Directions: |
Directions:For the record:
Here is a description of the traditional Swanson Christmas Eve: First, of course, is the smörgasbord (starting as soon as it gets dark so the little kids won’t get too tired by gift time). Then the ladies have to wash every dish in the kitchen. Then Grandpa Warner--later Grandpa Elwood, and then Grandpa Rick/Papa John/ Uncle Nate--reads the Christmas story from Luke 2 and prayed/prays a long prayer. (As we say, he "prays around the world.")
In the 1970's Grandma Fern started the tradition of lighting candles--starting with the oldest and going to the youngest, parents lighting the candles of their children. When the candles are lit, we sing carols (and always "This Little Light of Mine").
Finally, we open our gifts.
After all the gifts are opened and the living room restored to order, we have dessert—krem or persimmon pudding (each served with sweetened whipped cream), assorted cookies (including Andee's lemon bars), homemade candy, coffee.
In the 1940’s, Grandma Vera’s sister Emma, who had no children, would sometimes dress up in an overcoat and a crude Santa mask and play Santa for the children. (Rick cried about that when he was three.) When Fern and Elwood’s grandchildren came along, sometimes Brian Ramos would dress up as Santa and come ring the doorbell with a bag of gifts which Grandma Fern had provided. When Brian was not available, the grandparents took turns sneaking a bag of gifts to the front door, ringing the bell, and running around to the back yard. One year Nathan and Matt caught Grandpa, but he was so cool that they were not entirely sure he was the one who had rung the bell and left the gifts.
When he was about 12, Matt decided to up the ante and actually drop a bag of gifts down the chimney of their own home on Washington Road to thrill his little brothers. He got up on the roof and did this after the family returned from the grandparents’ house around midnight after the celebration. He did not know that chimneys are made with a jog in them, designed to catch anything that might fall down, completely clogging the chimney flue. I have always felt Rick (who had to clear the chimney) did not give him proper credit for his creative generosity.
There is a lot of give and take in a large family, and it takes both creativity and generosity to hold things together—not to mention a good sense of humor. We thank God for our family and pray that the bonds of love will hold fast for generations to come. |
This recipe for Christmas Eve: Details is from