Show Norway Christmas Was Top Event CHRISTMAS just couldn't help being the event of events in Norway when great-grandmother great was a girl Without exaggeration prep prep- preparation preparation for Christmas actually began six months before December De De- December December cember 24 Everything which was used used food food clothing house house- household household household hold furnishings was pre pre- prepared prepared prepared pared in hi the home Even the leather for shoes was tanned from hides raised on the home home- stead The cloth for apparel from the skin out was woven on hand looms Cobblers came to the house and made the shoes dressmakers and tailors came Everyone in hi the household had to have a new ward ward- wardrobe wardrobe wardrobe robe for Christmas and since tail tail- tailors tailors tailors ors and cobblers and dressmakers could not be at all places at once it was necessary to get an early start When the butchering was fin fin- finished in in October or Novem Novem- November ber ber the the suet was melted and the candles were made The children always had a hand in making the little ones for use on the Christmas tree Even the birds were remembered with special Christmas trees which were made by tying bundles of straw to long Jong staves or poles the youngsters gleaned the bits of grain by following the reapers at harvest time and the poles were set up around the yard on Christmas Eve |