Christmas eve. I can close my eyes and remember. The preparation of traditional Swedish and Norwegian foods, the relatives and my cousins gathering, the anticipation of Santa’s arrival. It was the second best day of the year. Tomorrow is the best. There are only a three events on December 24th. Last Minute Shoppers Day, Christmas Eve and National Eggnog Day. Now to the history of this date: In 1818, “Silent Night” composed is first sung at St Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, Austria. In 1865, several Confederate veterans form Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski, Tennessee. In 1877, Thomas Edison files a patent for the phonograph. In 1948, the first completely solar heated house is occupied in Dover, Mass. And, in 1964 shooting begins on “The Cage” which is the pilot for Star Trek. That is an excellent trivia question. I’ll end this post with some quotes about Christmas: “Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.” Winston Churchill. “Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.” Charles M. Schulz. “Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.” Mary Ellen Chase. I do agree with Ms. Chase that it’s a state of mind. We make the Christmas we want to experience. Mine are really great. With that, I think I’ll smoke some salmon and make some Ostkaka which is a traditional Swedish cheese cake. I hope your Christmas Eve is as good as mine is going to be. Abide.
