Lucia Bride ready to usher in holidays

Published 5:00 pm Saturday, November 25, 2006

POULSBO — When the Sons of Norway Vikings march the Lucia Bride into Waterfront Park to light the Julefest bonfire Dec. 2, Christmas will arrive in Little Norway.

This year’s Lucia Bride, Claire Marlow, will ignite the winter flames with the yul log brought especially from Norway for the occasion.

And while Poulsbo is already looking like a Nordic Christmas village, for some, Julefest marks the official velkommen of the holidays.

“It’s the kick off to holiday season,” said Sons youth director Joann Graves of the event, which is preceded by the lodge’s annual Scandinavian bazaar. The bazaar begins at 10 a.m.; Julefest starts at 4 p.m. with the fire being lit at 6 p.m.

Steeped in the city’s Scandinavian past, the event returns the holidays to their point of origin without the modern commercialization, which has become so prevalent, Graves said.

“This is the grassroots of the season and brings generations together,” she said.

Many grandchildren and grandparents enjoy sharing holiday memories along with stories of Christmases of yesteryear are retold to younger generations, she said.

“This is the spirit of Christmas, and it’s going to happen this year,” she said.

Without all of the flashy toys, the event is a cultural family celebration similar to those happening in Norway and other Scandinavian countries at the same time, she said.

Children play prominent roles in those festivities as they will at the Dec. 2 event as the Sons Leikarringen youth dance group will circle Kvelstad Pavilion along with their adult counterparts, she said.

Even though the park is still under construction as bulkhead improvements continue, Graves said that won’t take away from the festivities, it may add to them.

“Vikings are a hardy sort, so I’m sure we’ll adapt to the situation,” Graves said.

Poulsbo City Engineer Andrzej Kasiniak said the city will make good on its promise to have the park open for the event, even if it is only for that one day.

“We’re going to do what we can,” Kasiniak said. “We’ll probably have some kind of cover on the ground.”

Throughout the course of the improvements, which are expected to be completed in early 2007, the city has been in contact with event organizers to keep them abreast of the park’s condition and its impacts on the event, Kasiniak said.

Even though the Lucia Bride and her court may take a different route to the bonfire pit this year, the event will still take place as planned, Graves said.

However, Christmas won’t officially arrive in Little Norway until Sons of Norway Viking Brian Davis utters the words he has at each and every Julefest: “Lucia join with us in lighting this Julefest fire.”

With those words the fire will be lit and the holiday spirit will glow through Little Norway and the entire North End.