Anna's Day (December 9, Sweden)

According to Sweden.se (the official gateway to Sweden) the 9th of December is known as Anna's Day, though I was unable to find out why.  In the past this was the day the Christmas Brew would be ready and when you would start to prepare the lutfisk that would be eaten on Christmas.  

For those unfamiliar with lutfisk, it is a white fish that gets soaked in lye with kind of a jelly consistency.  It has a very strong small and taste.  Typically it is made in a white sauce and poured over potatoes.  For many it is considered very unpleasant.  Either a person does not or does like lutfisk, there is no middle of the ground.  I have actually heard that either they don't like it or they lie about liking it.  A story I heard years ago describes it best I think.

A family is sitting down together for the Christmas meal and a grandfather and grandson are sitting next to each other.  The lutfisk gets to the grandfather who loads up his potatoes with it.  When he filially passes it to the grandson, the grandson just starts to pass it on and the grandfather stops him saying

"You have to eat your lutfisk"

Grandson "but I don't like it"

Grandfather whispers "oh course you don't like it, everyone hates lutfisk"

Grandson "then why do we eat it?"

Grandfather whispers again "If we don't pretend to like lutfisk, how can we prove to the rest of the world we are the best?"

This brings back many memories for me personally.  My heritage is half Swedish and that side had only been in the United States for a few generations, so there where a number of traditions that we still followed that came from the "old country".  The one that stands out most in my mind is going to my grandparents house on Christmas Eve and having a mostly traditional Scandinavian dinner.  The two highlights where lefse with lingonberrys and lutfisk.  In all honesty I can not verify that it does have this strong smell and taste, I actually love it.  Though I have had many people, including my family, who says it does, apparently the whole house will smell of it and some people cannot even go inside.  Of course now we have to hide this from the true Swedes as they don't even eat it and laugh at us Swedish Americans that do.

I know what you are thinking "I must have some of this, where can I get it?", sorry to disappoint you but it is not widely available, except in places like Minnesota where I grew up.  Now of course living in Tennessee the fish monger at a good grocery store said that he had been working in the business for 15 years and never heard of it.  We would go so far as having someone go on an 18 hour drive to bring some back so we could have it.

But if you get the chance you should try it, I am sure you wont like it and I can not understand that but it will be an experience that you can say you have had for the rest of your life.