Tuesday, December 1934
Santa's Holiday Guido
Paga 11
Nebraska's 'Swedish capital'
has smorgasbord of tradition
By Scott Ahlstntnd
Daily Nebracluui Senior Eeporter
omeone visiting Stromsburg during
the Christmas season will be treated
to a warm Valcommen and a deli
cious smorgasbord.
Stromsburg, a town of 1,300 people
located northwest of Lincoln, is the self
proclaimed Swedish capital of Nebraska.
Geraldine Rystrom, chairman of Stroms
burg's Community Improvement Program
and Ethnic Committee, said Christmas is
a festive time for those of Swedish descent.
. "Our Christmas celebration has Swed
ish traditions and customs that are cen
turies old that are still observed by our
heritage-proud people," Rystrom said.
The Swedish Christmas season officially
begins Dec. 13 with St. Lucia Day. In
honor of St. Lucia who brought food to
her Christian friends hiding in the Roman
catacombs, the eldest daughter in the
family carries hot coffee and cookies to
her parents in bed.
Rystrom said the key to enjoying the
Christmas season is early preparation.
"You want to have your tree up and all
of your baking done by the 1 3th," Rystrom
said. "Then you can have guests drop in
for food and talk, and there's not that
rush at the end."
Christmas Eve is a simple, but tradi
tional affair. The meal usually consists of
Lutfish (pronounced Lutfisk), boiled
potatoes with white sauce, and risgryns
kaka (rice pudding).
Tradition has it that an almond is
placed in the risgrynskaka. Whoever finds
t he almond in their bowl then makes up a
rhyme. If the rhyme is good enough, the
discoverer is destined to be married before
the next Christmas.
Rystrom said that the almond tradi
tion came true in their household, to a
visiting classmate of her daughter.
Gifts are exchanged after the meaL
A Julbocken (Christmas goat) guards
the gifts under the tree; Made of straw
with a long beard and braided horns, the
Julbocken is placed by the tree.
Later on Christmas morning the family
gets together and goes to the church for
julotta (Christmas morning mass). The
service usually takes place at 5 a.m. or 6
a.m.
The Christmas dinner has ham as its
main course. Rystrom said turkey, chicken
and other fowl were not common in
Sweden, so ham was served.
Potato korv may also be served with
the ham. A cooked sausage-potato dish,
potato korv is made and eaten all year in
Stromsburg.
For dessert on Christmas day Ostkaka
is served. A Swedish curd cake, Ostkaka is
similar to cheese cake.
Through out the Christmas' season
songs and music are highlighted.
"The Swedish are very.-musically
oriented," Rystrom said. "Music and song
are a very big part of the Swedish Christ
mas tradition. We're always singing at
Christmas time in our house."
Jan. 2 is the traditional time to take
down the tree. All the trees are put
into a big bonfire while songs are sung.
The bonfire signals the close of the Holi
days. Rystrom is a typical Stromsburg citi
zen. Deeply engrossed in her Swedish her
itage, Rystrom has visited Sweden three
times, including & visit to Stromsburg's
sister city Ockelbo, Sweden.
Rystrom annually leads a Scandina
vian tour from Stromsburg.
"We love our heritage, and we live it,"
she said.
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Lincoln, Nebraska 68503 Member F.D.I.C.
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474-6000
Downtown in
the Glass Menagerie
any large size pizza
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any medium or
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This Christmas coupon is
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1934. Lincoln, Ne.
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