Greenland: Your next vacation destination!

GREENLAND Your next vacation destination!

Annika Schaller

GREENLAND Your next vacation destination!

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Table of Contents

04 06 Introduction

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Suaasat Food

08 10 Mitaarneq

Culture

Hot Springs Destinations

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Aluu!

Welcome to Greenland.

Locally known as Kalaallit Nunaat or Grønland

The importance of tourism

Cultural information

Hello! Or should we say, aluu! Aluu means hello in Greenland’s native language, Greenlandic. We would love to have you visit our many beautiful nature sights and learn about Greenland’s culture. Here in Greenland, tourism is important. For a long while, our economy has been based on fishing. Seal hunting was a popular way to provide for the families of Greenland while also exporting it to countries around the world. Many other sea animals were also caught, like cod and shrimp, that are frozen and canned for travel or local sale. Because of how much Greenland relies on the fishing industry, many problems arose when overfishing was taken into account. In the late 20th century, the government chose to diversify the economy and focus on tourism.

Greenland, also known as Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenlandic) or Grønland (Danish), is the world’s largest island with a rich cultural and indigenous history. Nine-tenths of Greenland’s population is of Inuit descent and call themselves Kalaallit (West Greenlanders), Inugguit (from Thule district), or Iit (East Greenlanders), depending on what region of the island they are from. Only about a tenth of the population is Danish. Kalaallisut and Danish are Greenland’s official languages with English being spoken occasionally.

Greenland has many beautiful mountains, icebergs and ice sheets, marine and terrestrial wildlife, cities, and a rich culture to explore that could be appealing to travelers who are looking for a new destination to add to their list. Since the 1990s, tourism has been a vital part of keeping Greenland financially secure and open to travelers from all over the world. Support Greenland’s economy by planning your trip today!

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Despite the Western influence from Denmark, indigenous practices are still very important here today! Folk arts such as soapstone carving and drum dancing are popular along with kayak building and sailing. There are also many museums that are dedicated to showcasing the local Inuit culture. The Greenland National Museum and Archives and the Katuaq Cultural Centre are both located in Nuuk, Greenland’s capital city. These museums host concerts, art exhibits, and other cultural events. Like life in many other countries, sports are popular as well. Notable activities include soccer, skiing, badminton, handball, table tennis, tae kwon do, and volleyball. There’s something for everyone to enjoy in Greenland.

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Suaasat

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Enjoy a warm bowl of suaasat, a traditional Greenlandic soup!

Suaasat contains:

Potatoes

Onions

Barley

To prepare this dish at home you will need:

Only three simple steps to make your soup!

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I2 lbs caribou, lamb, or beef, cubed

1.

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8.5 cups water

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200 ml pearl barley

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3 onions

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300 g wild mushroom

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2 carrots, sliced

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200 g dried cherries

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1 lemon, only zest

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1 tsp chopped rosemary

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1 tsp chopped thyme

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1 tsp chopped sage

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Sea salt & black pepper

Meat

Pour the water into a large pot and add the raw meat, vegetables, cherries, mushrooms, and salt and pepper to taste.

2.

Add herbs and bring to a simmer, simmering on medium heat until ingredients are tender, about 1 hour.

3.

Add barley and lemon zest, check and season accordingly to taste. Let cook until the soup is thick, about 30 minutes.

4.

Serve warm and enjoy! This recipe will feed about six people.

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Mitaarneq

Celebrate the new year with us!

Mitaarneq is an Inuit winter festival that is still celebrated today Mitaarneq is an Inuit winter festival that is associated with New Year and Christmas celebrations in Greenland. It is a celebration of gratitude and happiness concerning good health and good catch that takes place from New Year’s Eve to the Epiphany (January 6th).

Mitaarneq itself means the “act or state of being disguised” and locals will disguise themselves in masks and costumes while around their villages. Adults and children can also take part in the festivities, dressing themselves with clothes made from animal furs or old fabrics like sheets or curtains to hide their identities while they parade around the town. In present day celebrations, plastic Halloween masks are also used as disguises.

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Children also wear their parents’ clothing or boots to dress up for this festival. Disguised mitaartut try to visit as many houses as possible, entering the houses to provide the residents with entertainment. Dancing is a common form of entertainment along with playing games, resulting in a fun evening for all – disguised or not! To see this winter festival take place, make sure to book a trip at the end of December or the start of January.

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Photo taken by Lisa Germany for Guide to Greenland

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Hot Springs

Relax and unwind with a visit to our crystal clear hot springs!

Greenland is home to natural springs that are warm enough to swim in

Uunartoq and beyond

“Southern Greenland’s crystal-clear 100-degree warm springs were discovered by Norsemen 1,000 years ago. ”

Hot springs in Greenland are a common natural phenomenon, but the island of Uunartoq is home to the only place where the springs are warm enough to bathe in. The photo on the left shows our lovely springs at Uunartoq. Southern Greenland’s crystal-clear 100-degree (38 degrees Celsius) warm springs were discovered by Norsemen 1,000 years ago. The hottest spring in Greenland is around 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius). On Uunartoq, the water has a temperature of 98-100 degrees Fahrenheit (37-38 degrees Celsius) which can be about the temperature of a hot tub – a perfect place for relaxing and taking in the beautiful view!

Unlike in Iceland, the hot springs in Greenland are not due to volcanic activity. The water here is heated by deep layers in the earth’s crust rubbing against each other which then send the heat upwards into the thousands of small pools of water on the Earth’s surface.

Other hot springs can be found on Disko Island, or across the country in East Greenland. Ask us about excursions when you land!

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This book was designed by Annika Schaller in 2023 to encourange travel to the country of Greenland. It uses the Mundial type family paired with Brandon Grotesque Medium. Photographs of Greenland are included as well as illustrations to supplement the photographs.

All illustrations were produced by Annika Schaller.

Greenland Travel Inc. Copyright 2023 by Annika Schaller All rights reserved Printed in the USA by Greenland Travel Inc. For information, address Greenland Travel Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication date available ISBN-987-0-99-702549-1 Book Design by Annika Schaller First Published in the United States of America by Greenland Books, LTC First Edition published 2023 Greenlandtravel.com +1 (765) 748-4781

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Coasty. Suaasat - Recipe - Food.com. 17 May 2010, www.food.com/ recipe/suaasat-425723.

Germany, Lisa. “Uunartoq Hot Spring.” Guide to Greenland, 30 Nov. 2020, guidetogreenland.com/travel-blogs/lisa-germany/uunartoq-hot-spring/?affiliate=5.

Kielsen, Lene. “Mitaartut: An Inuit Winter Festival in Greenland.” Études/Inuit/Studies, vol. 20, no. 1, 1996, pp. 123–29. JSTOR, http:// www.jstor.org/stable/42869928.

Rasmussen, Rasmus Ole. “Greenland | History, Population, Map, Flag, and Weather.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 July 1998, www.britannica.com/place/Greenland.

Visit Greenland. “Hot Springs in Greenland - [Visit Greenland!].” Visit Greenland, 16 Aug. 2021, visitgreenland.com/about-greenland/ hot-springs-greenland.

Aluu!

Hello! Or should we say, aluu! Aluu means hello in Greenland’s native language, Greenlandic. We would love to have you visit our many beautiful nature sights and learn about Greenland’s culture.

Greenland has many beautiful mountains, icebergs and ice sheets, marine and terrestrial wildlife, cities, and a rich culture to explore that could be appealing to travelers who are looking for a new destination to add to their list. To learn more about unique travel oppurtunities, dive into this travel guide! More information awaits inside.