Growing up, we typically made lefsa at home with my grandma, my great aunt, my mom, my two sisters and me. (Lefsa is a Norwegian flat bread made out of potatoes.) This was typically done beginning of November.

We had Thanksgiving at my grandparents (until they became major snow birds and started leaving closer to Halloween instead of after Thanksgiving).

Sometime in November/December, rosettes (a thin cookie like deep fried pastry of Scandinavian descent), krumkake (a Norwegian waffle cookie), and cookies (not many cookies, but a few).

Christmas Eve used to be a big meal with my mom’s side of the family followed by present opening. As years went on, the big dinner meal was replaced with snackies and appetizer type dishes and ribs (I have a weird family, who knows!)

Christmas day prior to divorce was spent with the family opening presents together (immediate family member presents and Santa presents) followed by spending Christmas day with my stepfather’s family. After the divorce, our Christmas days were spent playing cards with extended family or just staying home.

Now that I have my own family, things have changed slightly, we have started creating our own traditions and I hope to some day instill some of my family traditions.

I hope to instill lefsa, rosette, and krumkake making into our holiday traditions. Fortunately, my in-laws all celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve too so that has not changed. We make a large dinner followed by present opening. Christmas day is the kids waking up to open Santa presents, Christmas brunch and then just spending the day with immediate family (my parent in laws, sister in law, hubby, the kids and me). Luckily for me, not a ton has changed, we have created a couple news and I hope to one day add some of my old ones to pass on to my kids!

What were your traditions growing up? How about now that you have a family?