Like the warmth of a cabin fireplace and the twinkle of lights along the edge of a frozen lake, Christmas in Minnesota evokes memories of hoidays long ago.
Familiar traditions echo across the years in funny, poignant, and surprising ways. The communal feast is the focus in the 1870s when a family welcomes a Swedish traveler to their cozy sod house on the prairie. The annual holiday pageant is at the heart of a moving story by Faith Sullivan about a schoolgirl frightened by her role in the spotlight. The spirit of giving is the theme as Evelyn Fairbanks, chronicler of St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood, remembers the stranger who made Christmas possible after her father’s untimely death in the 1930s. A dad struggles to reconnect with his son during this time of togetherness in a touching story by novelist Jon Hassler. A Civil War drummer boy prepares for a makeshift holiday while on duty with the First Minnesota. Essayist Bill Holm reflects on the joyous and burdensome ritual of composing the annual Christmas letter.
These stories and many more, accompanied by vintage recipes, advertisements, photos, and decorations, recreate the excitement and spirit of Minnesota’s own Yuletide cheer.
Contents
Introduction by Brian Horrigan ix
1 Finding Christmas
Christmas Chronicles 000
Hugo Nisbeth, Christmas Eve in a Sod House 000
Mary Dodge Woodward, "No sound of joyous Christmas bells” 00
Works Progress Administration, "In the American fashion” 000
Melvin L. Frank, "Screaming their excited delight” 000
Justine Kerfoot, Christmas on the Gunflint 000
Florence Page Jaques, "A Christmas tree for birds” 000
Wendell Anderson, "Once again it is Christmas” 000
Robert Treuer, "Where are the trees?” 000
2 Celebrating the Holidays
Faith Sullivan, "They want to hear a story” 000
Roger MacDonald, "Like the haunting croon of Goodman’s clarinet” 000
Lorna Landvik, "This is my favorite part” 000
Garrison Keillor, Celebrating Christmas in Lake Wobegon 000
Charles Flandrau, "Christmas . . . is really a terrible day” 000
Charles M. Schulz, "Off the hook” 000
Cathy Mauk, "It’s the light” 000
Jonis Agee, The Christmas Question 000
Lee Mero, Christmas in the City 000
3 Coming Home
F. Scott Fitzgerald, "My Middle West” 000
Walter O’Meara, "You could hear sleigh bells” 000
Jerry Fearing, "Closer to the ground” 000
Bill Holm, "My December duty” 000
Louie Anderson, '"How much for this tree without limbs” 000
Barton Sutter, Afterthoughts on Christmas Trees 000
Emily Carter, Cold Feet 000
4 The Giving Season
Beatrice Fines, The Gift of Oranges 000
Maud Hart Lovelace, Betsy, Tacy, and Tib Go Christmas Shopping 000
An Anonymous Lady, What a Christmas Shopper Found 000
Harrison Salisbury, "A day of excitement, of joy” 000
Celia Tauer, "I dreamed I was in New Ulm” 000
Evelyn Fairbanks, Daddy’s Gift 000
Cheri Register, "One more saving grace” 000
Sam Cook, In Stitches 000
Susan Allen Toth, A Cut-Glass Christmas 000
Maura Stanton, Gifts 000
Samuel Hynes, "Promises of bright, warm days coming” 000
Kevin Kling, "Something 'different’” 000
5 Eating and Making Merry
Vilhelm Moberg, "A Christmas for their souls” 000
Civil War soldiers, "Strange and unusual holidays” 000
Otis Terpening, "Come and eat, eat” 000
Shirley Schoonover, "Celebration and saunas” 000
Nick Fauchald, The Kookie Never Krumbles 000
Helen Hoover, Dinner Guests 000
Susan Hauser, Coins of the Realm 000
Colleen Kruse, Mickey’s Diner 000
A Minnesota Christmas Eve Feast 000
6 Family Matters
Syl Jones, Santi Claw 000
Sinclair Lewis, Carol’s Christmas 000
Carol Bly, An Adolescent’s Christmas 000
Robert Bly, Driving My Parents Home at Christmas 000
Michael Fedo, "Everybody smile” 000
Jon Hassler, "How am I doing, Dad?” 000
Letters, "I will never forget” 000
Epilogue
Noah Adams, Light, Darkness, Night 000
Sources 000
Overview
Like the warmth of a cabin fireplace and the twinkle of lights along the edge of a frozen lake, Christmas in Minnesota evokes memories of hoidays long ago.
Familiar traditions echo across the years in funny, poignant, and surprising ways. The communal feast is the focus in the 1870s when a family welcomes a Swedish traveler to their cozy sod house on the prairie. The annual holiday pageant is at the heart of a moving story by Faith Sullivan about a schoolgirl frightened by her ...