The Sons of Norway Polar Star Lodge 5-472 held its annual Juletrefest, a Norwegian Christmas party, on Dec. 7, at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Montgomery.

The celebration featured traditional Norwegian yuletide dishes, including torsk (poached codfish with boiled potatoes), ham with surkål (sweet-sour cabbage), and risgrøt, a rice porridge with a hidden almond inside. Whoever finds the almond wins a marzipan pig and homemade Norwegian-style goodies.

Activities included trimming a yule tree, group singing of Christmas carols, and a visit from Norwegian Santa Julenisse. Kelly Welin of Wheaton won the annual cookie-baking contest with her Norwegian spice cookies.

Lodge culture director Barb Johnson awarded Welin a contest spatula and “best cookie baker” certificate, and her cookies were auctioned with proceeds benefiting the Sons of Norway Foundation.

The lodge also announced publication of “Fox River Settlement Heritage Recipes,” a 120-page cookbook celebrating 200 years of Norwegian immigration to the Fox River Valley. About 20 of the 100 cookbooks remain available for $20 each.

Sons of Norway Polar Star Lodge meets monthly at St. Olaf Lutheran Church. For information, call (630) 553-7389 or visit polarstarlodge.com/5.html