A Texas friend wrote me after seeing photos of the Minot Hostfest on my Face Book page. She commented that she felt envious about my Scandinavian roots and how we celebrated our traditions with such enthusiasm.
I had never thought of this before. My Scandinavian heritage, like my large extended family, is something I’ve always taken for granted. If you visited my home you would see antique photos of my immigrant ancestors, rosemaling in the kitchen, a Norwegian sweater in my closet. If you were here over the holidays, you would eat the traditional cookies and foods of Christmas: pickled herring, lutefisk, lefse, krumkakke, and rosettes. My Scandinavian heritage is a part of who I am.
It’s true. My Scandinavian heritage is precious and worth celebrating. I’m thankful my great grandparents and Grandpa Jensen made the decision to come to America. I’m thankful they bettered their lives and the lives of their children and grandchildren by this bold decision. I’m also thankful that they taught us to hold onto our Scandinavian roots. The best of both worlds!
Truly something to celebrate.
