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Photos: Norwegian Christmas at Vesterheim in Decorah features fun from ‘Frozen’
DECORAH - Many families flocked to Vesterheim's Norwegian Christmas from all over the country Saturday. Each year the Vesterheim National Norwegian-American Museum & Heritage Center puts on a colorful mix of art, music, decorations, stories, hands-on crafts, Scandinavian food and holiday traditions. Children were excited to get a chance to put on costumes inspired by the movie 'Frozen” and get their photos taken with life-size cutouts of the favorite characters Olaf, Sven, Elsa, Anna and Kristoff in the museum. Annual activities also returned, including Juletrefest, when young and old join hands and sing Christmas songs while they circle around the tree and hear about Christmas in Norway and Julenisse, the Christmas elf. Hands-on ornament making for children included woven paper heart baskets, textured mittens and sweaters with crayons, and yarn Julenisse doll ornaments. There also were the traditional demonstrations of figure carving and other forms of woodworking, rosemaling, embroidery, straw-ornament making, spinning and weaving, and many music groups were scheduled during the day.
A crowd gathers Saturday for Juletrefest, one of the annual Norwegian Christmas activities at Vesterheim Museum in Decorah. Young and old join hands and sing Christmas songs while they circle the tree and hear about Christmas in Norway and Julenisse, the Christmas elf. (Joyce A. Meyer/Freelance)
Children join hands and sing Christmas songs while they circle the holiday tree Saturday during the holiday event at the Vesterheim Museum in Decorah. (Joyce A. Meyer/Freelance)
Touch of Brass entertains the crowd in the Ship Gallery during the holiday event Saturday at Vesterheim Museum in Decorah. Members are (from left) Jerry Barrett, Jeff Leeper, Dan Raney, Solveig Kleppe and Philip Iversen. (Joyce A. Meyer/Freelance)
Holiday Fiddlers entertain during Vesterheim Museum's holiday event Saturday, Dec. 7 in Decorah. Performing are (from left) Elaine Felton, Elsa Johnson, Sylvia Sandhovst, Gwenyh Thompson, Rose Martinsen-Bundl, Erik Sessions and Brock Taylor. (Joyce A. Meyer/Freelance)
Blake Borsheim, 6, of Decorah receives a gift from the Norwegian Santa on Saturday during the holiday event at Vesterheim Museum in Decorah. (Joyce A. Meyer/Freelance)
Storyteller Becky Olafsen of Cresco explains the history of the Norwegian Christmas tree in an exhibit room of a Norwegian home during the holiday event Saturday at Vesterheim Museum in Decorah. (Joyce A. Meyer/Freelance)
Harley Refsal of Decorah, Luther College professor emeritus of Scandinavian folk art, demonstrates figure carving at the Norwegian Christmas event Saturday in Decorah. (Joyce A. Meyer/Freelance)
Hallie Simpkins, 8, of Decorah dresses up as Elsa and poses with 'Frozen' character Kristoff at Vesterheim Museum's holiday event Saturday in Decorah. Children were excited to get a chance to put on 'Frozen' costumes and get their photo taken during the holiday event. (Joyce A. Meyer/Freelance)
Sara and Dan Wientzen of Decorah and their children, Emery, 2, and Meredith, 7, watch as Bev Schrandt (hands out) of Ossian and Barb Hagelie of West Union explain the art of Norwegian wheat weaving Christmas ornaments. The demonstration was Saturday at Vesterheim Museum in Decorah. (Joyce A. Meyer/Freelance)
Rita Lyngaas of Decorah, Vesterheim's spinning demonstrator, shows Eric Lockwood Sr. of Marion the art during the museum's holiday event Saturday in Decorah. (Joyce A. Meyer/Freelance)
Judy van der Linden of Decorah, Karen Olberg of Willmar, Minn., and Ann Millan of Plymouth, Minn., learn about the art of making singlade fiber balls for children using leftover yarn and scraps from demonstrator Kate Martinson of Decorah during Vesterheim's holiday event Saturday in Decorah. (Joyce A. Meyer/Freelance)
Karen Teslow teaches the making of yarn Julenisse doll ornaments to Bobby Cole Obreg, 8, of Fresno, Calif., and Amelia Cole, 7, of Waconia, Minn., on Saturday at the Vesterheim Museum holiday event in Decorah. The Norwegian Julenisse is a Christmas elf. (Joyce A. Meyer/Freelance)
Charlie Jensen, 6, and Nellie Jensen, 3, of Decorah enjoy the s'mores they made Saturday at the Vesterheim National Norwegian-American Museum & Heritage Center in Decorah. (Joyce A. Meyer/Freelance)
Rosemary Pikula, 9, of Preston, Minn., pets a goat from Lost Pine Farm outside Vesterheim Museum in Decorah during its holiday event Saturday. (Joyce A. Meyer/Freelance)
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