Delectations

Christmas in Santa Claus Land Nika Standen Hazelton

At Christmas time, all the ships in Norway wear Christmas trees on their masts and funnels, and it was on one of these boats, sailing around the North Cape, that I spent the nicest Christmas I ever had away from home. At Christmas, every Norwegian hurries home, and to be away from home is a fate worse than death. It therefore did not surprise me to be the only passenger at Hammerfest, apart from two young people who had to go to Tromso because of a family death. In Norway, Christmas dinner is eaten Christmas Eve, and the crew had decorated the ship with streamers and ornaments, and put up a great big Christmas tree in the dining room—with lovely white can- dles. The steward carefully explained that the big dinner would be around six, and that the captain would per- sonally come and fetch me for it. Thus, in the afternoon, I primped as seldom before; I really wanted to be at my best, feeling, so to speak, that