Welcome to the Christmas edition of Nordic events!
It’s a slower season of virtual events, but 15 Weeks of Friluftsliv is back for the fifth year with weekly inspiration to get outside and welcome winter. Channeling the Scandinavian ethos of “friluftsliv”, Tacy Quinn and Lauren Theis invite you with your family, friends, or on your own to join them each week for 15 weeks from early December to March and the start of spring to make time to get outside for a meaningful, easy, outdoor activity. “These winter adventures will transform you as you realize you can embrace and move through all seasons with joy and awe.” They will share weekly inspiration for winter outdoor activities and fuel for your adventures. Everything they host and share is something you can modify to do wherever you live. Are you in? For more information, visit Gnome Matter the Weather or Friluftslivingfamily on Instagram.
For readers in Southern California, the Olafur Eliasson: OPEN exhibit at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in Downtown Los Angeles comes highly recommended. This is a site-specific installation created by Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson as part of PST ART: Art & Science Collide, a Southern California art event in partnership with museums and institutions across the region that explores the intersections of art and science. “In line with Eliasson’s career-long exploration of light and color, geometry, and environmental awareness, the installation playfully engages with material and immaterial qualities of the museum’s architecture.” It is on view now through July 6, 2025.
Virtual Events for December and Bit Beyond
Online book clubs continue to meet. Check out Nordic Book Club Meetings to see what is being read this month. Does anything look interesting to you?
Typiskt svenskt / Typically American Culture Discussion (Wednesday, 12/11)
Enjoy a fun, open discussion about Sweden and the United States. What do we assume and generalize about each other’s countries? Let’s compare and find out how different and how much alike we are.
December Filmprat: Christmas as Usual (Wednesday, 12/11)
Dr. Maren Johnson, Luther College’s Associate Professor of Nordic Studies and Torgerson Center for Nordic Studies Director, facilitates a regular bokprat (book group), discussing Scandinavian authors and Scandinavian life. December’s discussion is a twist on the usual format and features the film Christmas as Usual available on Netflix. Thea is going to her rural hometown to celebrate a classic Norwegian Christmas with her family, but this year she’s bringing along Jashan, her Indian boyfriend, which will put everyone’s preconceived beliefs and traditions on their heads.
ASI Nordic Table Event: A Festive Brunch with Kristi Bissell (Thursday, 12/12)
The holidays call for special meals at every time of day! Join Kristi Bissell of the True North Kitchen food blog and gather a collection of new recipes perfect for holiday breakfasts and brunches. Whether you’re interested in mastering a classic like aebelskiver (Danish filled pancakes) or prefer a make-ahead dish like baked porridge, these Nordic-inspired recipes will make your holidays both memorable and delicious. You’ll be ready for any holiday breakfast or brunch, from a visit from Tomte on Christmas morning to New Year’s Day and beyond.
Nordic Spirit Classics’ Second Friday Series: Santa Lucia (Friday, 12/13, Free)
Join the Scandinavian American Cultural & Historical Foundation for their next presentation pulled from the archives of their Nordic Spirit Symposia. This month view a delightful program from Gränna, Sweden, originally broadcast December 13, 2019. Every year in Sweden a Santa Lucia program from a different locality is broadcast nationally. The 2019 program from Gränna is a favorite for its involvement of children and a range of ages. As a Christmas bonus, please enjoy an interesting article on Christmas in Sweden, from the program booklet for SWEA Los Angeles Christmas Fair in 2010.
New Nordic Appetizers for the New Year with Patrice Johnson (Saturday, 12/14)
Join Vesterheim to ring in the New Year with some appetizers inspired by New Nordic cuisine! Celebrated chef, cookbook author, food historian, and Nordic Food Geek Patrice Johnson will demonstrate creative takes on classic appetizers. Recipes will include new spins on old favorites, something sweet, and signature cocktails/mocktails. This Vesterheim cooking class is designed as a small-group cook-along and they invite exchange between the instructor and students in order to build community around food traditions.
Family Norwegian Language Adventure: Immigration (Registration deadline: December 18)
In January, join Vesterheim and Nick Rogness for family fun and learn some Norwegian language and culture along the way! Through hands-on activities, fun crafts, light-hearted games, and short videos, you and your family will learn and practice your new Norwegian skills. A kit will be delivered right to your home containing supplies for these language activities, a helpful reference sheet for all the new words and expressions you will be learning, a fun craft, and a yummy treat. The adventure starts on January 1 and the vocabulary and phrases will focus on the experiences of early Norwegian immigrants to the United States. It will be available all month.
ASI Nordic Handcraft Event: Needle Felted Reindeer (Friday, 12/20)
Create a felted reindeer ready to take off for the North Pole in this afternoon-long class. Students will follow step-by-step instructions to transform hand dyed wool from instructor Laura Berlage’s own sheep into a felted reindeer complete with antlers and bell! This class builds on basic needle felting skills and is appropriate for students who have previous needle felting experience, such as one of ASI’s other ASI classes. Suitable for ages 16+. Kits ($32 value) are included in the class fee. Each kit includes the tools and materials for one student. Registration closes December 11.
Norwegian Cinnamon Buns with Kristi Bissell (1/11)
Join Kristi Bissell of True North Kitchen as she walks you through the step-by-step process for making deliciously soft and billowy Norwegian cinnamon buns at home! While baking cinnamon buns might seem intimidating, Kristi’s easy dough recipe and thorough instructions make the process simple and fun. Registration is currently full but you can request to be placed on the waitlist.
The Norwegian Mayflower: The Voyage of the Restauration (1/20)
In the period beginning in 1825 and for about 100 years following, nearly 40% of the population of Norway – more than 800,000 Norwegians – immigrated to the United States. Most of those immigrants came for “economic opportunity,” but the first immigrants – known as the Sloopers of 1825 – came for religious freedom. The voyage was three years in the planning by an alliance of Quakers and Haugean Lutherans. Beginning on July 4th, 1825, a 54-foot sloop named Restaurasjonen (The Restauration) took 52 passengers on a 98-day journey from Stavanger, Norway to New York City. This presentation follows the story from its roots (in the Napoleonic Wars), through the voyage itself, the reception in New York City, and finally to the first Norwegian settlement in the United States in Kendall, New York.
Which events or experiences look interesting to you?
Get cozy this fall with a vegetarian soup dinner! Kristi Bissell of 
Are you curious about the Sámi language and culture? Are you looking for a quick and low-pressure way to get excited and prepare for an upcoming visit to the north of Finland, Sweden, or Norway? This two-hour introductory workshop is the perfect way to learn some history of the nine living dialects of Sápmi, get a feel for North Sámi, pick up a bit of grammar, and learn how to pronounce some words as part of basic greetings. Families welcome!
Join the National Nordic Museum for a virtual talk on Icelandic flora with Dr. Pawel Wasowicz, senior scientist at the Icelandic Institute of Natural History. In this talk, inspired by the special exhibition 
Start preparing for the holidays with make-ahead recipes perfect for gifting and entertaining! Kristi Bissell of 
Light some candles, grab your favorite mug, and join Vesterheim for an evening of warm drinks and good company as we celebrate the coziest time of year! Malina Bickford will guide you in exploring different styles of hot cocktails (mocktails!) incorporating ingredients from the pantry, some unexpected flavors, and plenty of aquavit! Whether you’re an aspiring mixologist or simply looking to unwind with a steamy nightcap, this promises to be a very koselig experience. Enrollment Deadline: 11/4
Kransekake is considered the “queen of Norwegian cakes,” and Nordic cooking expert and cookbook author Patrice Johnson will help you construct your own traditional cake tower during this fun interactive baking experience. During this special online cooking class, you will learn how to prepare this almond wreath cake baked in graduated rings. This class is currently sold out but you can be added to the waitlist.
Are you just starting your Swedish language learning journey, but are already keen to start reading? Are you looking for an opportunity to keep up with your Swedish after the term ends? This class is for you! Read and discuss the winter story Julen kommer till Mumindalen (Christmas Comes to the Mumin Valley) by Tove Jansson and participate in activities to support your reading and vocabulary building. This class is for students with at least one year of Swedish language study or equivalent. Class materials will be provided by the instructor.
Create a festive, quick decoration with needle felting this season! This fun project makes use of cookie cutters you may already have at home to make a felted ornament with clean lines, even shape, and adorable details. Students will work alongside instructor Kayla Ann to learn needle felting basics which are applicable to a range of other projects. Once you get started, felted ornaments become an easy project and the perfect gift to decorate a present or tree! Students 
Delve into ancestry and history at this genealogy session with Sue Schlichting focused on the resource 
Join Vesterheim and Kate Running to learn how to work with two colors of yarn to make this patterned hat. Work with a Nordic-inspired motif and learn the cultural tradition of stranded knitting. Intermediate level, no colorwork experience necessary but students should know how to knit & purl. A kit of materials (a $40 value) with Strikkegarn yarn is shipped to your home and included in the cost of registration. Enrollment Deadline: 11/11
Get a peek into San Francisco chef and baker Nichole Accettola’s kitchen this holiday season! Nichole, who lived and cooked for many years in Denmark, today runs Kantine bakery café in San Francisco and is the author of 
Bake along with Kristi Bissell of 
Himmeli making is a Nordic tradition brought by Finnish immigrants to northern Minnesota. 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. Students will gain experience working with natural material (straw) as they 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: 11/23
Create a jolly felted gnome ready to bring home some holiday joy in this afternoon-long class. Students will follow step-by-step instructions to transform hand dyed wool from instructor Laura Berlage’s own sheep into a felted festive gnome (known in Sweden as a tomte or in Norway as a nisse) complete with long cap and beard! Students will get tips for shaping a cheerful face as well as hear stories from Laura’s farm and discuss gnomes in Scandinavian culture and beyond. Suitable for all skill levels, ages 11+. Kits ($32 value) are included in the class fee. Each kit includes the tools and materials for one student. Registration closes December 2.
Here’s a chance to see Sweden’s submission to the Oscars for Best International Feature, 
Catch the North American premiere of 
Welcome back to monthly posts of Nordic events happening virtually and in Southern California. Even though it’s not officially fall yet, it still feels like that as students of all ages begin to return to school.
Time to go wild for apples! In this virtual class, Kristi Bissell of the blog 
Embroidering with wool has captivated imaginations since at least the Viking Age, offering beautiful and textured means for stitched expression. Dive into this world with textile artist Laura Berlage and learn about its many iterations over the centuries with this immersive introductory class, while stitching your own floral piece. During the course, students will learn 14 different stitches, how best to utilize them in a design, and good process discipline while stitching—skills and concepts that you can apply to any number of future embroidery endeavors. Great for beginners or those with some embroidery experience who are looking to master the finer points of decorative stitching with wool. Suitable for ages 16+.
Are you curious about the Swedish language, but not ready yet to commit to a multi-date class? Are you looking for a quick and low-pressure way to get excited and prepare for an upcoming visit to Sweden? This two-hour introductory workshop taught by Jean Hanslin is the perfect way to get a feel for Swedish, pick up a bit of grammar, and learn how to pronounce some words as part of basic conversation.
Join Vesterheim and celebrated Norwegian storyteller Johan Einar Bjerkem to hear folktales and sing some songs from Norway. You will meet trolls, princesses, and maybe even the character Askeladden! Bjerkem will also share the history of the stories and tales he tells.
Journey back to the Viking Era or earlier Iron Age and learn the same techniques those before us have used in decorating and embroidering their socks, mittens, and other nålbinding garments. In this class, you will be adding embroidery to your mittens. You will learn to add a little structure to the fabric of the nålbinding mitten, plan a design to embroider either using a pattern that is in your kit or making your own pattern, and learning embroidery stitches and techniques to make a mitten that has some beautiful embellishments. No embroidery experience needed. You will need to supply your own mittens by either purchasing or making your own nålbinding mittens.
Join Swedish textile artist and educator Kerstin Neumüller for two online sessions to design and start weaving a repp band on a small rigid heddle style band weaving loom. The first session will focus on how to create different patterns in woven repp bands, a style in which warp threads tightly cover the weft threads. Kerstin will share a variety of possible patterns, giving students a starting place for designing their own band. Students will then use any small rigid heddle style loom they have on hand and their own yarn to prepare the warp and weft for weaving a repp band in the second class. This virtual class is an excellent option for students who need a refresher on band weaving, or for anyone who owns Kerstin’s book 
For a long time, the only aquavit an American could get was imported from either Denmark, Norway, or Sweden. In the mid 2000s, there was a surge of American distillers who began making the classic Scandinavian spirit for the American market. With this new batch of distillers came a new outlook of how aquavit could be enjoyed. No longer limited to drinking it straight with traditional meals, bartenders and spirit enthusiasts began playing with the use of aquavit in cocktails. Join co-founder and CEO of Vikre Distillery, Emily Vikre, as she shares the story of aquavit’s rise in popularity, as well the story of Vikre Distillery’s founding and its early life making a name for itself in the world of spirits.
Hearty Danish rye bread (rugbrød) is one of the classic Scandinavian breads, often used for open faced sandwiches. While this bread can be hard to find outside of Scandinavia, it’s actually quite simple to make at home, even for novice bakers. Join Kristi Bissell, creator of the blog 
Learn how to carve a spoon from a fresh-cut tree using traditional Nordic carving techniques. Over Zoom, Jess Hirsch will lead students through the process of carving a spoon, using a prepared wooden blank. We will cover tree anatomy, axing out a blank (roughed out spoon shape), knife holds for the hook and sloyd knife, drying, and finishing – from tree to spoon! This class is great for the beginner or the person wanting to learn sloyd-style carving. Together, students will go through safe knife holds and the steps to carve their very own cooking spoon! Carving is just as safe as cooking at home – students only need good hand strength and flexibility to carve their own spoon. Please wear pants and close-toed shoes. This class includes a kit of materials.
Embroidery is a beautiful way to make an everyday object feel special. Inspired by traditional Nordic embroidery designs, explore the world of wool-on-wool embroidery with a variety of stitches and learn how to transform the fabric and liner into a miniature purse, along with attaching the kiss clasp like a pro. All the steps and techniques featured in this course are great skills to learn if you are considering making a full-scale traditional purse in the future; and we’ll explore beautiful examples from across history and regions as we go. Finished coin purses will be approximately 4.5”x 4” wide. Students will have the option to select from a variety of wool fabric colors for their project kit and use embroidery yarns from the instructor’s own sheep. This class is a great way to explore wool-on-wool embroidery for both beginners and those with some embroidery experience. Suitable for ages 16+.
Enjoy the relaxing art of needle felting while making a textile as pretty as a painting! Using a piece of felt as your canvas and wool roving as your paint, you’ll work alongside artist Kayla Ann to create an autumnal landscape you’ll be proud to display. You’ll come away with the skills and tools to keep needle felting beyond the online workshop. While the entire class will work on the same fall-inspired vista, Kayla will also discuss how to adapt other images into 2-D felted pictures and where to find supplies to do more needle felting on your own. Suitable for ages 14+.
This is the finale to The Climate Quartet, a loosely connected series of books that each explores a different climate issue. This one is about seeds and features the Global Seed Vault located on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen in the Arctic Svalbard archipelago. The story takes place in 2110 and is about a small group of people living there. They live in isolation having cut off contact with the rest of the world where, due to climate issues, hunger is a constant concern. I loved being immersed in the setting of Svalbard and it was interesting to see how subject matter and characters from the earlier books come together in this one. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
