For many, Christmas Eve is the time for family traditions. For our clan, it’s about getting in touch with our Swedish side, in the Fox Valley.
MORNING
Swedes settled in Geneva, and the city still holds a summer festival, Swedish Days, to honor that heritage. To kick off our Scandinavian fest, we head to Egg Harbor Cafe (427 S. 3rd St.; 630-208-8940), where our first taste of Sweden awaits: Swedish pancakes with Canadian bacon for $7.95.
Fortified, we hit some of our favorite shops along scenic 3rd Street. Must stops: Little Traveler (404 S. Third St.; 630-232-4200), a veritable mall of upscale gifts and goodies; Persimmon Tree (127 S. 3rd St.; 630-232-6446), a gourmet cook’s dream kitchen;and Past Basket (200 S. 3rd St.; 630-232-4191), an eclectic sampler. And those Oprah’s “favorite things” brownies? They’re just down the street at Moveable Feast (321 Franklin St., Geneva; 630-845-3287).
AFTERNOON
At this point, we really want some glogg, a hot mulled wine. But the cozy Stockholm’s Pub (306 W. State St.; 630-208-7070) doesn’t have it. Guess we’ll have to settle for the bottled version from the Gift Box (310 W. State St.; 630-232-4151), which also stocks Dala horses and various other Swedish gifts.
Fondue is not Nordic, but you gotta mix things up for fear of drowning in too much Swedish fun. (Some would find humor in that concept.) Graham’s Fine Chocolate has opened a new chocolate lounge, Graham’s 318 (318 S. Third St.; 630-845-3180), and we dip marshmallows, fruit, pretzels and more in our fondue for two ($15).
We’d love to linger by Graham’s 318’s fireplace, but we better get going to stock up for our traditional Christmas feast. We have until 3 p.m. to travel west to Elburn, a farming town turned burgeoning bedroom community, to Ream’s Elburn Market (128 N. Main St.; 630-365-6461), to get Swedish sausage ($3.99 per pound). The potato sausage is an acquired taste (ask my husband), but the homemade sausage at this old-fashioned meat market is fabulous.
EVENING
There are many lovely, historic churches in Geneva that will be holding services on Christmas Eve. We head to my sister’s house for Swedish sausage, lingonberries, limpa and herring, and a dramatic reading of “The Night Before Christmas” by Far Far (Swedish for father’s father). But the Norwegian in our clan would much rather skip the sausage and sample the wonderful pork filet at Isabella’s Estiatorio (330 W. State St.; 630-845-8624), which is open 5:30 to 9 p.m. Maybe next year.
