[Culturechat] Christmas celebration with disclaimer

[Vance Roy]

First the disclaimer:

This is a story about people that most of you don't know. Over 200
families in the USA do know at least some of these people and have spent
a part of their lives with them as Idyllers. This, and the pictures are
for them, but the rest of you are welcome too.

For forty odd years, a Norwegian lady (Berit) and a CH man (Albert) have
lived in Sachseln. Albert says he married Berit because of her blond
hair and blue eyes. Whatever the reason, he got his money's worth and
more. One thing he had to give up was ever having a typical CH Christmas
again. Christmas in the Greutert household is a year round event which
really becomes serious about the first of December each year.
The crescendo reaches its peak on Christmas day after days of
preparation of cookies, cakes, homemade pate, the drawing of names for
gifts, the decoration of every nook and cranny of the house, and of
course the procurement and decoration of the tree. The Greutert kitchen
is awake when I get up and still running when I crash at night. For some
years, I have been allowed to enter this family circle for a wonderful
experience. Including the "run of the fox" (more about that later).

A few things that will make the pictures mean more, with apologies to
those who already are in the know:
	There are three generations of Greuterts
		Albert and Berit
			Jan Erik and wife, Gabriella
			Heidi and husband Peter
			Elisabeth and husband Guido
	Diana and Oliver are children of Jan Erik and Gabi
	Simone, David, and Tobias belong to Heidi and Peter
	Michele, Domonik, and Jonas belong to Elisabeth and Guido
Jonas is a special case, since he is my Godson and is also the youngest.
In the pictures, he has
an orange shirt on. Being a Godfather in CH is a lot more than in the
USA. It is taken literally as being the person who would try to help
care for the child if the parents die. If you see more of this child, it
is because he is as precious to me as if he were my own.

The Christmas feast begins with sixteen Greutert family members and
three of us. Barbara, Gigli, and Roessli. Roessli is the senior outsider
and a former nanny for many of the children. At about dusk, the nineteen
of us gathered for some grog (mulled wine with raisins and
chopped almonds in it) and "Guetzli" which are cookies and cakes. Then
an important person arrives, dressed in a red and white outfit with a
flowing white beard. He could pass for Santa Claus in the USA but his
name is Juliniessen. Juliniessen brings a huge sack with him. He takes a
place and begins to call out names. Each named individual goes up and
sits on his lap. Then says a verse or does something for him (Barbara
and I sang Jingle Bells for him). A gift is received, and all enjoy
seeing what he has brought. This is all accompanied by general laughter
and foolishness. "Bestafahr"sp? was Berit's Norwegian father and gave
the children something every year. He still does even though he has been
dead for over six years. All suspect Berit has a hand in this, but no
one can prove it.

After Juliniessen is done, the whole mob adjourns to sit at what can
only be described as the epitome of a "groaning board". First, sdomeone
reads The Christmas Story. This year it was Jonas. He read it from a
book with superior ability for a second grader. Then the food begins to
come out. This takes place once a year, and people who normally are
prudent in what they eat, just lose their inhibitions. The whole meal
can best be described by the word "lipid". There is roast pork, a veal
roast, some wonderful things that look like meatballs, but are much
better, and a platter of small sausages. With all this goes potatoes,
vegetables, cranberries (the European kind), and drinks of several
kinds. If one dared to eat only one plate of all this, I think Berit
would become suicidal. The last thing served in this part of the feast
is a "digestiv" of Aquavit, a potent concoction drunk neat and
guaranteed to make your teeth whiter than Pepsodent. The table is
cleared, and all get ready for the "run of the fox."

This is the part about which I dread to write. I don't think anyone can
adequately describe on paper what this is and how much it is the
highlight of the season. It begins a few weeks before when all the names
that are going to be at the Christmas bash are put in a hat and the
drawing takes place. If for some reason, you aren't going to be there,
then you don't draw. "Your" person is a secret known only by you and is
to receive some sort of present. There is a limit of about 20 CHF on
what you can spend. After the dinner, all gather around in a big circle,
and one is chosen to begin. This person rises and begins to walk around
in front of the others with his gift. There is a song sung about the fox
running around while this person looks about, feints as to give the gift
to someone but backs off several times until he finally gives it to the
person he drew. As you can imagine, the children get very excited about
this. Maybe what you don't imagine is that the adults do this also. This
goes on with the one who receives the gift being the next to go around
with his gift. I hope this is clearer than it sounds when I write it.
There is an inordinate amount of excitement and joviality that goes
along with all this. The gifts are inovative sometimes. Barbara got a
glass bowl full of Lindt chocolate. I got a pair of silk boxers with the
"Snoopy" logo all over them. Barbara gave a "Gutschein" (gift
certificate) to the Imax in Luzern to Guido. I gave stationary to Diana.
Others received CDs, books, etc.

Now about six hours into this affair, it is time to have dessert! This
year, I bailed out on this, but it always accompanied by a ring cake
made in the shape of a Christmas tree with a biscotti taste. It went
well with a bowl of ricota filled with fruit and whipped cream. We amde
it home about seven hours after we began. I am sure that I will be
hungry again someday, but I don't know when.

The intangible here is the love between all of this family. The fun they
have is evident, and I think due to it being one of the few times in the
year that they are all together. Unless one is out of the country, one
would not want to miss it. I know that for a semi-Scrooge like me, it
makes Christmas as I think it should be.

A few pics are at:

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/gigli_saw/lst?.dir=/Christmas+in+CH+with+disclaimer&.view=t
-- 
Vance Roy
gigli.saw@dplanet.ch.