'tis the season

One of my favourite things to do this time of year is to pull out the Christmas boxes from beneath the stairs and rediscover all of the magical little pieces they hold.

These little Santa themed nesting dolls were one of my first finds. My father brought these back for me from one of his business trips to Russia years ago. Adorable!

Some little tid bits... in Russia, Santa is known as Father or Grandfather Frost, or Ded Moroz. He is often portrayed with his granddaughter, Snegurochka, who is also known as the Snow Maiden. Father Frost's sleigh is called a troika and instead of reindeer, the sled is drawn by three horses.