Christmas With Mor Mor

Norwegians celebrate Christmas on the evening of December 24th. This tradition of a special Christmas Eve was brought to the United States when Borghild Bergstedt immigrated from Norway as a teenager. For years, Borghild, affectionately called Mor by everyone, invited her family to her house for a traditional Norwegian dinner (including Lutefisk). She later added a visit by Santa Claus after the dinner. With excitement in their eyes, adults and children gathered in Mor's living room to await the visit from Santa, with the lights turned off and only a candle giving light.

After quite a few years, Mor's family had grown beyond the capacity of her living room to hold them all, and Mor's children began having their own dinner, followed by a visit from Santa at the home of Kristine and Lynn. Mor Mor had a Christmas dinner for her children and their families on Christmas day. Santa no longer comes to Kristine and Lynn's because the family is just too large. Instead, he makes separate visits to designated homes of Mor's children and grandchildren.

Mor's eldest child, Bergliot, is called Mor Mor by her children, and they enjoyed having a traditional Norwegian dinner on Christmas eve at Mor Mor's home.  However, as Mor Mor's posterity grew, they became too numerous for Mor Mor's house, and her children began hosting Christmas-eve dinners at their homes with refreshments and Santa Claus at Mor Mor's home. It has been a nice gathering for Mor Mor's children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

Click here to go to pictures and a video from the 2011 Christmas party at Mor Mor's home.