With food, music and gifts, suburban Norwegian-Americans celebrated Christmas Nordic style December 7.
Sons of Norway Polar Star Lodge 5-472 held its annual Juletrefest, a Norwegian Christmas party, at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Montgomery.
Activities opened at 1 p.m. with trimming of a yule tree. After a potluck luncheon and group singing of Christmas songs around the tree, Norwegian Santa Julenisse (Polar Star president Ken Johnson of Yorkville) presented gifts to Lucy and Archer Ruhl of North Aurora.
Barb Johnson of Yorkville, lodge culture director, declared Kelly Welin of Wheaton winner of an annual cookie-baking contest. For her Norwegian spice cookies, Johnson awarded Welin a contest spatula and “best cookie baker” certificate. Welin’s cookies were auctioned off with proceeds benefiting the Sons of Norway Foundation.
Johnson announced publication of “Fox River Settlement Heritage Recipes,” a 120-page, softbound cookbook celebrating 200 years of Norwegian immigration to the U.S. Culminating a year of preparation by Johnson and a committee, the cookbook contains recipes contributed by members of Polar Star Lodge and Cleng Peerson Lodge 5-525, Ottawa. Cookbook chapters are appetizers and beverages, soups and salads, vegetables and side dishes, main dishes, breads and rolls, desserts, cookies and candy and “This and That,” other recipes.
According to Johnson, of 100 cookbooks published, about 20 are available at $20 each. Call 630-553-7389 to order.
The celebration concluded with an adult gift exchange.
For more information, call 630-553-7389 or visit polarstarlodge.com/5.html for more information.
—Al Benson