An Essay on the Scandinavian Christmas, Part 6
When I was 12 years old my husband's family invited me to a children's Christmas party. I knew I could only accept if I could prepare some tokens of affection for his many sisters. Well this was quite a problem, so I consulted with my Grandmother as to what I could do. She asked how much I had accumulated. I told her 14 pennies of which 2 were to be used for a pen I had seen at the school store for my husband or friend as he was then. My grannie bought some variegated crochet cotton for me and helped me make pretty fan doilies for each of these sisters and she furnished the baby ribbon they were trimmed with. When my husband was 18 years old he used this Christmas pen to write his gov. p.o. examination and when he succeeded, I was the first to be informed of same and of the pen he had used for the examination.
In Chicago for about 3 square miles is a regular scandinavian settlement around Humboldt Park area and their celebrations were almost duplicates of The Foreign Fetes. The merchants give gifts of their raisins and sweets to the children during the holidays and the eats and manners identical with overseas celebrations. The trimmings for Christmas all through the houses are most elaborate and yet display more toil than expense. The whole scandinavian Jule Festival would hardly cost more than your and my turkey today. As aforementioned, this was a Festival of 55 years ago and I am told the variations today are very slight.
You will pardon me, I know if I wish to be a child again just for tonight in my old scandinavian home at one of their Juletide Fetes.
E. Mohr
Thank you and a most Merry Christmas to all of you.
