Confirmation Coming Up - Now With Photos

Hi Droopy,..beautiful costume and stunning designs and jewellery,..your daughter made a lovely invitation.

 

What a stunning costume, Droopy. I liked the detail shots and the greater picture foto's.
You know, the designs on the black material look a bit like Rosemaling or Telemark patterns that one might see painted on wooden surfaces. Are they supposed to imitate this?

The card was also quite spectacular and a very talented example of how well your daughter can draw. It is very special in many ways, that.

 

Please excuse my ignorance. But could you explain the significance and tradition of this Confirmation?
Is it along the same lines of the Confirmation ceremony of young Catholics?
Oh... and those invitations, costumes and jewelry are spectacular!

 

Droopy, I'm sure you know this but I feel inclined to say it anyway.. Take many, many pictures and save every one of them because you and your daughter will reap much enjoyment from them for years to come..
Of course your Stewbie friends will want to see a lot of them too..
Hank

 

Thanks for the nice words everyone. I'll take lots and lots of photos if I can manage to focus at all. It will be a touching ceremony and probably moving speeches from the family too. Of course I'll share some of the photos with you.

I think the design's inspired by the traditional rose paintings, Sjoerd. You'll find elements of that on many of the traditional costumes all over the country.

That's a good question Cheryl. This ceremony used to be a confirmation of your christening and mark your coming of age. After it you were considered grown up and ready to leave home and start a life on your own. Confirmation was mandatory from 1736 and a must if you wanted to be a proper citizen. The protestant Church of Norway was very strict about teaching psalms, catekism and detailed knowledge of the Bible. Before the ceremony one had to know lots of stuff by heart, and the priest would question you thoroughly. If you couldn't answer you weren't allowed to attend the ceremony that year and had to try again next year.

Most priests would make certain that the slow learners were asked the easiest questions, and honour was satisfied all around.

My grandfather's generation were allowed to wear long trousers, hats and proper coats after the ceremony, and the girls were allowed to dress like grown-ups too.

Of course this isn't quite how it is today. Those who select a church ceremony will of course learn about the Bible and faith in general, but it's a confirmation of your christening and of God's promise to His children.

Those who choose a different kind of ceremony will learn about for instance religions around the world, today's society and other topics important to young people. The youngsters will perform in different ways during the ceremony, either with speeches, songs or a small music performance.

Did I rant a lot now? :-? I probably did. Dear me.

 

I like it when you rant.

Thanks for the info.
That headscarf is really quite attractive and the pattern is different from the patterns on the bodice and skirt.

Do the patterns and colours have any significance on the headscarf?

BTW--Yes you are. hahahahaha.

 

Thanks for the info Droopy. It does sound similar to Catholic tradition here... without all the gorgeous costumes and pageantry. And it typically happens when you're quite young... I think I was around 10-12 years old.

 

Sjoerd, yes, the head linen has coloured embroidery because my girl's unmarried. Other than that there's no special meaning. I think.

cheryl, I forgot to say that our children are confirmated the year they turn 15. My head isn't always with me.

Here's the original drawing for the invitation:


( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )

 

At 15 huh? Sounds very similar to the Latin/Hispanic celebration Quinceañera - the celebration of a girl's 15th birthday, as it marks the transition from childhood to young womanhood.

 

Cheryl, I'll have to look up the Quinceañera now. The things I've learned since I joined the Stew aren't all about gardening.

toni, the confirmation ceremony was a religious ceremony, and still is in many ways. Weren't the balls organized in order to show the girls off to young bachelors? I think both occasions mark the transition from childhood to adulthood but in different settings.