Merry Merry Christmas Holly Hobbie

Holly Hobbie girl in plaid and polka dot dress and hat hanging a holiday wreath with fruit with kittens in the lower watching; red text, all on white background.

The Holly Hobbie character first appeared in 1967, courtesy of American Greetings, as a line of greeting cards. These illustrations, hearkening back to the Sunbonnet Sue pattern used in quilting since the 1800s, quickly gained popularity. In 1974, the artist Holly Hobbie licensed her artwork of the same name to create a series of rag dolls that would become favorites for a generation of American children. Within a year of their release, Holly Hobbie rag dolls were outselling Raggedy Ann dolls by five times in number. The Holly Hobbie character(s) went on to be featured in novels, plastic dolls, animated series, music, and live-action television series.