The Dala Horse

If you don't know already, I am a huge fan of the Dala horse. 

Dala horses are wooden horses made in Sweden, more specifically in the Dalarna region (where they originated). They are an icon of Dalarna and of Sweden as a whole. Dala horses are very popular souvenirs and make very cute decorations.

In Swedish, they are called Dalahäst (singular form) and in plural Dalahästar.

My old, loyal friend.

Genuine, traditional Dala horses are only made in Dalarna (hence their name).

After they are handcarved, they go through a quality check and get painted by hand, so every Dala horse is unique. They are also signed at the bottom as a mark of authenticity, as you can see in the picture below.

Want to see photos of how they are made? Check out this article about their making in the Nusnäs factories.

I have three dala horses:

• a baby navy-blue one
• a small white one
• a medium-sized azure-blue one

My white Dala horse is my absolute favorite one. I called her Sonja (pronounced Sonya).

Dala horses originated from the 18th century and were originally wooden toys for children. The original Dala horses were painted bright orange-red (which is still the most popular and iconic colour).

Did you know that not only Dala horses are made but also pigs and roosters? You can find them all in a wide range of colours and sizes.

You can check out the Dala pigs and Dala roosters from the Nils Olsson Dalahästar website. The Nils Olssons Hemslöjd company was the very first Dala horse factory. It was created by Nils and Jannes Olsson in 1928 when they were just 13 and 15 years old.

Here are some more photos:

For more information on the Dala Horses and the Nils Olssons Hemslöjd company, take a look at The Local's article The story of a Swedish symbol.

To know more about the Dalarna region, you can visit the website Visit Dalarna.

Next time you visit Sweden or shop online, consider buying a Dala horse to help maintain this Swedish tradition!

See you soon!

Mara