A Farmstead Christmas
Our homestead has been a gathering place for the family Christmas for 50 years, with a turkey roasting in the oven, pies cooling on the counter, hikes in the fresh snow with the dogs, and plenty of homemade cookies everywhere. As a kid coming to visit, I was always amazed that Santa somehow knew we were up north, filling our knitted stockings hung on the fieldstone fireplace with fresh oranges, chocolates, puzzles, and a creative trinket.
We’d trudge out with Mom and Grandpa into the forest to choose a small tree to decorate the porch—Grandpa using the moment as a forestry management lesson. We’d scour the edge of the fields, looking for one that was being crowded by its neighbors. Taking the runty pine as our Charlie Brown tree, we left the healthier ones to grow big and strong.
For us, Christmas has always been about family time, gathering those who could come together at the farm. Now that the farm has been our full-time home for 20 years, we’ve served as hosts for many a Christmas celebration. Here’s a few tips we’ve gathered for authentic, homegrown holiday cheer (hygge!) the Farmstead way.
The Meal
Family gatherings aren’t the same without some simple-done-well home cooking. Gathering around food—especially food with a story—is key to Christmas festivities throughout the ages. But gathering is the operative word, not gorging.
Skip having a buffet style setup for Christmas. This encourages too much overeating and folks tend to quickly sort in the room into their own camps. Instead, set up a long table and eat family style, together, all at once, including the kids. Add another leaf or two to the table, or tag on folding tables and squeeze in extra chairs so everyone can fit. Pass dishes, tell stories, include each other. Share the story of the meal and appreciate how the foods were raised and prepared just for this special time. I love telling the silly turkey antics of the year as we pass the steaming platter of carved bird. Taking a moment of gratitude to honor the bird’s life feeds the spirit as well as the body.
Take time to set the table ahead of time. A fabric runner down the middle with some fresh pine sprigs, favorite ornaments, and candles is really all you need to set the mood with intention. Candles are an essential part of Nordic hygge culture, adding a warm glow and a sense of reverence.
Activities
Keep the TV off and phone usage to a minimum, other than to call family who couldn’t make it and share warm wishes. Instead, break out the guitar or gather around the piano and sing favorite old carols together. If no instruments are handy, just sing them! Keep it simple and approachable, rather than a concert. Sing around the fireplace, with the dogs resting at your feet after a long romp in the snow.
Set up a large puzzle on a tray table for epic puzzle-making gatherings. We’d often have three to five of us working on the puzzle at once! Make a pot of wassail (mulled cider) or hot chocolate and pass around mugs during puzzle time. Just having a puzzle out in a quiet corner is also a great way to let your more introverted family members or friends take a break as needed from the hubbub before rejoining the crew.
Sledding was always a winner when we were kids, followed by hot cocoa. Or head out for an afternoon ski or snowshoe hike before returning to the warm fire. Build a snowman together or make snow angles—simple family pleasures you maybe haven’t done in years. Who needs to be adult at Christmas? Let your inner child out for a full day of carefree fun.
Make a craft together. Try needle felting, show a youngster how to crochet, fold paper snowflakes to tape to the picture window, or build and decorate a gingerbread house. Some of my fondest Christmas memories are of adults spending unhurried time with me, showing me how to make something. “Look mommy, I made this!” is a joyous expression to nurture and share with the next generation.
Gifts
Well, homesteaders can be awful practical with gifts—a new chore coat, muck boots, or a new tool for the repair shop. Sometimes we don’t even bother with wrapping or waiting until Christmas, instead taking time to show off the new, special (and much-needed) item and to be thankful. But homemade gifts top the list of what we give or send to family and friends for the season.
Food is always a go-to for Christmas gifts: homemade fudge, a plate of cookies, a box with jams put up at the end of summer. Everyone eats, and as long as you avoid a person’s food allergies, it’s sure to be a pleaser. “Here, I made this for you,” is the sharing of a commitment of time and attention, which is worth so much more than a designer price tag.
This Christmas, I’ve been busy needle felting ornament-sized versions of beloved family dogs who have passed on, wrapping them with love for their owners. There may be a tear (as well as a hug) involved in their unwrapping.
Most of all, what you can give this holiday to your family is your loving attention and intention for their happiness and wellbeing. Slow the pace, savor the moment, and take time for simple pleasures. Merry Christmas from down on the farm!
