The Christmas festivities on board the Oden started with a note on the public announcement whiteboard inviting everyone to come decorate gingerbread cookies and make gingerbread houses in the kitchen after dinner. When we met in the ship's galley (kitchen) we were given a chunk of spicy gingerbread (pepparkakor) dough and told we could make anything we wanted. Some people joined together to produce elaborate gingerbread houses, animals, and even a helicopter ( in tribute of our busy little red helicopter we have on board.) I made penguin and seal cookies. I think they turned out OK with no patterns or photos to refer to. Of course, I had to eat one of the penguins as a quality control test - he was delicious!
Anne Marie Wotkyns decorates Swedish gingerbread (pepparkakor) in preparation for Christmas on the Oden.
Swedish gingerbread cookies reflect the Antarctic theme as everyone on board the Oden prepares for Christmas Eve.
Pascy, the Room 14 mascot, and his new Christmas friend, a gingerbread penguin.
The next day I brought out the Christmas tree ornament kits I brought from home and we made ornaments for the tree we have set up in the lounge. It was a lot of fun just relaxing and getting into the holiday spirit. I think the tree looked great!
Anna Granfors, Katarina Gardfeldt, and Emily Brault make Christmas tree ornaments in the Oden's lounge.
There was a beautiful Christmas tree in the Oden's lounge that we all helped decorate.
In Sweden, Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve with your family with a big meal, songs, toasts, and exchanging gifts. Christmas Day is spent relaxing and socializing with friends. The Oden followed the same tradition. When we awoke on the 24th, we were surprised with personalized gingerbread cookies outside our cabin door. Wasn't that sweet of the kitchen staff?
We awoke on December 24th to personalized pepparkakor (Swedish gingerbread) cookies outside out cabin doors.
We did have to work a little because we had a short ice station and I was given a new responsibility. I collected snow samples from different depths cut from the walls of a snow pit. In a later journal I'll share more about these snow studies, and my new title of "Snow Pit Goddess" ( a name derived from spending most of that ice station in the snow pit.)
After taking pictures of the classroom and community flags - look for those pictures in my next journal - we all headed back to the Oden for a fun Swedish tradition -* Kalle Anka.* Kalle Anka is basically old Disney cartoons featuring Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and the related cast of cartoon characters. The small cinema on board was filled to capacity, with many of us sitting on the floor to watch a series of these cartoons. We giggled and laughed out loud for almost an hour! It was explained that in Sweden everyone watches these old cartoons # at Christmas time. Then we had a few hours before dinner and I joined a group of the ladies in the ship's sauna. We had fun singing Christmas carols, mostly Swedish, some English, as we relaxed. This could be a great new Christmas tradition for me!
We dressed in our holiday finest and headed to the lounge to gather before dinner. As I was walking from my cabin, I looked out onto the ice, and what did I see? Penguins of course! I asked Blake to take a picture of me with the penguins in the background. I think my "Oden Christmas Picture" turned out great!
Anne Marie Wotkyns on the deck of the Oden on Christmas Eve, with penguins on the snow below the ship.
We had all brought gifts for a shipboard gift exchange, so those gifts were placed under the tree before we headed into the ship's mess (dining room) for a lavish Christmas Eve dinner. We were served a traditional Swedish smorgardsbord of breads, fish, sliced meats, meatball(s), potatoes, short ribs, and much more. Dinner was interspersed with songs, toasts, and a speech from Master(Captain) Mattias Peterson.
The kitchen staff on the Oden prepared a huge spread of food for Christmas Eve dinner.
After dinner, we headed back into the lounge for our gift exchange. Everyone drew a number and when our "Oden Santa" called your number, you chose a gift from under the tree. We also received a cool patch, sticker, and pen from SWEDARP, which is the Swedish Antarctic Program, and an awesome buff made from blue fabric imprinted with the name of the ship and the expedition dates. My gift was a dolphin mobile made from thin wood which will look beautiful hanging in my house. I also handed out bookmarks that my students made for everyone on board. It felt very good to give my new friends something my students had made for them.
Kevin Pedigo plays the part of 'Oden Santa Claus', organizing our gift exchange and handing out gifts from the ship.
The students from Monlux Magnet, Room 14, made bookmarks as gifts for everyone on board the Oden.
I would like to send out a big "MERRY CHRISTMAS" to everyone! I am very thankful and appreciative of all the great comments and emails I've received since I've been on the Oden. Please know I am sending you all warm holiday wishes from the Amundsen Sea, in the Southern Ocean of the Antarctic!
Lesson Learned: Holiday traditions are meant to be shared and enjoyed by all, wherever you may be.