WellesleyWeston Magazine

WINTER 2013/2014

Launched in 2005, WellesleyWeston Magazine is a quarterly publication tailored to Wellesley and Weston residents and edited to enrich the experience of living in two of Massachusetts' most desirable communities.

Issue link: https://wellesleywestonmagazine.epubxp.com/i/210435

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May your holidays be merry… L I Z S U N E B Y writer and very bright the scandinavians certainly know how to light up the long, dark days of winter. With the five Nordic countries reaching above the Arctic Circle, it's no wonder that these Northern Europeans orchestrate their Christmas celebrations to spread cheer over several cold, dusky days. Many of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Iceland's traditions are similar given their intertwined histories and northerly geographic location. As Wellesley resident and Stockholm native Maria Davidsson explains, "Scandinavians are light-deprived during winter, and so our holiday festivities are all about light." A month before Christmas, Maria brightens up her home with electric lights, a row of candles, and her children's eagerly anticipated Advent calendar. When Maria and her family moved to the United States three years ago they didn't bring much with them, but she made sure to pack her family's beloved holiday decorations. Swedes often light a candle with the start of Advent, four Sundays before Christmas, and then again every Sunday until the 24th to mark the coming holiday. Lise Wedel of Weston grew up in Copenhagen, Denmark and has lived in many countries resided in England and Germany, as well as Marblehead and San Francisco, before settling in Weston. No matter her location, Lise's Christmas celebrations remain constant – they are Danish through and through. "With four to five months of cold, dark weather in Denmark, a Danish Christmas is all about creating cozy family times. We light candles, bake, and eat traditional foods including goose, caramelized potatoes, red cabbage, and rice pudding. We even dance 119 w i n t e r 2 0 1 3 / 2 0 1 4 | We l l e s l e y We s t o n M a g a z i n e University of Wisconsin at Madison. Due to Lise's husband's work, over the past 40 years she has KAVRING/ DREAMSTIME.COM since 1973 when she and her husband moved to the United States for him to study at the

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