A Tribute to Christmases Long Past

Mom was baking buns. Christmas buns.

A true sign of Christmas was when I could smell them from upstairs. These were no ordinary buns. They were carefully arranged buns that formed the shape of a Christmas tree.

These precious once-a-year treats became works of culinary art once the red and green frosting was applied, along with a cherry on the top bun. She said it was the eggs she added to the mix that made them so sweet and moist. She had the touch.

She made and gave away many such trees each Christmas, delivered by my brothers and me. The recipients were very appreciative. One shut-in neighbor called my mom and pointedly asked if she was “sending over some of those buns this year.” Mom assured her they would be forthcoming.

One of the treasures of Christmas is the memories it creates. Certainly there are both good and bad memories of Christmases past. But, hopefully, it’s the good ones that endure. Whether it’s an image of a star hung high or the aroma of fresh cookies or the unmistakable taste of eggnog.

Frozen In Memory

There were Christmas Eves when the temp was so cold that we wanted to skip the late afternoon church service. But we always went, frozen outside and overheated in church. It wasn’t fun at the time but over the years it became a pleasant remembrance, one we could even laugh about. We put our lives in danger but it gave us something to talk and brag about.

And there were perfect Christmas Eves. A fresh layer of snow, enough to brighten things up. Neatly shoveled driveways and sidewalks. Tolerable weather. Cars that started. Full moon. We tend to forget these because they are really more the norm than not. More importantly, they leave nothing to complain about.

The main course at Christmas Eve dinner was lutefisk. Mom always provided meatballs and gravy for those too squeamish to try the fish. But if it wasn’t too runny, lutefisk was tolerable with enough melted butter. You just had to watch out for bones. Catherine introduced us to her German and Swedish heritage with mustard and cream gravy. She also served freezer corn, blanched in the heat and humidity of August, and her standard coleslaw.

And, of course, there was lefse. Mom would help make it with an expert at their home. She tended to burn it when she tried making it at home. Timing is everything with lefse. She did finally succeed at home once the non-stick griddle was invented.

Somewhere along the way, Mom started making fruit soup at Christmas. It was probably a retro fad that she read about. The prunes, apricots, raisins, apricots and spices made it tasty, especially when served warm. She made gallons of the stuff, enough to keep us regular all the way through February.

It’s a Birthday Party, Too

Mom also made a birthday cake at Christmas to celebrate the birthday of Jesus. She believed it was a way for kids to remember that the day isn’t just about presents. The cake was served later, after the gifts were opened.

Dessert also included sandbakkels (Norwegian sugar cookies) and numerous holiday cookies and bars. Her famous “medicine cookies” were homemade chocolate peanut clusters begged for by little kids for their various made up ailments.

After dinner, no gifts could be opened until the dining room table was cleared and the dishes were washed and put away. My sister Laurel played holiday songs on the out-of-tune piano. There wasn’t enough room for the piano, tree, presents and all of us in the living room so some of us had to sit back in the adjoining dining room. We kids behaved long enough to hand out all the presents before any were opened.

The actual opening of presents was a free-for-all with gift wrap flying everywhere. It wasn’t safe to walk in socks. Years later when we were older and had more patience, we took turns so we could see what everyone got. By the time we were teenagers, our gifts became more functional than fun. “Oh, another huge sweater. Thank you so much!”

It’s funny what can make a great gift. Our son Reid was thrilled when we gave our son Reid a car payment one Christmas. For some, gifts should be tangible things you can hold. For others, like Reid, just knowing a bill got paid was enough.

May you create your own lasting memories this Christmas. Your future self will be grateful.