Illuminating the valley’s diverse and vibrant holiday traditions.
Spruce trees draped with lights, festive windows luring shoppers into stores, and a deep blanket of snow provide a quintessential atmosphere over the holidays in the Gunnison Valley.
Santa makes his rounds both on the ski slopes and at various community events. But there is another, more hidden, layer of holiday spirit here, thanks to the numerous residents who hail from other countries. Each year, as winter approaches and the season of festivities begins, some special traditions from their home countries carry over and find new and sometimes adapted footing among the Elk Mountains.
I grew up in a household with different cultural holiday traditions. My parents, both from the Netherlands, brought various traditions with them to the States. Some of them were healthy, like cycling to destinations whenever possible. Others were less so, such as eating many hagelslag (chocolate sprinkle sandwiches), which I brought to school and were a very popular candidate for sandwich trades with classmates.
Others in the community have similar traditions. Crested Butte native son Oliver van Tiel grew up with a Dutch father, and, like me, he would eagerly await the arrival of Sinterklaas, a tall, elderly man dressed in a red coat, a white beard, and a bishop’s hat. Much like Santa Claus, his character is based on Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children, but there’s no reindeer or sled for Sinterklaas. He travels from Spain by steamboat with his regal white horse and his faithful companion, Zwarte Pieten. On December 5, Dutch children put out wooden shoes filled with carrots for the horse, in hopes that Sinterklaas will come to their door with presents, rather than coal.
Living in Crested Butte since the 1990s, I have loved being at the van Tiel home for some of those special Sinterklaas evenings, when Oliver’s dad, Wouter, would convince a neighbor to come to their door, knock, and throw in some delicious Dutch treats such as pepernotten (small ginger cookies), licorice, and other little gifts. The kids would race downstairs, open the door, and try to catch a glimpse of the elusive saint. When he was seven, Oliver remembers that Sinterklaas accidentally left behind a City Market plastic bag, which was a little confusing, but it didn’t diminish the magic. Spending time together singing “Sinterklaas Kapoentje” and waiting for the knock on the door brought back wonderful memories from my own childhood. Creating those kinds of memories is what many Crested Butte transplants have hoped to do for their kids and others.
When her children were young and attending Crested Butte Community School, Gesa Michel shared with students a special tradition from her German homeland. November 11 is the day Saint Martin, the patron saint of the poor, is celebrated in Germany, and legend has it that he split his jacket in two and gave half to a beggar. In honor of his selflessness, children all over Germany create lanterns and walk through the streets to remind others of Saint Martin’s generosity and the spirit of caring. Gesa taught students a simple German song to sing as they walked the streets with decorated lanterns dangling from sticks.
The theme of light is significant in many other traditions around the world, like the beauty and symbolism of lighting the menorah candles for Hanukkah. Candles also feature prominently in the Swedish celebration of Santa Lucia. For almost thirty years, Berit Mellgren-Deer, a longtime Crested Buttian and Swede, has been sharing the Lucia holiday tradition of bringing light to the darkest time of year for Gunnison Valley residents on December 13. The holiday traditionally features a procession led by a girl selected to be Lucia, dressed in white, a red sash, and a head wreath of candles, along with handmaidens and “star boys” in pointed hats.
Berit, who originally moved to the valley in 1986 to ski and work, celebrates the holiday in an adapted Crested Butte style that I’ve been lucky enough to be partof for years. Granted, I looked more like the Michelin Man than a graceful Lucia figure the year it was sub-zero and I was dressed in my white terrycloth bathrobe with a multitude of down layers. Most of us local handmaidens and star boys usually butcher the singing of the Santa Lucia song, but it’s still sung with gusto and respect for ancient traditions. Afterwards, we enjoy homemade lussekatter (delicious saffron buns), pepparkakor (gingerbread cookies), and glögg (mulled wine).
“It seems that Swedes in different places like to celebrate Santa Lucia almost more than those in Sweden,” says Berit. “Since we are so far from home, it really connects us to our past. It’s an important tradition for me to share!”
Some traditions are markedly different. My partner, Xavier Fane, hails from Catalunya, in northern Spain, where celebrations of the season seem to center around a more scatological theme. In every nativity scene, one can find a hidden caganer, a defecating figure that is happily fertilizing the earth and bringing good luck to all. In modern traditions, the red-capped pooper is often replaced by the likeness of celebrities and authority figures — by representing them with their pants down, the mighty are leveled to the ordinary. One of the funniest presents Xavi ever received was a miniature handmade clay caganer that a friend created. It’s an intricate rendition of a bearded Xavi in an aggressive ski stance, pants down, complete with skis and toothpicks as poles. It graces our table every December. Catalans also have a tradition of the Caga Tió, which is a decorated log that “poops” out presents for children on Christmas Eve. For days leading up to the holiday, kids care for the log by feeding it and keeping it warm with a blanket. On the designated day, they sing songs and hit the log with sticks, encouraging it to defecate gifts! Our special tió is made from an aspen log.
Sarka Shull, who moved to the valley from the Czech Republic in 1993, grew up with vastly different holiday culinary traditions. Unlike in the United States, where ham, turkey, and goose grace the holiday table, Sarka says, “When I was growing up during communist times, 99.9% of people had carp for Christmas.”
She remembers huge tanks full of pond-raised fish in the cities. “‘Live or dead?’ the sellers would ask. My family would get a live one and then put it in a tub at home for a day or two. My mom would kill it and then make a broth with the bones and fry the fish with a flour breading. We would always have cold potato salad with it. It was delicious!” Sarka recalled. She once tried to keep this tradition alive here with a frozen carp, but unfortunately, it was a disaster. Less disastrous, and more popular with her kids, is the tradition of opening some presents on Christmas Eve and having a table full of various sweets, like coconut balls and shortbread cookies with jam.
The Gunnison Valley is home to an increasing number of residents from southern countries, where the seasons are opposite, and the holidays are usually warm. Traditions like outdoor dances and all-night yard and street celebrations are mighty tough to duplicate up here in the mountains. Graphic designer and Paradise Preschool teacher Sol Vasquez, from Buenos Aires, Argentina, vividly remembers gathering on Christmas Eve with family and friends to eat asado, the traditional Argentine barbecue and social event, featuring slow-cooked meats and other Argentine dishes, along with a large dessert table full of delicious treats. Midnight brought toasts and fireworks.
December 24 is an important date in Colombia, where Lorena Mosquera and her family are from. Lorena, who teaches Spanish at the Gunnison Community School and serves as the director of Paradise Preschool, describes it as a night to enjoy a special dinner, wear beautiful clothes, and exchange gifts. School gets out in November in Colombia, so the festivities begin mid- month, when every town selects a holiday beauty queen. Then, many people from all over Colombia attend a celebratory national competition, which marks the start of the party season and lasts through the end of the year. El Día de las Velitas (Day of the Little Candles) on December 7 is extra special for Lorena, who has continued the tradition of illuminating her Mt. Crested Butte home with the glow of candles and lanterns. The evening signifies a special time to come together, reflect on blessings, and make wishes for the future. December 16 marks the start of La Novena, the nine-day cycle of sharing prayer, song, and food with family and friends.
‘‘The holidays are an important time to dance together and have a fresh start,” stressed Lorena. “We try to leave the problems behind and focus on family, friends, and food. My first Christmas here was very sad, as I had to work and it was very cold. But since then, life has settled down, and we are very grateful for all the valley has to offer.’’
In celebrating the holidays together, Xavi and I enjoy combining cultures and making a puffy Big Dutch Baby pancake, with a custardy center and crispy edges, and panellets, little pine nut-covered marzipan balls. I put mandarins in our stockings, just as my parents always did. Legend has it that Sinterklaas secretly put bags of gold in the stockings of a poor man and his three daughters, and oranges and mandarins became the modern representation of that gold. They certainly were a special treat during wartime Holland, when my parents grew up.
Beneath the usual bustle of the holiday season, a rich set of unique cultural traditions is celebrated here in the Gunnison Valley. Together, they help to weave the fabric of our community and serve as a reminder that the season isn’t just about presents and consumption.