Celebrating Christmas the Norwegian way

Now that I am exploring the culture of my mom’s Norwegian maternal grandparents, I am learning more about their native country’s traditions. I have discovered that it is a Norwegian custom to celebrate Christ’s birth on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day just like my mother’s family did when she was growing up. She carried on that tradition with our family and we went to my Italian grandmother’s house for pasta and meatballs the next day.

Although my Norwegian grandma liked pickled beets, another Norwegian trait, I don’t remember her making lefse. My mom made it a few times when we had le...