Hjordis Stormorken and her husband John moved to the North Shore in 1970 and settled in North Vancouver.
But they brought with them the Christmas traditions they enjoyed growing up in Norway.
Hjordis explains that Christmas in Norway starts on Christmas Eve and lasts for a week, ending on New Year’s Eve.
“Food was a very important part of Christmas,” she notes.
Family and friends gathered for a special Christmas Eve dinner that featured the Norwegian specialty Lutefisk, a dried white fish dish.
The family didn’t decorate the Christmas tree until Christmas Eve. When they did, they adorned the tree with special ornaments, including real candles, and small, woven baskets made out of special paper that they filled with candies, cookies and other goodies.
The baskets were all handmade by family members and some were very creative while others were more simple, recalls Hjordis. Baskets were also kept from year to year.
It was also common for families to place paper Norwegian flags on the tree as well. That is something Hjordis and her husband still do.
Families also placed bundles of pine around the home and another bundle outside around a post to feed the birds. Hjordis remembers a type of bullfinch, a red and black bird (similar to a robin in Canada), that she particularly liked to see.
“That was important to have that up in the yard,” she notes of the bundles.
There weren’t many presents for Christmas, usually one per person, but they were delivered by the Norwegian Santa, who was known as Nisse. This Santa didn’t travel down the chimney, though. He would come right to the front door and into the house. Unless he was too busy, then he would just leave the presents at the front door. Santa made his visit after the big smorgasbord dinner on Christmas Eve.
Except for close family members, visiting was not allowed on Christmas Day. Families enjoyed another big meal together, and sometimes kids were allowed to try out their new skis, but were not allowed to wander around the neighbourhood. Not visiting was a strict rule, notes Hjordis.
Christmas in Norway wasn’t just one day. It was celebrated for a full week between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. During that week, family and friends would meet in each other’s houses for coffee and there was always a lot of baked goods to share. Hjordis says there were at least seven different kinds of cookies among many other goodies.
When asked if Christmas was a fun time for her and her two siblings growing up, Hjordis answers quickly, “Oh, yes. Absolutely. Lots of excitement.”
Her favourite tradition was the community Christmas party that happened on the first weekend when school started back after New Year’s.
It was held in the community hall and everyone was invited.
“That was something that we really looked forward to every year,” says Hjordis.
When Hjordis and her husband moved to Canada they wanted to continue their Norwegian traditions to keep the memories and connection alive. Hjordis has tried to teach her daughter some traditional Norwegian cooking, but admits some of it is a bit complicated.
One of the most popular Norwegian baked treats at this time of year is krumkake, a waffle cookie shaped like an ice cream cone.
“It’s quite labour-intensive but I make it,” says Hjordis.
She also makes her own special cold cuts for Christmas, and preparing traditional food and treats has already started weeks ahead of Christmas Day.
“We still have a very Norwegian Christmas in the house,” notes Hjordis. “It’s not that much different from the way my husband and I had it in our childhood.”
