Minnesota church ends 70-year tradition of lutefisk dinner

[TexasTowelie]

FOREST LAKE, Minn. >> A Minnesota church has ended its 70-year tradition of serving a dinner of lutefisk, a Nordic dish of dried cod soaked in lye, and the pastor has penned a eulogy for the dinner’s end.

Faith Lutheran Church in Forest Lake, Minnesota, would serve a Scandinavian dinner featuring the pungent, jellylike fish the first Tuesday in December.

But the Rev. John Klawiter wrote an obituary for the annual dinner in the community newspaper last month.

Klawiter wanted the obit to read as a tribute to the seven decades the church in east-central Minnesota has served hundreds of pounds of lutefisk at the annual dinner, dubbed “Holy Tuesday,” the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

Read more: http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/12/03/news/minnesota-church-ends-70-year-tradition-of-lutefisk-dinner/

[chillfactor]

1. YUK!

I was born, raised and educated in Minnesota. Every Christmas Eve until the death of my paternal grandparents who were Finnish, that side of the family would gather at their house and lutefisk would be served. I could smell the gross stuff cooking a mile away. My mother and my sisters could never bring ourselves to eat it. On Christmas Day we went to my maternal parents for Christmas Dinner. My grandmother was French and when we walked in the house the wonderful smells made our mouths water. What a difference between the bad and good of Christmas meals!

[TexasTowelie]

2. That does sound gross.

Obviously, I never had to be concerned about eating lutefisk in Texas. However, when my father would open a can of sardines I made a convenient escape on my bicycle for the next hour or so.

Given the choice, I would join the festivities at your maternal grandmother's home.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

3. I had a Norwegian friend at university

and asked him if he ate lutefisk. He said "Uff da !! Why do you think I left Norway ?"

[Wellstone ruled]

4. Aw Geeze say it ain't so.

All those Old Scandahovian's must have passed on. These Suppers would start in early November and Continue until New Years. Tradition being,you could attend a Lutefisk Super ever night of the week some where in Minnesota. And for those who could not do the Fisk,hey,Swedish Meat Balls were always on the Menu as well as Linggen Berrie Jam on fresh Leftsa .

[dflprincess]

7. It's not just the old Scandinavians passing on

it's that the younger ones (especially the women who now have jobs outside the home) don't have the time to become "church ladies" and run these kinds of events.

[Wellstone ruled]

10. So true,

For most to the sixties,was one of the folks who supplied this wonderful Delicacies to this Church ladies. Getting all that fresh Goodness to these churches in a timely manner no matter what the weather or how ugly the Township and county roads were just to keep tradition alive.

Those 35 Gallon Plastic Cans weighing 150 pounds a piece were a hassle to wrestle for anyone . But the dedication was amazing. The Ladies were always there to see that the feed would go on as advertised.

And yes,this is just another chapter in our Midwestern Cultural History that is closing with each passing year.

But,oh the memories of each fall when the Crisp Air begins,you just knew some Church was about to call and wonder if you can supply us with that great tradition.

[Olafjoy]

5. Uff da is right!!

I spent many a Christmas Eve as a child in Winona, Minnesota at Grandma’s house. In front of me on my plate, next to the lefse with butter and brown sugar, sat a hunk of lutefisk. My Grandma even had this little lutefisk song we had to sing in Norwegian. Lutefisk is just nasty! My mom would bribe me with $5-a lot of money, and 1 Christmas present to sing, not gag, and smile. Now we have cheese fondue and laugh about the lutefisk and sometimes attempt the song but our Norwegian is not good. I do not mourn for lutefisk. Good riddance!!!

[dflprincess]

8. But surely you must still have the lefse with butter & brown sugar

I've never had lutefisk, it was never served at family events (my maternal grandfather was Swedish but grandma was Irish and made the food choices). And my dad's mother, who was Swedish & Norwegian thankfully, didn't like it.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Aw. What's Minnesota without lutefisk? I tried it when we

moved there in 1986.

[dflprincess]

9. Years ago I was at a DFL dinner where it was served.

An extra $2.00 was charged if a person didn't take a piece. We made a fortune. Anyone who didn't want to eat it, didn't even want it on their plate.