February may be short, but it offers many ways to connect with Nordic culture, history, and traditions, both locally and online.
Sámi National Day and Sámi Film Festival
February 6 is the Sámi National Day for the indigenous people from across northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. First celebrated in 1993, it marks the anniversary of the first Sámi congress in 1917 in Trondheim, Norway, when Sámi from Norway and Sweden met to discuss common issues. It is celebrated with flag raisings, traditional costumes, concerts, lectures, markets featuring featuring traditional food and handicrafts, plus more. Sami Week is an annual festival in Tromsø held in connection with Sami National Day. It offers a full schedule of events and even includes the Norwegian Championships in reindeer racing and lasso throwing.
Coinciding with the Sámi National Day is the annual Sámi Film Festival hosted by Scandinavia House in New York and National Nordic Museum in Seattle. It offers both online and in-person viewing options. This year’s festival is curated by acclaimed director, writer, artist, and composer Elle Márjá Eira, whose directorial debut Stolen, about a young Sámi girl’s struggle to defend her family’s reindeer herd, reached the Top 10 list in 71 countries following its Netflix premiere in 2024. Virtual screenings will be available nationwide from February 6 through 13.
Norway’s Sentimental Value
In other film news, Norway’s Sentimental Value (“Affeksjonsverdi”) directed by Joachim Trier was nominated for 9 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, which is big for little Norway. The film’s description is as follows: Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård), an estranged father and once-celebrated director eager to reclaim his former glory, reconnects with his daughters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas). When Gustav offers Nora the lead role in his new film, she refuses and learns he has given the part to a Hollywood star (Elle Fanning). Have you seen it yet? Currently, it is screening at select theaters nationwide and available to stream via premium video on demand, such as Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
Nordic Spirit Symposium
The annual Nordic Spirit Symposium takes place this weekend, February 6 and 7, at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA. Entitled “The Nordic Iron Age: Life Before the Vikings,” the symposium, co-hosted by the Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation and California Lutheran University, will explore what life was like before the Viking Age and includes a live performance of a drama from the Iron Age and illustrated lectures and music. The symposium will follow “the time-honored tradition of a symposium with music, drama, and ample time for discussion, learning, and enjoyment.” For details, visit the website.
VIRTUAL EVENTS in FEBRUARY
Nordic Book Club Meetings: February 2026
Online book clubs continue to meet and provide ideas for reading and opportunities to discuss. Visit Nordic Book Club Meetings: February 2026 to see details about book selections and meeting dates coming up.
15 Weeks of Friluftsliv
Gnome Matter the Weather’s 15 Weeks of Friluftsliv is in full swing. This is not a typical virtual event attended online, but rather an online community dedicated to embracing the outdoors during the darkest days of the year. Inspired by the Norwegian concept of “friluftsliv” — which translates to “open-air living” or “free-air life” — the hosts, Tacy Quinn and Lauren Theis, inspire families and friends to get outside and welcome winter from December through March. Subscribe to their newsletter and receive inspiration straight to your inbox.
Norwegian Language for Travelers (On-Demand)
Whether you’re planning a trip to the stunning fjords, the vibrant cityscapes of Oslo, or the charming coastal towns, learning Norwegian will enhance your experience and help you connect with the locals in a more meaningful way. Join Dr. Maren Anderson Johnson and learn Norwegian words and phrases. A kit of materials including workbook that supports the video instruction and a sweet treat from Vesterheim is included in the cost of registration. On-demand class content is available for 90 days from the time of purchase.
Vesterheim Family Language Adventure: All Things Royal (Enrollment Deadline 2/6, Begins 3/1)
This adventure starts March 1 and will be available all month. Step into the world of kings, queens, palaces, and crowns! All Things Royal is a month-long, online language adventure designed especially for families. Learn about the Norwegian royal family while building vocabulary and exploring royal-themed crafts, games, and cultural activities right from home. Each family will receive a kit packed with fun supplies, creative activities, and everything you need to bring the royal experience to life. Instructor-led videos will guide families through royal vocabulary and cultural traditions—like learning how to say “king” in Norwegian and discovering what a “slott” is.
Virtual Sámi Film Festival (2/6-13)
Now in its 8th year, the annual Sámi Film Festival celebrates the rich storytelling traditions of the Sámi, an Indigenous people of the northernmost parts of Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. This year’s program is curated by acclaimed director, writer, artist, and composer Elle Márjá Eira, whose work in mediums from TV to classical opera has captivated audiences across the globe, and whose directorial debut Stolen reached the Top 10 list in 71 countries following its Netflix premiere in 2024. Virtual screenings will be available nationwide from February 6 through 13.
Vesterheim FamilieTid with Laura Berlage: Chasing Loki – Stories from Norse Mythology (Sunday, 2/8)
Join Vesterheim for an hour of traditional Norwegian stories, told by interdisciplinary artist and storyteller Laura Berlage! Tricksters abound in the old stories, and the tales of the Norse have a special one — Loki. Learn who Loki is and follow him on adventures of thievery, shapeshifting, and trickery, as he both helps and hinders the ancient gods of the north. Loki has a special way to make us laugh and cringe, and his adventures are tales to charm all ages.
ASI Food Programs: Scandinavia’s Celebratory Fat Tuesday Buns with Nichole Accettola (Wednesday, 2/11)
Join Nichole Accettola, author of Scandinavian from Scratch: A Love Letter to the Baking of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, to explore two different celebratory buns traditionally eaten on Fat Tuesday: Denmark’s fastelavnsboller and Sweden’s semlor. A chef, baker, and cookbook author, Nichole opened the Scandinavian-inspired Kantine bakery café in San Francisco after living for many years in Copenhagen, Denmark. Nichole will discuss and demonstrate her approaches to two different yeast doughs, flavorful fillings, and rich toppings for these midwinter treats, sending students off with two recipes to tackle at home.
The History of Norwegian Sweaters (Sunday, 2/15)
Join an online meeting of the Sons of Norway, Elveby Lodge, Omaha, Nebraska, for a presentation to learn about the history of different types and styles of Norwegian sweaters, including Setesdal, Fana, Marius, and Olympic. Laurann Gilbertson will also talk about the symbolism behind some of the patterns and colors on sweaters made today.
Cooking Class with Swedish American Museum: Semla (Monday, 2/23)
Participants are taught Swedish recipes in this online cooking class. You can cook along with the group and ask questions along the way. In February, you will make different variations of Semla, the Lenten Bun.
ASI Food Program: Beets in the Nordic Kitchen with Kristi Bissell (Thursday, 2/26)
Beets may be a divisive ingredient, but beet lovers know they can provide great color, flavor, and nutrition in a range of recipes, and they become especially valuable in the colder months. Join Kristi Bissell as she demonstrates two Nordic-inspired recipes from her blog True North Kitchen, featuring both golden beets in a surprising soup and red beets in a tasty open faced sandwich. Students are sure to leave with new ideas and skills for putting this underutilized northern vegetable to good use!
Genealogy Session: Preserving Your Past (Saturday, 2/28)
Join the Swedish American Museum for an engaging Zoom program focused on the importance of archiving and preserving your family history for future generations. This online presentation will guide participants through practical ways to protect and organize family photographs, gather and record meaningful family stories, and safeguard treasured heirlooms such as wedding certificates, college diplomas, and birth or hospital records. Whether you are just beginning your family history journey or looking to better preserve materials you already have, this program offers valuable tools and inspiration. Sign up online to attend and take an important step in ensuring your family’s legacy is preserved and passed on.
Which events or experiences look interesting to you?
Join Kristi Bissell of 
This experience starts February 1 and will be available all month. Join woodcarving instructor and Vesterheim Gold Medalist Rebecca Hanna in exploring the art of kroting, cutting lines into wood after it has been painted or stained. Inspired by work in the Vesterheim Folk Art School as well as the instructor’s personal work, students will be taught how to start kroting and given a simple design to try themselves. Note: This program has been designed for families to experience on their own schedules. There is no live Zoom event and no scheduled class time – your family can participate anytime during the month when it works for your schedule! Kit includes all folk art materials needed, some images as inspiration from the Vesterheim collection, and a treat.
Explore the traditional and beautiful Norwegian decorative painting known as rosemaling. In this beginner-friendly class, you will be introduced to and gain confidence in the essential strokes used in rosemaling. We’ll use a very limited color palette to keep the focus on clean, consistent linework and smooth brush control. Step-by-step practice will cover the basic C- and S-strokes and teardrops, tips for brush loading and pressure, and the chance to explore using both a flat, round, and detail brush. By the end, you’ll have a completed piece that highlights your growing skill and understanding of rosemaling fundamentals.
Create a sweet felted chickadee inspired by Minnesota’s Northwoods in this afternoon-long class. Led by instructor Laura Berlage, students will follow step-by-step instructions to transform hand-dyed wool from the instructor’s own sheep into a felted chickadee that will fit in the palm of your hand. The kit contains enough wool to make a second chickadee, perfect for continuing with this craft beyond class. Open to all skill levels. Suitable for ages 16+.
Enjoy the cold dark months by embracing hygge and making hyggelig (nice) moments by cozying up with some delicious hot beverages. Hyggelig is a Danish word that suggests a sense of coziness and comfortable contentment or well-being. We will explore some flavorful hot toddies, glögg, and a spiked hot chocolate. So grab a drink and your warmest blanket and enjoy yourself during the winter.
Join textile artist Kayla Ann for an evening of creativity and hands-on fun while learning the art of needle felting a 2-D felted folk flower bouquet. Using a piece of felt as the canvas and wool roving as the paint, Kayla will guide students through the fundamentals of this relaxing craft, teaching how to “paint” with wool and sculpt beautiful blooms from fiber. Whether you’re new to needle felting or looking to expand your skills, students will leave with the skills, tools, and inspiration to keep needle felting beyond the online workshop. Open to all skill levels. Suitable for ages 16+.
Begin your day with breakfast smørbrød, pyttipanne, and cardamom coffee bread in this New Nordic Brunch class. Menu also includes a signature cocktail called the Salty Hund and a signature coffee mocktail. This Vesterheim cooking class is designed as a small-group cook-along, and we invite exchange between the instructor and students in order to build community around food traditions. Enrollment deadline is January 17. Class is sold out but you may request to be added to the waitlist.
Collect a new set of go-to recipes with Kristi Bissell from the blog 
Celebrate the light during the darkest time of year with a cozy and festive baking class featuring St. Lucia Buns (lussekatter), the golden, saffron-scented pastries traditionally served on December 13 for St. Lucia Day. In this online hands-on class with Kristi Bissell from the blog 
Himmeli-making is a Nordic tradition brought to the U.S. by immigrants from Nordic and European countries. Traditionally hung above a table or dining area, these geometric straw mobiles are a Christmas tradition with a link to old folk farming beliefs for ensuring a bountiful harvest. You will gain experience working with natural material (straw) as you construct a medium sized himmeli mobile. Focus will also be on the cultural and historic significance of this craft found in Finland, Norway, Sweden, the Baltic countries, and beyond. Enrollment Deadline: 11/22
Spend an evening exploring Scandinavian silver work through the creation of your own silver and gold-washed earrings. Ever wonder why sølje pins have those shiny dangles with silver disc drops? These discs are called “spoons” or “shells” in Norwegian. Historically, silver has long been seen as a protective element against evil and abduction by the hulder folk (hidden folk) in Scandinavian folklore. Legend has it that should you run into the devil wearing your sparkling sølje, he would see his own reflection and run away! Don’t run away from a chance to create your own earrings in this short class designed to introduce you to the beauty of Scandinavian silver work. Students will assemble up to two pairs of earrings using multiple disc elements suspended from sterling silver French hook ear wires.
Make a cozy and cute heart embroidered with wool yarn and stitched onto a piece of curly sheepskin from the instructor’s flock. Learn how to work satin and stem stitch “in the hand” on washed wool fabric, as well as how to assemble the finished ornament. The finished piece is approximately 3.5 inches wide. This class includes a kit shipped to your home with wool fabric, stitch guide, hand-dyed wool embroidery yarn, red ribbon, white roving for stuffing, sheepskin heart for the back, embroidery needle, glover’s needles, and faux sinew for stitching, plus a PDF photo essay for additional instructions (a $70 value). Enrollment Deadline: 11/26
Create a festive ornament using needle felting techniques alongside teaching artist Kayla Ann. This fun project utilizes cookie cutters you may already have at home to create a felted ornament and/or gift topper with clean lines, even shape, and adorable details. This class is ideal for beginners looking to learn more about needle felting and Nordic culture. These delightful ornaments and gift toppers are the perfect way to step up your gift-giving or decorate your home. You will leave with both a finished project and the knowledge to continue needle felting outside of class. Registration for this kit-based class closes on 11/24.
The holidays aren’t just about meatballs, lutefisk, and lefse! In this class, you’ll prep for the season with a beautiful and scrumptious variety of holiday-inspired open-faced sandwiches. A signature cocktail and non-alcoholic beverage will also be included in the menu. This Vesterheim cooking class is designed as a small-group cook-along, and we invite exchange between the instructor and students in order to build community around food traditions. Enrollment Deadline: 11/29
In a twist on Vesterheim’s monthly bokprat discussions, join Vesterheim in December for a discussion of the Norwegian television series The Commoner, 
Plan now for this family experience that starts February 1 and will be available all month. Join woodcarving instructor and Vesterheim Gold Medalist Rebecca Hanna in exploring the art of kroting, cutting lines into wood after it has been painted or stained. Inspired by work in the Vesterheim Folk Art School as well as the instructor’s personal work, students will be taught how to start kroting and given a simple design to try themselves. Note: This program has been designed for families to experience on their own schedules. There is no live Zoom event and no scheduled class time – your family can participate anytime during the month when it works for your schedule! On the first of the month, you will receive an email with the links and information about how to access. Kit includes all folk art materials needed, some images as inspiration from the Vesterheim collection, and a treat.
Extended into October, while supplies last! Join the global virtual challenge that blends fitness, fun, and the Nordic spirit! Chart your own course (5K, 10K, or half-marathon), choose how you want to move (walk, run, hike, row, skateboard – it’s up to you!), and receive a custom participant t-shirt featuring a Viking longship crewed by herring!
A recording of this event will soon be available at 
Just in time for Sweden’s Kanelbullensdag (Cinnamon Bun Day) on October 4, take a page from Nichole Accettola’s recent cookbook 
In this auction, you’ll have the opportunity to bid on a tremendous selection of rosemaling (Norwegian decorative painting), weavings, Norwegian clothing, and creative woodworking items. Included in the auction is the chance to bid on a Viking 8-day European River Cruise for two as well. Proceeds from the auction benefit Vesterheim’s Folk Art School, which has provided classes since 1967 in fiber arts, woodworking, painting, cooking, jewelry, blacksmithing, knifemaking, and more.
While not as popular as it once was in Sweden, a Thursday dinner of yellow pea soup and Swedish pancakes is still a great cold-weather meal. Join Kristi Bissell to demo these two classic dishes from her blog, 
This experience starts November 1 and is available all month. Join artist Derek Brabender in an exploration of birchbark weaving using recycled Vesterheim Folk Art School catalogues. Inspired by Nordic folk art, as well as the re-use of materials, this program will show families how we can still continue the folk art tradition using recycled materials. Note: This program has been designed for families to experience on their own schedules. There is no live Zoom event and no scheduled class time – your family can participate anytime during the month when it works for your schedule! On the first of the month, you will receive an email with the links and information about how to access.
Maree Hampton is a knitting instructor for Vesterheim Folk Art School and one of the first recipients of a research grant from Vesterheim to study Norwegian knitting in Norway. While in Norway in the fall of 2024, Maree visited textile and folk art museums, attended a three-day knitting festival in Bergen, toured Norway’s long-standing yarn factories, and met everyday Norwegian knitters in the areas where she traveled. She will share what she learned in her month-long study in Norway, show images from her travels, highlight current trends in Norwegian knitting, and show how the experience has inspired her knitting, teaching, and more.
Join Kristi Bissell, founder of 
Raise a glass to the gods with this fun, history-infused class inspired by Norse mythology and Viking-era drinking traditions. We’ll create imaginative cocktails using ingredients like mead, herbs, and smoke, each paired with a mythological figure or story – from a thunderous drink for Thor to a mysterious one for Loki. This class is equal parts storytelling and hands-on cocktail creation, designed to bring ancient legends to life in a glass. This Vesterheim cooking class is designed as a small-group cook-along and we invite exchange between the instructor and students in order to build community around food traditions.
Join celebrated cook and author 
Join carver Charles Banks as he guides you through the creation of your very own flat plane ornament. This class will center around the creation of some festive stylized ornaments. Following the tradition of flat plane figure carving, you will use only a single knife to carve. You will receive an overview of the history and traditions of this style of carving, be introduced to the cuts and techniques of the reductive carving process, and learn finishing techniques – all culminating in your very own carving. Live instruction and video tutorials will be utilized as educational tools. This is a beginner friendly class. Enrollment deadline: October 22
“Crepe cakes” have been all the rage for a few years now. Join us to create two Nordic versions of this fun celebratory treat. We’ll make one savory version and one sweet, with plenty of creative ideas to get your entire family into the kitchen. This Vesterheim cooking class is designed as a small-group cook-along, and we invite exchange between the instructor and students in order to build community around food traditions. Enrollment Deadline: October 31
