Christmas Fooling, the Norwegian tradition of dressing up and visiting folks around Christmas time, was once popular among young Wisconsinites. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Christmas Fooling”
You know what a Christmas fool is?
Me!
I don’t know.
What’s a Christmas fool?
It sort of sounds like somebody who overdoes it at the office party, doesn’t it?
It’s not, though.
The guy with the lampshade.
Is it a kind of pudding?
No, but that was what I was thinking it was, but it’s not that either.
What is it?
Christmas fooling is a Norwegian tradition in Wisconsin, and it’s young people going from house to house, dressed up in costumes, and visiting with people.
It’s sort of like trick-or-treat, only sounds nicer.
No pranks.
You get invited in to share food and drink.
Oh, interesting, the Christmas fool.
So they do this in Wisconsin.
Yeah.
Still.
Well, I think it’s maybe dying out.
Yeah, but it’s a direct translation of Norwegian.
Christmas fool.
I like it.
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