Cultural Traditions in Lemont that Connect Us
A mural outside the Lithuanian World Center in Lemont, IL.
When you look back at the history of common holiday traditions, like Christmas, us modern mortals have invented nothing. It often goes back to the Roman empire or beyond that inspired the ceremonies, rituals, and traditions of today.
According to researchers and historians, ancient Romans celebrated the December 25th holiday as Sol Invictus, a day to commemorate the Sun God who became the most powerful god under Emperor Aurelianus in the 3rd century AD. The Sol Invictus Day commemorated the shortest day and longest night of the year and celebrated the victory of light over darkness as the Earth tilted toward the sun. It wasn’t until nearly a century later that the emperor Constantine demanded that Christmas mark Sol Invictus as the celebration of Christ’s birth.
As we study history, culture, religion, and the global movements of immigrants, we find ourselves curious about how ethnic groups now local to Lemont, IL continue to honor their culture through the modern holidays. You’ll often find the same testament of light over darkness is carried through the traditions.
If you’ve read our previous articles about the Lithuanian World Center, Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago, or Images of America: Lemont, then you know a bit of our history. From the late 1880s through the early 1900s, America saw an influx of immigrants fleeing war, famine, and political instability in Europe and other parts of the world. A diverse group of those immigrants found their home in Lemont.
Searching for work and a new home for their families, these German, Polish, Swedish, and Irish immigrants found a home and opportunity in the quarries. Later in the 1900s, we became home to Indian and Lithuanian populations. A welcoming home for all, Lemont flourished making many of our traditions a tribute to those early immigrants.
We’re curious, so we discovered how a few of our neighbors celebrate this time of year
How We Celebrate
Lithuanian
The Lithuanian World Center is home to schools, sports clubs, scout groups, folk dance ensembles, choirs, an art museum, a Catholic church, and other community organizations. As Lithuanians migrated to Lemont, IL, and the surrounding Chicagoland Area, the LWC continues to be a place to preserve culture, create art, and connect with the local community.
Treat Yourself | Šakotis, the Tree Cake, is sometimes associated with weddings but is reserved for celebrations all year long. With Polish, Lithuanian, and Belarusian roots, the spit cake is a combination of milk, flour, eggs, and sugar (all of the good stuff) that is baked on a rotating spit. The spit-fire technique shapes the cake into a form resembling a Christmas Tree and while you’ll find it in various forms, it is most often flocked with powdered sugar as frosting.
Celebrate | The Catholic Church at the Lithuanian World Center holds mass throughout the season for Advent and Christmas.
Join the Festivities at the upcoming Lithuanian World Center New Year's Eve Gala https://www.lcenter.org/events/new-years-gala/
Giant masks and costumes of bears and other funny characters are worn during Užgavėnės to celebrate the defeat of Winter in Lithuanian culture.
Something New | Save the Date for Užgavėnės on February 11, 2024. Beginning the night before Ash Wednesday, a Catholic holiday meant to mark the six weeks of penitence before Easter. The traditional parade finds participants dressed in costume as the devil, goats, grim reaper, and other personified characters to defeat Winter. It’s similar to Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, and Carnaval.
Scandinavian
Lemont was home to a thriving Swedish and Danish community. Like many ethnic groups, they came to Lemont to work in the quarries and established their own church, Svenska Evangeliska Lutherska Bethania, in 1872 - now known as Bethany Lutheran.
Treat Yourself | This could be controversial as a “treat,” but Pollyanna Brewing and Distilling Co. is making their version of the well-known Chicago spirit, malört, bottled (appropriately) as D.E.D.
Celebrate | St. Lucia Day is celebrated on December 13, when a young woman is selected to portray Lucia, who wears a gown of white with a red sash and a crown of lit candles on her head while leading a procession of women, each holding their own candle. At home, the oldest daughter serves her parents coffee and saffron buns!
Something New | Once the snow begins to fall, the Sagawau Environmental Learning Center in Lemont transforms into Sagawau Nordic, Chicagoland’s premier cross-country ski center, with rentals, lessons, and groomed trails. Perfect for both the experienced Birkebeinere or the family looking for some winter fun.
Decorated with some form of religious endorsement the Christmas wafer is the start to the Christmas holiday in a lot of Polish households.
Polish
Celina’s Fresh Market is a staple in the community and known for their impressive deli selection, pierogies, and Polish classics like sauerkraut and kielbasa. The majority of immigrants from Poland celebrate Christmas but with a host of traditions that set the town for the new year. These vary by family but you may commonly see people celebrating by:
Breaking a Wafer on Christmas Eve with a picture of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus embossed on it.
Attending Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve is when the celebrations officially start
Serving twelve dishes, which some say refer to the twelve apostles of Jesus and others say is to represent the twelve months of the year. Either way, there is so much good Polish food that twelve seems like the bare minimum.
Abstaining from red meat or alcohol (though this varies from home to home).
Treat Yourself | Makoweic, is a traditional Polish poppy seed bread that is often covered with frosting or chocolate and while delicious, can be quite labor intensive. According to the legends, poppies grew in the places where Jesus’ blood fell after the crucifixion. The seeds have become reflective of the new life Jesus gave his believers during his resurrection. For another take, poppies are also common to bloom after wildfires, representing the same theme of light over darkness.
Celebrate | While typically reserved for those who practice the Catholic faith, we recommend calling to see if visitors are welcome during the midnight mass. The beautiful ceremonial lighting of candles and sharing blessings in the ornate sanctuary is an experience to remember.
Something New | We also recommend adding an extra dish to your holiday dinners in honor of the 12 dishes. Stop by Celina’s to pick up some perogies, borscht, or Polish Poppyseed Cake.
Slovenian
The Slovenian Catholic Center in Lemont promotes the ideals of Slovenian heritage and Christian religious and ethical values. In addition to their religious and charitable missions, the organization hosts a folklore dance group, sports and social clubs, and a Slovenian school for children.
Treat Yourself | Potica is a traditional Slovenian nut roll stuffed with walnuts. At Christmastime, each member of the family receives a piece of the bread, including the animals! It is meant to bring good fortune to the house and drive away even spirits. Many traditional breads are decorated with dough Nativity scenes!
Celebrate | In addition to Saint Nicholas, Slovenian children welcome the arrival of Father Frost. Another tradition is wassailing, where people walk house to house singing carols and enjoying hot cider or mulled wine.
While our origins date back centuries and borders may divide how we celebrate, the most common tradition of all is spending time with friends and family and looking forward to the light at the end of darkness – however you define it. We encourage you to embrace your neighbors as they celebrate throughout the season and try something new in 2024 to broaden your horizons.
How do you celebrate this season? What is your family’s favorite tradition?
