Advent. The great period of anticipation. Longing, hope, newness, joy. Last Saturday, November 30th, I travelled with my three college roommates to Tyler, a little town on the great Southwest Minnesota prairie, settled more than 125 years ago by Danish emigrants. Our roommate Punky (Nealna) Bollesen Gylling grew up at Danebod Lutheran Church and we joined her there to celebrate an old fashioned Danish Christmas. We strolled through their julebutikker filled with handmade ornaments, delicate hardanger, counted cross-stitch, tatting, painted wooden nisser. We sat underneath the 17-foot locally grown Colorado Blue Spruce Christmas tree drinking very good coffee and sampling kringler, rosettes with lingonberries or prune sauce garnished with whipped cream, and the famous aebleskiver. After a walk through town, we ate a traditional Danish supper of frikadeller (meatballs), medisterpolse (spiced sausage) pork roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, red cabbage, vegetables, salads, and dessert. At the church, where a ship hangs from the ceiling as is tradition in churches in Denmark, we heard gorgeous music of the season performed by the handbells and the choir. AND THEN, we walked across the street to the gym hall, through the welcoming open door where we joined hands and danced around the Christmas Tree. Three rings of dancers, people of every age, singing in harmony Nu ar det jul igen (Christmas is Here Again), Deilig ar den himmel bla (Splendid Are the Heavens High), O Come All Ye Faithful, Deck the Halls, Silent Night, and other songs that these people have known all their lives–and their parents and grandparents, and great-grandparents before them. This was the 125th year of dancing around the Christmas tree at Danebod–a tradition tucked in mind and heart as the immigrants crossed the great ocean from Denmark to America to the Minnesota prairie, and celebrated ever since.
During the prayers of the church Sunday morning–the First Sunday of Advent, Pastor Julie Thul gave thanks “for our foremothers and forefathers who brought joy and happiness to the difficult work of making this prairie home.” What anticipation they must have had as they lit the first Advent candle, looking forward to the hope and joy this season brings.
College Friends at Danebod’s Old Fashioned Danish Christmas
Dancing Around the Christmas Tree, Danebod Folk School
karen annexstad humphrey
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