We would always spend Christmas Eve at my grandparents’ house in Wisconsin as one big family. We would get dressed up in our Christmas best and trek to church together. They had the best children’s program on Christmas Eve where they would bring in live sheep! My opera singer uncle Peter would sing a beautiful version O Holy Night for the congregation that still gives me chills when I hear it.
After church we would head back to Grandma and Grandpa’s for a holiday dinner. My Grandma June is quite an amazing cook! We started with lutefisk for an appetizer and rommegrot for the first course. Then we would have my grandma’s meatballs and lefse, among other great dishes from everyone else. Can you tell my mom’s side of the family is Norwegian?!
Then the 10 cousins would put on our own Christmas pageant. This was sometimes a version of the Christmas story, where I was always Mary and my dad got to be the donkey that carried me in! It was sometimes the cousins dressed up like reindeers singing Christmas carols or depending on how much time we had at Thanksgiving, a fully written, directed and costumed play. I think my cousin Katja and I (we’re the oldest) had a little too much fun directing and dressing up our younger cousins at times!
We’d finish the night with everyone in the living room singing carols together. We’d always end with my Great Grandma Cora’s favorite song, Thy Little Ones, Dear Lord, Are We, with one verse sung in Norwegian. My Grandpa Jack would read the Christmas story from the bible and finish with a tear jerking prayer.
Of course we can’t forget about the kids’ favorite part when we’d get to tear into the presents and have a sleepover in the basement wondering what Santa was going to bring the next morning!
On Christmas morning we would have my grandma’s baked French toast for breakfast and then head back to Minnesota to see my dad’s side of the family. My dad’s parents always decorated their Christmas tree full of bird ornaments. However, there was only one bird on the tree that would chirp from time to time! We ha d so much fun trying to figure out where that chirping bird was!
At some point on Christmas day we’d end up back at our house and celebrate with just our immediate family. We’d open presents one by one in order of youngest to oldest (and still do!). We felt so lucky because Santa visited us again at home – usually he had some gifts for the whole familythat were just too big fit down the chimney anywhere else! We’d hang out that next morning in our pajamas and enjoy the time we got to spend together.
Things have changed a little as everyone has grown up, but we still always have a version of our Christmas traditions or do them on alternating years. This year Christmas means something brand new for me as I get to experience it for the first time with my son. I want him to have the same great childhood memories of family traditions and we can’t wait to start some of our own!
I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! See you in 2012!
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