One of the things we always do on Christmas Eve is eat the same Swedish dinner. Per usually salt cures a ham for three weeks then cooks it the day before Christmas Eve. For dinner, we always have cold ham (Jul skinka;) potato casserole (Jansson's frestelse;) cracker bread (Knäckebröd;) rye bread (Limpa bröd;) pickled herring (Sill;) cheese (Ost;) little wieners (Prinskorv;) meatballs (Köttbullar;) summer sausage (Köttkorv;) peas (Ärtor;) boiled sausage (Värmland's korv;) boiled whole potatoes (Potatis;) and Christmas soda (Jul must.) Truly a smörgasbord.
Per's Swedish and I'm American, therefore we compromise by having an American Thanksgiving and a Swedish Christmas. We always have turkey; mashed potatoes and gravy; stuffing; green beans; yams; cranberry sauce; rolls; and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, but the recipes may be different. Not so, when it comes to Christmas Eve dinner - the recipes are always the same. On Christmas Eve we've eaten the same recipes for twenty years, and will most likely eat them for at least another twenty.
I like to do things the same way, so I guess you could say I'm not very adventurous. I usually order the same things at restaurants and go to the same places. I wear the same kinds of shoes and get similar hair cuts. I follow recipes and buy the same things when they need to be re-bought. I try new things (when I feel like it) and when I find something that I like I stick to it like glue.
I don't handle change very well; I'm usually the one that says, "Why do things have to change?" I love traditions, especially the ones we have at Christmastime.
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| Christmas Eve Table |
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Ham, Meatballs, Jansson's frestelse, Peas, Potatoes,
Varmland's korv, Little wieners, and Summer sausage |
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| Per, slicing homemade Limpa bread |
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| Cheese, Cracker bread, Herring |
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