Christmas Eve at the Bavarian Inn

We are in Frankenmuth for our annual Christmas Eve dinner at the Bavarian Inn.

We have been coming here since I was a kid in the 1970s.

Though Frankenmuth and the Bavarian Inn have changed (and grown) considerably over the years, the food never changes, and that's reassuring. It's nothing special, but it's comfort food. In a world in which many aspects of life are in tumult and have changed in disturbing ways, it's comforting to have at least some things that remain the same.

My feelings about the Frankenmuth experience have evolved and/or morphed over time. When I was a kid, it was an exciting treat to eat at the Bavarian Inn. However, by the time I was a teenager and young adult, the entire Frankenmuth experience seemed absurdly hokey. I was revolted by the ersatz German architecture and ridiculous lederhosen and dirndl dresses that the wait staff wore (and still wear).

As I've reached middle age, I've made my peace with it all and embrace the corniness of it all. Maybe it's a bridge to my youth, a connection to the past. I actually cherish these Christmas Eve dinners in Frankenmuth more and more because, let's face it, one never knows how many more there will be. (That sounds unintentionally morbid...but it's reality).