These stories can also be heard on Sunday mornings around 10 am on WILD 102’s “Look Back in Time” program. Each week’s radio story will be posted here on our website.
Weekly radio stories are researched, compiled, and read by Sheila Winstead, RCHS Board Member.
January 5, 2025
Today some of my story comes from a book called “Keeping Christmas” by Kathleen Stokker and it
describes the tradition of Julebukking. The name literally means “Christmas goat” in Norwegian and the
tradition was brought from the Old Country and often practiced in the rural areas. People would dress in
ridiculous fashion, often cross-dressing, and go in groups to their neighbors’ homes, making a
commotion, but not speaking until they were recognized, then partaking in refreshments served by the
homeowners being descended upon. Often the kids were scared by these mysterious visitors, and it was
usually done between Christmas and New Years time.
In the late 1970’s the Vesterheim Norwegian–American Museum in Decorah Iowa displayed a strange
artifact. Carved of wood and resembling a goat’s head, it stood propped on a four-foot-long pole. Cow’s
horns sprouted from the top of its head and a horse-tail beard dangled from its chin. It came equipped
with staples around the neck for attaching an animal hide that the user would wrap around his body. This
would be in keeping with the Julebukking origins, but most practitioners now simply dress in costumes or
old clothes, maybe putting nylon stockings over their face or heavy make-up or masks to make
themselves as unrecognizable as possible while still being able to move about.
Here is one story written by Eva Mykleby Pearson, who was born in 1921.
“Julebukks! Julebukks!” my brothers yelled as they ran pell mell down the stairs into the living room.
“They’re coming! They’re by the mailbox now” Mama quickly disappeared into the pantry to take from the
shelf some of the Christmas cookies, freshly baked and frosted chocolate cake, and the jar she’d hidden
filled with hard Christmas candy. We were beside ourselves with excitement. They jabbered and laughed
as they came in, shaking the snow off their wraps, and tried to disguise their voices so we would be
unable to guess who they were. They had tried to make this difficult with homemade disguises-stocking
caps over their faces, or a dish towel with holes cut out for the eyes and nose. Coats had been turned
inside out. Papa and Mama joked with them, and of course, very soon saw it was Carl and Halvor and
some of their children. The masks were coming off as Mama handed out treats and everyone laughed
about how they had tricked us. The men pulled Papa aside, and they quickly dashed down to the
basement for a few minutes. We heard hearty laughs as they came up the steps, and they were jollier
than ever as they picked up the children and with many goodbyes, went on their way to another home.”
Scandinavian-Americans were known for their stoic behavior, so the practice of Julebukking was probably
a happy release from their sensible lifestyle. The adjectives “crazy”,” ridiculous”, ”foolish” , and “silly”
abound in their descriptions of the custom. “One Julebukking I remember well. Mother, a roly poly short
person, dressed in a well-padded suit of grey underwear. When we stopped at the home of the Moland
buttermaker, he whooped, grabbed Mother, put her over his knee and spanked her! When he found out
who she was, he was mortified! But that was the fun of going julebukking, and Mother had a good story to
tell after that.”
Some of the raucous behavior caused julebukking to be frowned upon in communities of mixed heritage
during the late 1890s and early 1900s. But where it’s understood, julebukking continues to promote good
feeling and fellowship among longtime members of the communities where it is practiced. As a visual
experience, the custom emphasizes solidarity, at first displaying unfamiliar and even frightening disguises,
then giving way to recognizable faces and gestures, familiar personalities, and expected behavior, all
accompanied by the coziness of shared food and conversation.
Thank you to 
for letting us share our county’s history with your listeners by donating air time, studio time, and production staff every week.