A new round of virtual events is here, many of them Christmas themed. Looking ahead, the Scandinavian Film Festival LA will be virtual once again! Mark your calendars for the weekends of January 6-9 and January 13-16 and look forward to “top films from the top of Europe” at the 23rd Scandinavian Film Festival LA with BalticFilmExpo@SFFLA. All the information will be available soon on the website and at their Facebook page.
Mindekirken’s Norwegian Language & Culture Program is currently accepting registrations for the next semester of Norwegian classes (January – March 2022). They offer language and literature classes, most online. They also offer an online Norwegian club for youth ages 6 to 10, Den norkse klubben. It is a Norwegian language and culture group that explores the theme sanger og fortellinger (songs and stories) with an informal structure. Activities may include games, songs, art projects, and dramatic play.
And for LA-area readers, the Norwegian Church in San Pedro is hosting in-person Christmas events. See the latest newsletter for details on a Christmas sing-along, Christmas concert, Christmas services, and more. Visit their Facebook page for updates on Christmas events.
Now without further ado, here are the upcoming virtual events. Which look intriguing to you?
The Norwegian American Julekalender 2021 (Ongoing until December 24)
Each day in December, The Norwegian American brings you a special yuletide highlight to make your days merry and bright. Not a subscriber? This is the perfect time to become one! Visit Subscribe to learn more about print and online subscriptions, as well as how to purchase a gift subscription.
Vesterheim’s Virtual Norwegian Christmas Celebration (Ongoing until January 2, Free)
For those who can’t make it to Vesterheim for their in-person Norwegian Christmas Celebration, join in the warm and koselig spirit virtually! Vesterheim is offering 15 different interactive family activities that explore iconic Norwegian Christmas traditions. Download the free GooseChase app (available for both iOS or Android) and search for “Koselig Norwegian Christmas” or enter code number J5GK43 to get started.
Demo: Sweet Treats for the Holiday Pantry with Erin Swenson-Klatt (Friday, December 10, 1:00-2:00 p.m. CT)
Stash away some sweet treats just in time for holiday entertaining and snacking! Erin will draw on up-to-date Scandinavian favorites to demo a handful of goodies to tuck away in your fridge or pantry for the season. She’ll turn to the flavors of saffron, cinnamon, almonds and more to inspire this collection that will keep through the rest of December – if you don’t eat it first!
Nordic Spirit Classics’ Second Friday Series: A Delightful Sankta Lucia Holiday Celebration (Friday, December 10, 7:30 p.m. PT, Free)
Once, long ago, an apparition appeared out of the mists of a lake — a ship with a woman dressed in white and bathed in light on the prow — to distribute food to a starving village. This is the core of the legend of Sankta Lucia that will be told by Dr. Ernst F. Tonsing as an introduction to a beautiful celebration of the saint in song in Gränna, a small community in Sweden. Participation is free, but you must register to receive the link. The monthly series of Nordic Spirit Classics is a virtual program of selected presentations from 21 years of Nordic Spirit Symposia hosted by The Scandinavian American Cultural & Historical Foundation in Thousand Oaks, CA.
Norway House: The 12 Days of Christmas – an Online Silent Auction (December 11-22)
Norway House’s Christmas auction is back on this year! Check back to learn about the fun Norwegian gifts that will be on their list this Christmas season – and bid online using the GiveSmart bidding platform.
Fika på svenska! Swedish Language Table (Saturday, December 11, 10:00-11:30 a.m. CT, Free)
Vill du ha mer svenska i ditt liv? Häng med på det nya programmet – Fika på svenska! Vi träffas virtuellt på den andra lördagen varje månad och diskutera ämnen kring det svenska språket, svensk kultur, historia och mer. Kom och prata svenska med oss! Fika på svenska is a conversation table held entirely in Swedish. New topics each month explore Swedish language, culture, history and connection to Minnesota.
ASI’s Virtual Lucia Sing Along (Saturday, December 11, 2:00–2:30 p.m. CT)
Start your Lucia festivities early with this virtual sing-a-long for the family hosted by American Swedish Institute. ASI’s Lucia Choir Director, Ingrid Aune, will lead everyone in your family through classic Lucia songs.
ASI’s Virtual Lucia Celebration Concert (Sunday, December 12, 2:00–3:00 p.m. CT)
Enjoy ASI’s daytime Lucia Celebration Concert live via Zoom. Celebrate light during the long winter in this special concert featuring the youthful voices of the ASI Lucia Choir! The choir is joined by Lilla Lag, a youth fiddle and cello group. If you can’t tune in live, ASI will record this concert and email it to participants the following week. Participants can enjoy the recording until December 19, 2021.
The Scandinavian School and Cultural Center’s Language Café! (Sunday, December 12, 5:00-6:00 p.m. PT, Free)
This is a perfect opportunity for you to practice your speaking skills and meet other people who share your passion for all things Nordic. The topic, as well as the event, is free. All levels are welcome. Participants will be divided up into different breakout rooms in their chosen Nordic language according to their conversational skills, ranging from beginner to advanced. You don’t have to be a student at SSCC to join us, but we are of course hoping to see both current and former language adult learners on the screen. Are you a native speaker up for a chat? They would love for you to join.
National Danish Book Club & Literary Event Series: Babette’s Feast (Tuesday, December 14, 5:00 p.m. PT, Free)
Explore a selection of Danish literature in English translation with a new nationwide book club. Each month a celebrated Danish author will be selected and discussed in two virtual settings: Book Club discussions and accompanying Literary Events. Join the online Book Club in December to discuss Babette’s Feast by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen). The accompanying Literary Event will take place December 16.
Demo: Making Glögg at Home with Emily Vikre (Wednesday, December 15, 6:30-7:30 p.m. CT)
Amp up your glögg game in this fun evening workshop with Emily Vikre, co-owner of Vikre Distillery in Duluth, MN. Emily will share her go-to recipes for glögg, Scandinavia’s favorite holiday mulled wine. With a few different approaches, her recipes will have you prepared to celebrate the darkest days of the year with warmth and cheer.
Nordiska Book Club: A Very Scandinavian Christmas (Thursday, December 30, 6:00 p.m. PT, Free)
Nordiska in Poulsbo, WA, has launched its own book club for fellow Nordic reading enthusiasts to connect and be in community with one another virtually. For their December book club, they will be reading and discussing A Very Scandinavian Christmas: The Greatest Nordic Holiday Stories of All Time. The fourth installment of the Very Christmas series by New Vessel Press, this collection of Nordic stories features some old familiar names in Scandinavian literature like Hans Christian Anderson as well as more contemporary authors like Karl Ove Knausgård. Visit Nordiska’s event page for more information and to register.
Virtual Book Talk – Present Tense Machine (Tuesday, January 11, 12:00 p.m. ET, Free)
In January, join Scandinavia House in New York, NY, for a virtual book talk on Present Tense Machine with award-winning Norwegian author Gunnhild Øyehaug. “With author Jennifer Offill as moderator, Øyehaug will discuss the exquisite, wistful, and slyly profound new novel, out January 11 in translation by Karl Dickson from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.”
Demo: Danish Rye with Erin Swenson-Klatt (Thursday, January 27, 1:00 p.m. CT)
Hearty, healthy Danish rye bread is a Scandinavian standard, and a must-have for open-faced sandwiches. Erin will introduce an easy take on rugbrød, no sourdough starter required. She’ll cover the basics of baking with rye as she works through the steps to create a sweet, whole grain-based rye loaf, and also discuss the possibilities for tackling a sourdough starter-based loaf. Even if you might think you’re not the biggest fan of rye bread, you have to give this recipe a spin! This class is designed as a demonstration, so students can watch the entire process and ask questions before tackling the dishes at home at a later date.
Which December events or experiences look interesting to you?
Be sure to visit previous months’ listings of virtual Nordic events. Many of the events are now available to view as saved recordings.