Age: 20
Date of Performance: 4/24/2025
Language: English
Nationality: American
Occupation: Student
Primary Language: English
Residence: United States
- Text
The informant is a college student. She referenced her family’s ritual of making Norwegian potato lefsa every year for Christmas. Lefsa is a flatbread made from potatoes, cream, flour and sugar. She mentioned how they make it every year and then get drunk afterwards.
2. Context
“Yes, we make lefsa every year to pay homage to our Norwegian heritage. It’s a Christmas tradition. And then not really sure why but, we get drunk after.”
“It started in Norway with my grandma’s grandparents and I’ve been doing it as long as I can remember. I like it, it’s yum.”
3. Analysis
This is a ritual that is again part of a holiday celebration, honoring Christmas festivities. For the informant, it is part of paying homage to her heritage, and conversely continuing tradition through it. It is a family bonding folklore experience, in that they all create the ritualistic dish together and follow the tradition of drinking together afterwards. They’ve long been practicing it and as the informant mentions, the taste of the dish is important as well in the enjoyment of the ritual.