Himmeli ornament workshop held at Finnish American Heritage Center for Heikinpäivä

HANCOCK, Mich. (WLUC) - Houghton County community members took part in a workshop constructing traditional Finnish ornaments Thursday evening.

It was hosted at Finlandia University’s Finnish American Heritage Center in downtown Hancock.

The workshop focused on creating traditional ornamental mobiles called himmeli.

Shaped like octahedrons, they are created from thread and straw materials. They can be small or combined together to form large-scale formations.

This workshop is one of the events taking place for the Finnish-American festival Heikinpäivä, which is back after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Workshop instructor Alice Margerum said she hopes participants take their lessons home with them.

“They will learn some of the techniques for how to do this,” said Margerum. “I hope that they will work on straw craft after this is over.”

After the workshop, participants could take their completed ornament home with them.

“In a more material sense, each person should be able to go home with a completed himmeli,” continued Margerum.

Another Heikinpäivä event that follows closely behind is a family fun night at the center Friday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. It includes dancing, music and games.

For more information on upcoming events and a full Heikinpäivä schedule, click here.

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