ARGYLE - During the holiday season while she was growing up, when Barb Brubakken heard loud pounding outside her home followed by people shouting, she was overcome with excitement rather than fear.
She knew it was the Julebukkers.
The Norwegian Christmas tradition of Julebukking, also known as "Christmas fooling," still captures interest today. People crowded into Central 52 in Argyle to listen to Jim Leary, emeritus professor of folklore and Scandinavian studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, give a presentation on the tradition Nov. 16.
Leary has been interested in Julebukking since the 1970s. He said it's like a grown-up version of trick-or-treating, where people wear disguises and travel to their friends' and family's homes and sing or create a ruckus outside. Often the Julebukkers would be invited inside for food or dancing, where people would then try and guess their identities.
Brubakken grew up in North Dakota and now lives in Argyle. As a young adult, she and her friends would walk to the homes of all of the elderly people who lived in the country and go Julebukking.
"They just loved it," Brubakken said.
Julebukking also brings back memories for Brubakken, who said her father always anticipated the unofficial holiday.
"You would make lots of noise before you come in the house and yell 'Julebukkers! Julebukkers!' and then people would try to guess who you were, and we'd sing for them," Brubakken said. "It was just a fun thing to do between Christmas and New Year's."
John Stenbroten, Monticello, was 10 months old when his family moved from Norway to Blanchardville, where he attended high school in the 1950s. Although no longer in Norway, Stenbroten and his family continued the Julebukking tradition that started long before.
"The most successful party is where the leader is a good comic or musician," Stenbroten said. "You'd have to guess who everyone was. You could hit it or miss it by a mile, especially if that person was a good comic."
Terri and John Van Orman, who live between Dodgeville and Ridgeway, attended the presentation because they know Leary and they were curious about Julebukking after hearing about it from a guy at a bar in Ridgeway.
"It's very reminiscent of the Cajun Mardi Gras," Terri said.
Brad Ostby, Argyle, shared with the crowd his memories of when his parents went Julebukking in the mid-1950s and referred to themselves as "ragamuffins." He said the group would gain more people after each house they visited as others joined in on the fun.
"Regardless if you were just a friend and not Norwegian, you were Norwegian that night," Ostby said.
She knew it was the Julebukkers.
The Norwegian Christmas tradition of Julebukking, also known as "Christmas fooling," still captures interest today. People crowded into Central 52 in Argyle to listen to Jim Leary, emeritus professor of folklore and Scandinavian studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, give a presentation on the tradition Nov. 16.
Leary has been interested in Julebukking since the 1970s. He said it's like a grown-up version of trick-or-treating, where people wear disguises and travel to their friends' and family's homes and sing or create a ruckus outside. Often the Julebukkers would be invited inside for food or dancing, where people would then try and guess their identities.
Brubakken grew up in North Dakota and now lives in Argyle. As a young adult, she and her friends would walk to the homes of all of the elderly people who lived in the country and go Julebukking.
"They just loved it," Brubakken said.
Julebukking also brings back memories for Brubakken, who said her father always anticipated the unofficial holiday.
"You would make lots of noise before you come in the house and yell 'Julebukkers! Julebukkers!' and then people would try to guess who you were, and we'd sing for them," Brubakken said. "It was just a fun thing to do between Christmas and New Year's."
John Stenbroten, Monticello, was 10 months old when his family moved from Norway to Blanchardville, where he attended high school in the 1950s. Although no longer in Norway, Stenbroten and his family continued the Julebukking tradition that started long before.
"The most successful party is where the leader is a good comic or musician," Stenbroten said. "You'd have to guess who everyone was. You could hit it or miss it by a mile, especially if that person was a good comic."
Terri and John Van Orman, who live between Dodgeville and Ridgeway, attended the presentation because they know Leary and they were curious about Julebukking after hearing about it from a guy at a bar in Ridgeway.
"It's very reminiscent of the Cajun Mardi Gras," Terri said.
Brad Ostby, Argyle, shared with the crowd his memories of when his parents went Julebukking in the mid-1950s and referred to themselves as "ragamuffins." He said the group would gain more people after each house they visited as others joined in on the fun.
"Regardless if you were just a friend and not Norwegian, you were Norwegian that night," Ostby said.