NORWAY-L Archives

Archiver > NORWAY > 2002-12 > 1038872685


From: "Heidi Lee" <>
Subject: Christmas Party
Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 16:50:06 -0700


Hi Everyone;

It doesn't seem like very many of us have lost traditions. Our Grandparents obviously instilled tradition in us all. There was always more food than we thought possible and good food too. It seemed all the women turned into accomplished cooks at this time of the year. Our Christmas season went on for days. When I got married my husband sure thought we all were strange with dragging things on and on. My mom's side is all Norwegian and my Dad is Austrian, so in my house there seemed to be a double dose of Christmas spirit and tradition. Alot of the traditions are fairly similar. He would go to the German Import store and buy cookies and chocolates. We had so much stuff. Us kids thought we had the world by the tail. Christmas always started on the morning of the 24th. Our big day. We had lutefisk, lefse, swedish meatballs for us sqeamish ones that day. Opened our presents that day. On the 25th breakfast was at someone else's house again. We would go in our pajam!
as. Then that was turkey day. The 26th, (I live in Alberta) was still another day to celebrate. Things got a little quiet until New Years then we started all over again. Now with everyone grown and families of our own we can't exactly all be together all the time, but we still like to talk about it. My brothers and cousins would find the presents when they were little and open them carefully before Christmas so they could re-seal everything. I guess they were never over joyed when the 24th came around. One of my brothers would find the cookies and eat them so there weren't any by Christmas. Lefse was made by the elders. They would go to my Aunt's restaurant and fire up the grill and produce in mass. Christmas music was big and still is in this house. So are the decorations. It just wouldn't be Christmas without it. My kids are quite happy with the way Christmas is done here. Some of there friends, especially if they are of European lineage practice much the sam!
e way. We even get so many lights on the house we look like the Griswald's. If you haven't seen that movie its a must. It's National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase. When you see how many lights he puts up and what happens when they plug them in. Well....Flips the breaker here every time I turn the stove on. I think the power company just loves us when December comes around. Keep more stories coming, maybe Karla will let us extend it for a while.

Heidi Lee

This thread: