Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958, 1945-12-01
How Christmas Was Provided For
During The Occupation Of Norway

December is a month of oVerWOrk.
The house is subjected to a thor
ough cleaning; shelves ard cup
boards are tidied; silver, brass and
copper articles are. polished. Then
there is the baking of all sorts of
cookies, cakes and breads, and the
preparation of tantalizing dinner
delicacies. Such was the house
wife's and housemaid's lot in the
postwar years.
Then came the fateful year,
1910, when the occupying forces
robbed the country of vast food
supplies. This had far-reaching
effect on the housewife. 1t be-
came practically impossible to get
maid. Groceries We're no longer
delivered at the door, Instead of
this, the housewife had to stand in
long queues in order to obtain her
necessary household supplies. Pro-
viding for Christmas was no
longer an undertaking limited to
the month of December. 1t be-
came necessary to toll and plan
and save throughout the entire
year in order to insure a fair
amount of these provisions. The
husband and the children also took
part in the struggle.
During the summer and fall it
was quite the common thing for
men, and even women, to take a
trip to the mountain farms with
empty baggage. A few days later
they would return, laboring under
the weight of these. Quite often
there were Nazi controllers on the
trains or at the station to check
over the baggage. The poor fell
lows who were caught" with
unlawful provisions had to for
felt their well-paid-for and ex-
tremely necessary pack. Likely
some Nazi official ate it the fol-
lowing Sunday for dinner.
The following account of how
my uncle and aunt shaved to pro-
vide their family with good treat
at Christmas will serve as an il
lustration of the struggle put up
| by countless other families.
Uncle made several trips to Val
dres during 1910, Al and AZ. In
his childhood home and on the
ueighboring farms. they were in
stalling electric lights. He spent
his vacations helping them with
these installations. In return they
gave him farm products. l often
used to wonder how he could man.
age those two heavy suitcases be-
sides the huge. well-packed "rygg-
sekk." He appeared to be too
short and thin and old to be Ia
boring under such burden. But
/ somehow he managed-and not
only one trip but several. He was
one of the fortunates who got by
without meeting up with Nazi
controller. AS q result my aunt
always had something to put
aside for Christmas-butter and
Z cheese. meat or flour.
But one couldn't rely on such
excursions TO supply the family's
wants. Every available spot was
made use OF for the raising of
vegetables. This was encoura ged
by those in power Areas in parks
and on the outskirts Of the city
were divided up into plots and
rented on. to city-dwellers. After
office hours, business men could
De seen working on their plots
planting. watering. wedding. My
uncle had his plot Of potatoes.
He also had q garden by his sum-
mer cottage on Nesodden. In the
I spring they moved out there.
Each morning he would catch the
boat for Oslo. Late in the after
noon he returned 10 Nesodden to
labor in his garden Their daugh-
ter. s stenogTapher. remained in
Oslo. Through the office at which
she worked. she was often able to
provide a meal for the family. l
admired their spirit and untiring
I effort / often felt q bit guilty
when I was asked 10 dine with
Z them-know the effort they had
put forth TO produce such din