The orange Dala Horse ornament I bought in Sweden and the blue in Solvang, California. My father was Swedish and these always remind me of him. Here is a little history of the Dala horse:
In the 17th century little wooden horses were sold at markets in small towns and villages in Dalarna, in central Sweden. A hundred years later wooden horses were carved by men working in the forests during long winter evenings and brought back to the village for the children to play with.This is how the little wooden horse from Dalarna became a treasured object. These simple wooden horses were later painted in bright colours inspired by the flower patterns painted on furniture and walls in the region. During this time travelling salesmen selling traditional household items would also bring Dalahastar to use as payment for board and lodgings. They also became an important source of income for poorer families. Even young children had to learn to carve wooden horses after returning home from school. The children of one such family started a small business at the ages of13 and 15 in 1928. Their children and grand children are still producing the Dala horses to this day in a little village called Nusnas in Dalarna. Their Dalahast has now become an authentic symbol of Sweden.
