“Juligen”

“Christmas”

“Nu har vi Jul igen
“Actually have we Christmas again

Nu har vi Jul igen

Actually have we Christmas again

Julen har indtil Påske
Christmas has to Easter

Nej det er ikke adkomsten
No it is no the right!

Nej det er ikke adkomsten
No it is no the right!
Julen har indtil Pinse!”
Christmas has to Pentecost!”

“Now we have Christmas again

Now we have Christmas again

We have Christmas until Easter

No that isn’t so!

No that isn’t so!

We have Christmas until Pentecost!”

Tyler learned this song from his grandfather when he was very young, probably around the age of five in Culver City. He told me that he and his family sing this song every year on Christmas Eve. He said that they usually sing this song while standing outside around a Christmas tree – either the one from inside the house that they bring outside, or another Christmas tree set up outside. He told me that his family gets together on Christmas Eve each year and go to his grandparents’ house to celebrate with the Jensen side.

Tyler believes that the significance of this song is the fact that the Jensen side of his family get together for Christmas Eve each year to reunite. In a sense, this song brings them together as a family around the Christmas tree where they can all connect to one another through singing. He explained how he does not always see all his extended family very often during the year, but they always meet on Christmas Eve. For him this song symbolizes the bond that holds family together, even though they might not see or talk with one another for months at a time. This song represents the ties that families retain, and that kindred spirit shared during family celebrations.

This song seems to affirm a certain familial bond shared in the Jensen household, but it also declares that his bond is not only shared one day out of the year. Although extended families do not always see every relative on a regular basis, their love for one another does not last for just one day. Just like in the song how Christmas lasts until Pentecost, a family’s love and care for one another lasts well past the Christmas season and throughout the year. The love and grace that is celebrated during the Christmas season is continued on through family bonds.