CP Mary as Patron of The Christmas Seal Foundation (Julemærkefonden): 2005 - 2023


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I remember the Ole Henriksen article about his products being used by the Princess and his Celebrity clients. It was very early in the days when Mary became a Princess in 2004 or 2005. The magazines here picked up the story. I thought at the time he was taking a risk by talking about his royal client.
Our mail service has for many years put a deadline on overseas christmas mail - to UK, USA etc. If you want mail to arrive in time for Christmas delivery. The more
remote areas in this country only recieve mail into their towns twice a week. Some get it three times a week. I remember a postcard from Hawaii took 7 days to come to a major city and then 2 weeks to get to me in a remote area of the country.
Today most people send their greetings by email, twitter, facebook etc.
 
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Thanks, Iceflower :flowers:

The motif this year is obviously "kravlenisser", which is difficult to translate.
"Nisser" nowadays are cheerful, slightly mischeivious figures like those on the marks.
In the old days every house had a "nisse", usually in the shape of a little, older man. And it was important to placate the "nisse", because he had the power to protect the house and household, but also to cause mischief and even bad luck.
So according to old tradition, you put a bowl of rice-porridge up in the attic on Christmas Eve in order to please the "nisse". (Rats and mice ate from the porridge, but that was explained away as the "nisse" having eaten from the bowl).

For several generations now "kravlenisser" have been a part of the Christmas decoration inside the homes. They are in the shape of cardbord figures, like those on the marks here and they are taped up everywhere.
Unsurprisingly "kravlenisser" are among the favorites for children, when it's time to decorate for Christmas.

Traditional "Kravlenisser": http://www.tegneseriemuseet.dk/image/galleri/galler19.jpg
More modern versions: http://www.mandensjulepynt.dk/png/Hjemmeside%20Nisser.png
A not atypical Danish Christmas decorated living room. Notice the "kravlenisser" hanging from the painting in the centre of the picture: http://i2-images3.tv2net.dk/i/09/22164309-be41329c944047a912ab99824639a3f0.jpeg
 
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Is this your living room Muhler? Very nice.
 
Is this your living room Muhler? Very nice.

No, I found this on Google. There is quite a lot of Christmas decoration in our living room, but not that much. :ermm:
And I'd dare say Mrs. Muhler decorate our home (she's good at that so I stay clear :p) with more taste.
But as I said, it's not an uncommon living room. - Sometimes I fear getting lost in all that decoration when visiting such a home....
 
This years artist Frederik Bramming is the father of the modern cheerful "kravlenisser". Everybody knows his "kravlenisser". (The first link posted by Muhler is kravelnisser by Frederik Bramming)

My mother has several of the first ones, which came out in 1947 and when they are put up - then it´s christmas :) :) :)
 
This years artist Frederik Bramming is the father of the modern cheerful "kravlenisser". Everybody knows his "kravlenisser". (The first link posted by Muhler is kravelnisser by Frederik Bramming)

My mother has several of the first ones, which came out in 1947 and when they are put up - then it´s christmas :) :) :)
Very sweet tradition. I guess our "elves" who work for Santa Claus and make all his toys could come close.:)
 
Just a fun fact from the pressmaterial: Frederik Bramming was colorblind, so it´s his 3 children who has colored the "kravlenisser" :)

Frederik Bramming died in 1991 at the age of 79 years.
 
Summary of article in Billed Bladet #45, 2011.
Tillykke hr. ambassador - Congratulations Mr. ambassador
Written by Anna Johannesen.

As you know by now Mary revealed this years Christmas Seals. The surplus of the sale of the seal goes to the Christmas Seals homes, where children stay for a period with other children, who face similar problems, which are usually obesity and/or bullying.

Among to donors is Ole Henriksen, who donated 75.000 DKK to the Foundation and he was made ambassador for the Foundation.
He said: "I did not stop to consider for one second, when I was asked, because I know on my own body how it feels to grow up and be different. So yes, I know about bullying and feeling lonely, which is what many children in the Christmas Seal homes face today". His beloved grandmother had also been at Christmas Seal Home, when she was a young girl. (*)

Mary was recieved at Copenhagen Townhall by eight year old flowergirl Sara, from the home in Hobro.
She was also welcomed by the mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen and a number of girls from the Foundation, some of whom told Mary about their experiences with being bullied.
Mary said: "They were very courageous and that says a lot about the big significance the Christmas Seal Homes have. So I hope a lot will show support by buying this years Christmas Seal".
However, the Christmas Seal Foundation had a deficit last year for four million DKK, resulting in them having to turn down 50 children. (**)
There re currently 538 children on the waiting list.

(*) Ole Henriksen is 60 years old, so the Foundation is pretty old.

(**) The problem is that letters have become fewer. People prefer e-mails or text messages, so except for Christmas cards there really aren't that many letters from private persons to private persons anymore. Not least because postage has become insanely expensive!
You see, Danish Post has in their endless wisdom come up with the idea that if they only increase postage, close down post offices and reduce the number of days when normal post is delivered, then people will send more letters.....
On top of that fewer and fewer kiosks actually sell stamps - and thus Christmas Seals, combined with the fact that more and more pay for postage with a text message. So the sale of stamps and as a consequence Christmas Seals too are going down rapidly.
 
And Mary has put her mark (sorry, couldn't resist) on yet another charity.

The annual charity Christmas marks are out. Kronprinsessen sætter fokus på julemærker - Politiken.dk

Big picture: http://multimedia.pol.dk/archive/00691/Kronprinsessen_s_tt_691493a.jpg

As you can see the motif (or is it motive, whatever) this year is children.
Some of them wearing a "nissehue" = pixie-cap. Nisser have become synonymous with Christmas here in DK.
In the old days "nisser" were little people usually living in the attic and associated with specific houses. A kind of house-elves, who needed to be placated, otherwise they would cause mischief or worse! A nisse who was really pissed-off could be downright dangerous!
Hence the tradition of placing a bowl with rice porridge in the attic, and when the rice had been eaten a couple of days later (rats and cats), you could tell your wide-eyed children that the "nisse" was pleased.
A traditional nisse: http://dolls.dk/images/Juledukker/pepperkakenissen.JPG
And a little nisse: http://www.min-mave.dk/cms2kuser/uploads/useruploads/s73f2273_63284.JPG

Aaaanyway, this is really about supporting the four Christmas Seal homes, where usually obese children stay for a period. Here they lose weight find new friends, who have been through the same things as themselves and hopefully they will gain more self confidence.
Currently there 700 children on the waiting list to go to such a home.
The portarits of 50 such children adorn the marks this year.

ADDED: You can have a closer look at the marks here: https://www.julemaerket.dk/
 
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Aww such a cute little nisse in the red santa suit. Looks like they give the Prss a new badge every year with the xmas stamp on it.
 
Home again from Tajikistan, Mary is in these hours (as every year) present at the Christmas Seal Foundation's presentation of the year's Christmas seal :santa:

Kronprinsesse Mary afslører årets julemærke | Billed Bladet


ADDED:
Large picture:
https://www.julemaerket.dk/files/nyhederarrangementer/pressemoede2014.jpg

And here's a video:
tv2nord.dk

With 12 years old Josephine (who has been on a stay at one of the Christmas Seals homes) telling very enthusiastic about the meeting with Mary :D

"Five minutes before she came I was just mega nervous, I could hardly stand. And when Mary arrived there was a lot of flash light, you could just hear the flash light all over place. Then she asked me if I was nervous and also afterwards we had a chat and she's so sweet and so accommodating, just like everyone else has said she is."



And a BB video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh8-BEyHziY
 
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:previous: Yes, Roskilde. That was a sweet interview.
Interesting too to hear what her mother had to say. That just six months ago her daughter wouldn't have had the self confidence to even dare present flowers to Mary with people looking on. But now her daughter has matured and gained confidence from her stay at one of these homes.

- For new members: Let's have a brief recap of what a Christmas Seal Home is.
Nowadays children stay at a Christmas Seal home for up to a couple of months, where the children who are predominantly obese and as such has a low self esteem, slim down, learn about dieting but first and foremost get new friends. Learn to open up and accept themselves and learn that hey, there is a way out of obesity, I'm not alone, I am someone, I can accomplish something.
Most of the children are lonely or at least feel awkward around others or feel uncared for by other children - that's why they go to the homes in the first place - and for the majority such a stay is a positive experience and they mostly return with another view at themselves and realise that other children don't mind being friends with them, that was mostly in their minds.

Beforehand (some 100 years ago) the Christmas Seal homes were often, mostly actually, for children of poor people, usually from the cities. Who got a chance to get out in the open air, see the countryside and experience something else than the backhouse they often lived in. - And most importantly they got a solid meal, got fattened up and they learned that there is another world out there. That there is a world away from the slum.

Thanks for the pics. :flowers:
 
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Monday, 26th October - Mary made an unofficial visit to Kildemose Christmas Seal Home

I just came across this comment on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink....total_comments=9&comment_tracking={"tn":"R0"}

"The Crown Princess visited Julemærkehjemmet Kildemose (Christmas Seal home) this Monday and my daughter was VERY impressed with how lovely a person she is :heart: It's great that our royal family is so interested in the whole population and would support up there where it hurts.
She was fortunate to present flowers and show Mary around, but my daughter seemed most impressed with the Crown Princess's naturalness and caring nature.
And as a born royalists I am, I was also a little jealous of my own daughter. "


:previous: Again tell how committed Mary is and how many unofficial events and private visits that are behind the scenes.

Tv2 has now published some lovely pictures from Mary's private visit:
http://drupal-images.tv2.dk/sites/i...015/12/03/960x540/216733221-565ea97093323.jpg
http://drupal-images.tv2.dk/sites/i...015/12/03/960x540/216733231-565ea973230c6.jpg
http://drupal-images.tv2.dk/sites/i...015/12/03/960x540/216733241-565ea975a8cda.jpg
http://drupal-images.tv2.dk/sites/i...015/12/03/960x540/216733251-565ea97860f46.jpg

TV2 will on next Monday (7th December) send a 50 minutes long tv-programme with the children from the Christmas Seal home 'Kildemose', including Mary visiting them.

The programme "Christmas Seal Home - the struggle for a good childhood" will be send on TV2 at 20.30 pm. :)
Julemærkehjemmet - kampen for en god barndom - Her får de troen på sig selv igen | Tv-guide
 
Thank you, Roskilde :flowers:

Summary of article in Billed Bladet #49, 2015.
Written by Ulrik Ulriksen.

Yes, Mary visited a Christmas Seal home and met three of the children living there. These homes are predominantly for obese children who as a consequence of their obesity have social issues, or whose social issues result in obesity. So the purpose is to get them to slim down. Ensure they meet and hopefully become friends with children in a similar situation and thereby help them to open up. And as a result of all this strengthen their self confidence. - It works to a high degree and has for a century now.

So she went to Kildemose in northern Zealand, where 24 children in the age 7-14 are housed and where they live for up to several months.
Here she met 12 year old Lucas, who has been at the home for a relatively short period and he told Mary: "I've seen how it already develops me and I become much more glad. And not so easily crossed".
Lucas is there to lose weight - (and as one can guess to change his outward behavior).
Mary: "How much have you lost in the five weeks you've been here"?
Lucas: "So far almost eight kilos".

Mary also met 10 year old Emma-Sophie, who is also there to lose weight.
(I try an translate the quotes as close to how the children, being children, express themselves).
Going for a walk in the area with Mary and another girl Emma-Sophie talked about herself.
Mary: "How do you hold on to what you must do"? (I.e. diet, exercise, positive thinking).
Emma-Sophie: "You simply put focus on the food and the exercise and you must simply want this, and if you didn't want it, you shouldn't be up here".

Mary: "What's the most important thing you have learned"?
Emma-Sophie: "That even if you perhaps not think you are that nice looking, or think you are different, you are actually in some way just like each other. There is something you have in common with each other".

Mary: "That's right. That's very well put. We all have something to offer and we are all valuable. We all look differently and we are all different in a way, but that's what makes life different. Imagine if we were all the same. Imagine how boring that would be".

And here the second girl, 14 year old Laura comes in. She's not at the home to lose weight but gain more self-esteem after having been bullied.
She responds: "I've never really thought about that. I've got this habit that each time I think a bad thing about myself, then I also think about three good things about myself".

Mary who apparently connected with Laura: "That's a good tool to have. It's really nice/good. You are beautiful, you are lovely, you have a lot to offer. That one must remember. All the things you've learned here you must remember. You are fine as you are. The most important gift is that you believe in yourself and that you are good enough, and you are".

Mary: "How about your class, do they know you are here at the Christmas Seal home"?
Laura: "Yes, they know. I've send them a letter".

Wen it was time to say goodbye Mary said: "Remember to believe in yourselves, because you are so lovely. You are courageous girls".

Emma-Sophie said afterwards: "It's pretty cool to be told we are courageous. She's really sweet".

For more Mary see here: https://app.box.com/s/9a3a2gt7ubh185xnuuqx7px8u6qu1ske
 
thank you Roskilde and Muhler

wonderful work by Mary

The Christmas Seal homes, are they the ones connected by the seals designed by the Queen this year?
 
thank you Roskilde and Muhler

wonderful work by Mary

The Christmas Seal homes, are they the ones connected by the seals designed by the Queen this year?

Yes, they are.
 
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