousins) are only half Swedish.
Jeanne, I saw the new picture of the candy jar, and it turned out fantastic!! I see you also added Natasha’s picture to the sidebar.
Tomorrow is my “dolly lunch” with my friend Marika. Stay tuned for pictures of my April and her Annie!
Charlotte, thank you for sharing the traditions of your family and church around St. Lucia Day. It is good to see these practices are still kept in modern times. I missed your post yesterday about the surnames. I will go back and read.
Have a happy “dolly lunch” with you friend!
Thank you Charlotte, and I think Cecile is a pretty doll too! She is certainly happy that you noticed her despite the blog today features Kirsten!
Glad to hear that your group were very careful with those candles on the crown. I still wonder how everyone managed to survive in times of old. You know. Carrying candles and wearing flammable outfits and then actually wearing them on their heads too. But, it was tradition.
Have you done your DNA? I think that would be so interesting for you. It’s fun to meet cousins around the world. 🙂
Well, Joy, the crown being all metal, with bands crossing most of the top of the head (right next to the hair) gave quite a bit of protection to the wearer’s head, for one thing. It was a pretty substantial piece, really!
No, I’ve never done my DNA. But many years ago, before their first trip to Sweden, my dad (who could read and write Swedish as well as English) wrote to all the parish churches from which our ancestors came asking for information and permission to look in the records the churches kept. (Until recently, I think virtually all birth, marriage and death records were kept in the local churches.) Then when they got there, they photocopied a lot of the records that had been found for them, and mom filled out a big genealogical chart with the info they found, dating back to the 1500s, in some cases! And my dad (who had always teased mom about having So Many Cousins (her parents were both from large families), they actually did find a couple of dad’s cousins still alive, and maintained communication with them for the rest of their lives. Gunhild, who was I think daddy’s second cousin, was in her 70s at the time, and her niece Harriet was in her 40s, if memory serves. They actually traveled to America to visit once, and we all got to meet them. They are both gone now, and as far as I know, they were the last of our relatives in Sweden.
Charlotte, you are a dear for sharing your family history. I love it.
I am looking forward to seeing some pictures from your dolly lunch. That sounds like a lot of fun.
Thank you, Rosemary; it was!
Oh my Linda G., your pictures are wonderful! The first one is so magical looking, such a pretty sight with the Swedish ornaments on the tree in the background in the glow of candlelight!
I also loved the picture of your three dolls, two of which are dressed in Swedish garb, just beautiful, and so special for you! How did you manage to get those beautiful outfits? Special order from Sweden?
That darling scene with your granddaughter playing with your dolls brought back memories of my own two granddaughters, when we played with our dolls when I babysat for them. What fun we had, and like your granddaughter, mine are all grown up too, but Grandma is still “playing”with dolls! Thank you so much for sending the pictures to Jeanne, and to Jeanne for showing them!
As for my pictures, I got Kirsten’s outfit piece by piece, all off EBay or friends. The last piece I did manage to get was her tray, the first version, bought from a friend.
I have absolutely no Swedish in me, but love my Kirsten and her stories. I have almost all of her wardrobe, except for a couple dresses that are now completely out of my price range!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone, and like Jeanne, we will be shivering!
Dear Linda, thanks for sharing your photos. Your dolly children are lovely.
Thank you, Dorothy!
Thank you to both Linda’s for sharing your festive Kirsten displays. It has been over 30 years since I read Kirsten’s stories with my daughter. Kirsten’s simple outfit has a much deeper meaning. Thank you for the reminder of the history and traditions.
I did unpack the “ancient” St. Lucia outfit from it’s storage bin, then the vintage doll. In the end I decided not to disturb the outfit or the doll in the hopes that one day my daughter will by happy that I preserved her childhood doll. She has informed me that it was me that loved Kirsten and she really wanted Samantha.
I don’t think I was informed…
Next year marks the 40th anniversary of Pleasant Company. I hope American Girl will have some worthy collectibles to commemorate this groundbreaking concept in dolls for a generation of girls, their mothers and their grandmothers.
We will also be well below freezing in the upper South. Stay warm as your prepare for your holidays.
Prayers for you, George, and Reuben.
That was kind of funny to read, Debbie, about your daughter really wanting Samantha, but you thought it’s was Kirsten! Did she ever get Samantha?
Yes, I too hope American Girl has something special for their 40th anniversary that features the early historicals.
Linda, the first I heard of this complaint was 4 years ago. Fortunately the 35th Anniversary dolls were still available so I sent Samantha to her unannounced. She has never acknowledged this gift. I can think of many reasons….
I love that you have been able to piece together a Pleasant Company collection to enjoy.
I am so sorry.
Bonjour. Sainte Lucie est la patronne de la ville de Syracuse en Sicile .C’est la ville où est né ,mon mari.Il y a ,à cette occasion,une procession et une fête dans toute la ville .Cela fait partie de ses plus jolis souvenirs d’enfance ! ” Lucia, ou la Sainte-Lucie, remonte au 4ème siècle. Fête chrétienne, elle commémore le martyr de Lucie de Syracuse, qui, comme le dit la légende, apportait des vivres aux chrétiens se cachant dans les catacombes romaines, éclairant leur chemin avec une couronne de chandelles sur sa tête”.
How wonderful, Georgina, that your husband was able to have such wonderful memories of his childhood! That sounds like a beautiful holiday there in Italy! Do they celebrate St. Lucia in France too? Although we hear mostly of St. “Lucia Day” in Sweden, she was a Catholic Saint whose feast day we will celebrate tomorrow.
Quand mes beaux parents étaient vivante,nous allions tous les étés en Sicile.C’est un pays magnifique et les gens y sont charmants. Maintenant,ce sont nos enfants,qui y vont. Ici,en france,la sainte Lucie ne se faite pas particulièrement. Belle journée à vous toutes.
Hooray for the two Linda’s! The dolls are all so lovely and fun to see the Grands having doll fun. I remember when mine loved playing dolls with me…long ago.
I love your “old” doll because she looks like one I had. I loved playing with dolls as a child and also as an adult, sewing for them. Great memories. Thank y’all for sharing!
Charlotte, I love your story! How exciting to see that young girl coming down the isle like that! So glad the wet towel was not used!
I will send photos of my living room decorations and send them to you, Jeanne. They are mostly things from family. Nothing is new except the “fake” tree.
I finally have someone to come help with the yard work, and is coming today, so I will be busy. It is thirteen degrees but going up to the sixties.
Prayers for you, Jeanne, and your George and little Reuben.
Thank you, Sissy, for the kind words! Yes, it seems like yesterday when the grandchildren were small and we could play dolls with them! Sadly, they are not playing dolls anymore, but I still am!
I’m looking forward to seeing your Cnristmas decorations, as I am just finishing mine up now. Still have one tree to do, but out of that it’s all done! Next week, baking!
Wow, lots of fun dolly stuff going on today. Love it. To add to the frey, I posted something late yesterday, which I will add below. My grandfather was the son of parents who both emigrated from Denmark and settled in Illinois, before moving on to Iowa, in the 1880’s. I thought that I was all Danish on that side until I had my DNA done and found that I was also Swedish and Finnish. Because Denmark and Sweden are so close, that is the case with many Scandinavians. I’ve been able to trace my group in Denmark, using the Danish birth church records. One of my hobbies. Now, I’ll add my two cents about the son/sen spellings: The Danes last names changed from generation to generation. In my family, we had my grandfather, born in Iowa, Frank Christensen. His father was Niels Christensen, the son of Christen Nielsen, Christen’s father was Niels Ovesen, Ove’s last name, I can’t remember. 🙂 The sen of the last name means son. The women were the dattar or daughter, so their last name would have been Christensdattar. It was so complicated in Denmark, that they made everyone keep their last name and not change with the generation about 1828, but it took many years for everyone to finally follow along. I believe that even more recently, they were allowing people to continue the practice. 🙂
I love Linda G’s pictures of Kirsten. And the one of her granddaughter is a treasure. The costumes are amazing. Thank you so much Jeanne and Linda G for sharing.
I loved seeing the photos by Linda in St. Louis. Kirsten has always been a favorite of mine. The tray with the goodies is lovely. So glad that you have it. And the pic of the girls by the Dept. 56 house is so festive. The house seems smaller and the perfect size for the AG’s. I think that those here are larger, but not sure. Was it a special edition? Thanks Linda and Jeanne for the photos.
Well, we hauled the tree down from the other house yesterday and it is now actually up. No ornaments, but at least it comes with lights. Other person finally was able to move the tools out, and I moved the generators out of the way for now. Started in sorting a lot of stuff that needs to be moved somewhere soon, but tons more to do in the kitchen.
And another foggy morning, but we might get some rays around noon. Yay!
Joy, that is Dept. 56 North Pole Series building, “Elsie’s Gingerbread”, and fits in more with Dicken’s Village, which is a bit smaller than the original Snow Village buildings. I have mostly Snow Village. I bought it specifically for that purpose, and thought it was cute on Cecile’s desk, to be one of her playthings. Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?🤣. And I have been dressing the 40’s girls dolls to match their Christmas dresses!🤣🤣. The things we do for our dolls!
I have Snow Village too! Still in the boxes though. Should it come down from the closet is yet to be decided. Thanks for the info. I should look for something that size. I’m sure the dollies here would love it. 🙂
Linda G., your dolls are absolutely beautiful. Kirsten’s outfit looks a little like the German dirndls I had a few Christmases and Easters with the metal buttons and lacing on the front. No Swedish heritage here. Your homemade versions of her wreath are so pretty. A gorgeous memory photo of your granddaughter.
Linda, How lovely to see you Kirsten dress in the PC version of her St. Lucia outfit. The Dept. 56 house is so cute with your scene. Cecile appears to be anxiously awaiting a bun and I do believe the pup and kitties are hoping for a bite as well.
Thank you, Laura! I am so happy that O have Kirsten’s entire Pleasa t Company St. Lucia outfit! As I mentioned earlier, I got it piece by piece. Her crown was the best part of the outfit, a d was given to me by a dear friend, which made it special.
I always have the pets in the scenes, since they are a part of the doll’s lives, like our own pets are.
Well Good morning dear ones. It is Friday.
We have sunshine today, it is 37 degrees and a bit windy, not bad.
Dear Linda G, Thank you so much for sharing your lovely Saint Lucia Day festive scenes. Your child hood doll is precious. All of your treasures are very sweet.
Linda from St. Louis, your dolls are beautiful too. The scene with the little house and the mantel and the gorgeous girls and Kittiens, is so sweet.
Wow, now I want a Kirsten doll 😌
Hubbs and I just returned from a long adventure to the department of motor vehicles in Leesburg, Virginia. It was not too crowded so I was glad. I had to renew my license and also get some new thing called “real ID” So I got that too.
Then we went to Costco and I bought a bunch of stuff. Now we are home and I am pooped. I will finish up the Christmas cards and well, I have a long list of stuff to do.
It is going to be cold here in Northern Virginia (Loudoun county) this week-end too.
Out driving this morning I noticed all of the road have been treated. I am not sure what is coming. Here in the “DC suburbs and west” is always changeable.
Thank you Jeanne for providing the space to share this delightful day.
My prayers continue for all three of you at home.
Thank you, .Rosemary! You really should get yourself a Kirsten, she is so sweet!
So you just got a “ real ID “ too! However I had a glitch with mine. We got our marriage license online, which was mailed to us, but the DVM said it not good enough, too blurry, so we had to go out to get another one in person, which was 30 miles away. Then we got that and I was able to get my “real ID”, but then I failed the eye test, so then had to get new glasses! What fun I had this fall, but at least I am driving!
Lovely to see your dolls both Lindas. It was interesting to hear the stories of childhoods. In UK I never heard of St Lucia growing up. I am old enough to remember Christmas trees before electric lights. We always had real candles on the tree which had holders that clipped on to the branches and that we were NEVER allowed to light. We begged and begged but my mum was terrified of fire. I think she was terrified of everything. She didn’t have an electric iron until she had to, she used to heat flat irons up on the gas stove. Considering she grew up with the maxim from her mother ‘if it’s worth washing it is worth ironing’ she must have spent hours ironing. My job was to iron the handkerchiefs at first then I progressed to pillowcases and tea towels!!
We haven’t put up the decorations yet. They are all at the unit Sam pays for and she hasn’t collected them yet.
Got a busy day sewing last minute gifts for my coffee morning friends on Tuesday.
Have a good day everyone.
Thank you, Anne, but really now, you aren’t older than I am, and we always had electric lights on our Christmas tree, and electric irons too! I did the same, starting with handkerchiefs and going on to pillow cases and tablecloths. Who would figure that ironing would be such a lost art today?
Thanks to the 2 Lindas for their pictures celebrating St. Lucia’s day! I’m originally from a small town in Wisconsin, that is close to Middleton (where Pleasant Company originated), AND was settled by Norwegians, so, (although I’m not even a smidgen Norwegian myself) since my son-in-law is at least half Norwegian, the PC outfit always enchanted me. The Swedish folk dress also looks very similar to Norwegian folk dress.