Norwegians celebrate Christmas on the evening of December 24th. This tradition of a special Christmas Eve was brought to the United States when Borghild Bergstedt immigrated from Norway as a teenager. For years, Borghild, affectionately called Mor by everyone, invited her family to her house for a traditional Norwegian dinner (including Lutefisk), followed by a visit from Santa Claus. With excitement in their eyes, adults and children gathered in Mor's living room to await the visit from Santa, with the lights turned off and only a candle giving light.
After quite a few years, Mor's family had grown beyond the capacity of her living room to hold them all, and Mor's children began having their own dinner, followed by a visit from Santa at the home of Kristine and Lynn. Santa no longer comes to Kristine and Lynn's because the family is just too large. Instead, he makes separate visits to designated homes of Mor's children and grandchildren.
Mor's eldest child, Bergliot, is called Mor Mor by her children, and they have enjoyed having the traditional Norwegian dinner on Christmas Eve at one of their homes. For several years, Mor Mor hosted a Christmas-day dinner. As her posterity grew, her children hosted a Christmas-day dinner at their homes. For this year, after we have had our own Christmas Eve dinners, we will be meeting at Mor Mor's house for refreshments and a visit from Santa Claus. It will be a nice gathering for Mor Mor's children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
At the top of this page is a tab for Christmas 2011. At the top of that page is a link to pictures and a video from the 2011 Christmas party at Mor Mor's home.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
The Tradition
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Oh...the memories are so great! I'd love to bring my family next year and catch Santa in the act!!! We've stayed in Idaho for Christmas for the last six years, but have never been able to catch him here on Christmas Eve. I think we'll have to come to Utah to let my kids see how it's done. Of course, we'd really be coming to see Mor Mor and so many aunts, uncles & cousins!
ReplyDelete