Nordstjernan 2118

The Swedish North Star, continuously published since 1872. Price per copy $3.50.

Volume 149 No. 18, December 15, 2021.

dashboard | december 15, 2021 SCANDINAVIAN QUIZ

One of Sundblom’s earliest Santas for Coca Cola.

The ‘Swedish’ origins of Santa

The whole world recognizes him at once. And the artist responsible for creating the image of the one who is known far and wide as Santa Claus, was an American born to Swedish immigrant parents.

Known in some circles as “the greatest advertising illustrator of them all,” Haddon “Sunny” Sundblom (1899-1976), was born in Muskegon, Michigan to a Swedish-speaking family. His father, Karl Wilhelm Sundblom, came from the Swedish-speaking part of Åland, and his mother Karin Andersson was from Sweden. His legacy is most strongly tied to his creation of the “Coca-Cola Santa” in a longrunning series of holiday advertisements. In 1931, Coca-Cola commissioned the illustrator to paint Santa. Those paintings established Santa as a warm, happy character with human features, including rosy cheeks, a white beard, twinkling eyes and laughter lines. Prior to 1931, Santa was depicted as everything from a tall gaunt old man to a spooky-looking elf. The Swedish Santa is called Jultomte.

Name’s Days of the Swedish Calendar Namnsdagar i November

December 15 December 16 December 17 December 18 December 19 December 20 December 21 December 22 December 23 December 24 December 25 December 26 December 27 December 28 December 29 December 30 December 31 December 15

New York Chicago Stockholm Kiruna Lund Los Angeles 2 NORDSTJERNAN

Gottfrid Assar Stig Abraham Isak Israel/Moses Tomas Natanael/Jonatan Adam Eva Juldagen Stefan/Staffan Johannes/Johan Benjamin Natalia/Natalie Abel/Set Sylvester |

Sunrise & Sunset

7.13 am 4.29 pm 7.11 am 4.20 pm 8.38 am 2.46 pm below horizon 8.30 am 3.34 pm 6.51 am 4.45 pm

2 As we travel during the holidays, who can we thank for Google Maps? A) Tomten of course B) Volvo C)xDanish developers D) Norwegian flight attendants 3 Where is one of the oldest houses in the world – built in the 11th century and occupied since 1550 by 17 generations of the same family? A) xFaroe Islands B) Birka, Sweden C) Rauma, Finland D) Hafnir, Iceland 4 How does ABBA rank among Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Michael Jackson on the list of best-selling musical acts in history? A) 1st B) 3rd C)x4th D) 10th 5 Where is Santa Claus most likely to get letters addressed to him? A) Longyearbyen, Norway B) Macy’s Department Store, NYC C)xRovaniemi, Finland D) North Pole, Alaska CULTURE

Namnsdagar

Stig - December 17 The name Stig is a man’s name with Danish roots and it comes from the word “stiga,” which means “to walk.” It was originally a surname that little by little became a given name. A “stigman” is a highwayman. It has been used in Skåne, southern Sweden, since the end of the 12th century.

December

Eva - December 24 Eva is a woman’s name, derived from the Hebrew word, chawa, which is not a name but simply means “to give life” - representing the womb of mankind. In the Christian tradition, Eva is considered the ancestor of the human race and is a saint within the Catholic Church. She is also a patron saint for gardeners and others who care for life, as well as for tailors. Eva was a very popular name from the 1940s until the 1970s, but has since declined in use. In the late 1990s, the name finally disappeared from the top 200 list in Sweden.

founded in new york city in september 1872 Nordstjernan (ISSN 1059-7670), founded in New York City in September 1872, is published by Swedish News, Inc., 570 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022 • Readers services and editorial submissions: P.O. Box 680, Minneola, FL 34755 Periodicals Postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. www.nordstjernan.com, Nordstjernan is published semimonthly, except for the months of January, February, July when it is monthly and August with no issue.

POST MASTER: Please send address changes to Nordstjernan, P.O. Box 680, Minneola FL 34755 Subscription rates: 1 yr. = $59, Two yr. = $106, Three yr. = $150.

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Photo: Hans Strand/Imagebank Sweden

known to enhance libido, mood and memory? A) nutmeg B)xsaffron C) omväxling D) Aurora Borealis

6 Why did Bluetooth technology get named after King Harald Bluetooth of Norway and Denmark? A) He invented the first radio during his reign in 975 AD B)xthe Norwegian and Danish engineers wanted a name from their common history C) the queen pulled his name out of a hat D) Sankta Lucia dreamed about him and mentioned it a televised interview 7 What does it mean if you break your pepparkakor into three pieces? A) you must eat three more cookies B) someone you love sneezed C) you must sing a snaps song D) xyour wish will come true 8 After becoming unexpectedly popular, what worried the Swedish government enough to decide (more than once) to ban? A)xdrinking coffee B) making a snöbollslykta (snowball lantern) C) laughing in public D) naked saunas 9 December is a popular month for Swedish kings’ birthdays, but it also marks the time in 1626 when who abdicated the throne? A) xQueen Christina B) King Gustavus II Adolphus C) Elvis D) King Erik XIV Answers: 1:B, 2:C, 3:A, 4:C, 5:C, 6:B, 7:D, 8:A, 9:A

spice, popular in Scandinavia 1 What especially at Christmas, is nicknamed “the sunshine spice” because it’s

this week…

Page 24

December TO DO 12.12 THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT: TREDJE ADVENT / Advent, from the Latin word “adventus” which means arrival, is celebrated during the month before Christmas. Swedish families light the third candle of the Advent wreath on this day, which coincides this year with Lucia Day. (Tune in to the Swedish official Lucia through www.svtplay.se) 12.21 PUT UP THE JULKÄRVE: TOMASDAGEN / Traditionally a market day and time to put up the julkärve (Christmas stalks), also the day the beer was ready, and named after the apostle who voiced his disbelief in the resurrected Jesus, sometimes referred to as Doubting Tomas (Tomas tvivlaren). This is also Skumtomtens Dag in the Swedish almanac.

12.21 GET YOUR VITAMIN D: VINTERSOLSTÅNDET / Winter Solstice: It doesn’t get any darker than today but from now on the days get longer and lighter. Soon spring.

12.24 WATCH CARTOONS / JULAFTON: It’s Christmas Eve, the big event with a festive meal and Christmas gifts. And at 3 p.m. all of Sweden watches the traditional “Kalle Ankas Jul” (Donald Duck’s Christmas).

12.25 GET UP REALLY EARLY (OR JUST STAY UPALL NIGHT): JUL / It’s Christmas!

Many Swedes get up very early to go to church for the special Julotta service -- though maybe not this year, when more people are staying safer-at-home. A bell used to toll at 5 a.m. to awaken the people for the 6 a.m. service, today the service may start as late as 7 a.m. Then there is an entire day ahead to enjoy Christmas gifts, especially a new subsciption to Nordstjernan. God Jul!

The ride to Julotta /p24 (Above: Seglora church dating from 1730, originally from a parish near Borås in west Sweden, at Skansen since 1916. )

Dashboard, p4-5

Gävlebocken unveiled / Årets Julklapp / ABBA tops the UK album chart / Sold for SEK 151,000! / Engineers needed / Higher inflation in Sweden / Swedish discovery for new antibiotics / Portable X-rays for efficient border control / Riksbank signals higher rates.

12.31 IT’S NEW YEAR’S EVE: NYÅRSAFTON / Skål to an even happier and healthier new year in 2022!

With gratitude We’d like to express our appreciation to all of you that read, wrote for, or advertised in Nordstjernan.

You all make a difference for the newspaper: Together we’re the constant of Sweden’s living legacy in America (more alive than ever). You live it, we mirror the events in the United States, in Sweden and in Swedish America. My personal gratitude goes to all of those I’ve worked with, met with, and talked to over the past year.

Not too long ago I talked to a third-generation subscriber—that is, a subscriber whose grandparents read Nordstjernan in the first half of the 20th century then transferred the readership to the next generation and most recently to the third. The best compliment we’ve received in a long time was when he said he felt Nordstjernan is “... personal, and a companion rather than ‘just’ a commercial entity. It feels as if a friend is arriving in the mailbox.” Comments such as this happen to be why so many of us could not imagine a more fulfilling way to pass the day, and night. We all need companions; we all need to belong.

Pages 10, 16, 17, 27

While this issue’s menu works any time of the year, some things are ... well, required for a Swedish Christmas. /p10, 16, 17, 27

Nordstjernan has been a lifeline and a live connection to friends and family, traditions, and roots for such a long time—it takes a full year’s cycle of traditions and news to grasp what we’re truly about.

Nordstjernan hasn’t missed one single issue since that day in September 1872 when our first issue hit the streets of New York and select other cities along the eastern seaboard. We have since published well over 7,000 issues of the newspaper—at first weekly, then later and at present on mostly a twice per month basis for a total of 18 issues per year.

Once again it’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is only days away as I write this and we’ve already passed “Första Advent” when many a Swede lighted the first of four candles signifying the season of Advent leading up to Christmas.

The upcoming holidays mark a time to reflect, a time to rejoice in happy times, a time for memories, both happy and sad, and a time to make plans for the future. Regardless of how you celebrate your traditions this holiday season, be proud of your heritage, remember your loved ones and, from all of us, editors, and staff of Nordstjernan, Have a merry Christmas and a healthy, peaceful, and happy 2022!

Ulf Barslund Mårtensson Editor & Publisher

Page 18

Swedish inspired cocktail party /p18 The Exchange Rate:

$1.00 = SEK 9.10 (12.03.2021)

DECEMBER 15, 2021 3

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Årets Julklapp

Gävlebocken unveiled

Slottstorget in Gävle was packed when the 2021 edition of the 12-meter-high Gävlebocken was initiated by celebrity couple Helena Bergström and Colin Nutley with music by Loreen and Tusse.

The latter caused cheers when he was asked which performance he prefers: the goat inauguration or the Nobel Prize gala. “That’s a difficult question,” he said. “I have been asked to do both, but I only said yes to Gävlebocken.” Over the years, the goat has been burned 30 times, but it has survived the last four years in a row.

The stories, the traditions, the people behind the news. founded in new york city in December 15872 executive editor

& publisher:

Ulf Barslund Mårtensson (editor@nordstjernan.com) copy editor:

Amanda Olson Robison (editor@nordstjernan.com) managing editor & production: Everett Martin graphic design: Nadia Wojcik (design@nordstjernan.com) contributors:

Chipp Reid - Ted Olsson - Leif Rosqvist - Kitty Hughes Ulf Kirchdorfer - Valorie Arrowsmith Bo Zaunders - Göran Rygert - James Kaplan - Gunilla Blixt publications director:

Mette Barslund Mårtensson (mette@nordstjernan.com; 800.827.9333, ext 12)

This year’s Christmas present is the event ticket.

After a year and a half in a social vacuum with work from home, video calls and sweatpants, it is time for Swedes to live life with others again. From lonely hikes to football matches, the TV couch to the theater and from video calls to reality. 2022 will be characterized by social interaction, recreation and a pent-up need to experience. The pandemic has been characterized by social distancing, frantic hand washing and pleasures that have either been enjoyed within the four walls of the home or out in nature. As social and cultural activities started to become possible again, Swedes have quickly shown what they missed most during the pandemic: to have fun, be inspired by culture and experience things together. The event ticket therefore became the natural choice for 2021 Christmas present of the year. Prior to the notification of this year’s selection, media speculated that the annual gift might be a backpack, a pair of slippers or a family board game. The Christmas present of the year is nominated by HUI Research, www.hui.se, for the 34th consecutive year in 2021.

ABBA tops the UK album chart

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Order your own copy, $59.00 for a year (18 issues) Choose ‘subscribe’ at www.nordstjernan.com or call 1.800.827.9333, ext 10 4 NORDSTJERNAN

Blocket, the Swedish website for miscellaneous online sales, also announced its Annual Used Gift—padel equipment. The racquet sport padel is similar to paddle tennis with a touch of squash since the walls can be used in padel. The popularity of the sport has increased exponentially in Sweden over the last few years - there are now between 3,500 and 4,000 padel courts in the country, which makes Sweden the most padel court-dense country in the world. According to a survey by Kantar Sifo, one in three Swedes sees himself getting or giving a padel ball racquet as a Christmas present this year.

Amanda Seyfried portrayed Sophie in the first Mamma Mia! movie from 2008 on location in Greece. (photo courtesy of Universal Pictures)

As anticipated, the less than favorable reviews did not mean much for ABBA’s new album. It was a triumphant return with a new record after 40 years of silence: “Voyage” went straight to number one on the UK charts where reviews had been quite unfavorable. Voyage is the fastestselling album this year with 204,000 albums sold in the first week. This includes sales of physical copies, digital and number of streams—where a certain number of listings corresponds to one album. No one’s surprised. The stage production of Mamma Mia! based on the songs of ABBA made its U.S. debut in San Francisco, California at the Orpheum Theatre in 2000, almost 20 years after the group broke up and a year after opening in London; it opened on Broadway a year later and toured the U.S. both in 2002 and 2016. ABBA music has a loyal audience.

$1

00 , 7

0

Sold for SEK 151,000

A rare IKEA armchair sold on auction in Sundsvall, Sweden. (When we reported in our last issue that IKEA furniture will get more expensive this is not what we meant.) The Cavelli armchair, included in the 1959 IKEA catalog, is one of only five such chairs in the world, according to Swedish newspapers. It was purchased by the seller in the 1980s for SEK 75 ($10), and according to the auction site Auctionet, went for SEK 151,000 ($17,000)—the highest price tag to date for a piece of IKEA furniture. Since the chair was slightly damaged, the asking price was SEK 40,000.

Engineers needed

Ericsson, Sweco, Vattenfall, Volvo AB and Volvo Cars need to hire at least 1,000 new engineers over the next three years, according to the magazine Ingenjören. The magazine asked 50 different companies about their future needs and 30 answered. 21 employers say they need to recruit more engineers next year. Competence is sought in areas such as energy, power transmission, climate and social change, computer technology and battery technology.

Higher inflation in Sweden

Inflation in Sweden is at its highest level since fall of 2008. The so-called CPIF inflation in October was 3.1%, which is 1.1% above the Riksbank target of 2%. The monthly change was 0.2%, according to Statistics Sweden and the increase was higher than expected. Analysts had on average expected an inflation rate according to the CPIF measure of 2.9%. The lack of goods is one cause for rising inflation and higher prices linked to easing pandemic restrictions are also believed to be behind the increase in the past month, according to analysts. (In contrast to the CPI, Consumer Price Index, the CPIF does not include mortgage rates in its value. The CPI closed in October at 2.8%.)

On Tuesday, November 30, the change of government council was held at the Royal Palace under the chairmanship of H.M. King Karl XVI Gustaf. The council was attended by the Crown Princess, the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament and the incoming government. The King opened the council saying: “Mr Speaker of Parliament, and - for the first time - Madam Prime Minister, incoming Ministers of State. Welcome ….” More on the new government and recent political turmoil, pages 34-35.

Swedish discovery for new antibiotics A new group of antibacterial substances has been discovered by a group of Swedish and German researchers. The hope is that the discovery can lead to new antibiotics with few side effects.

The newly discovered group of molecules called THCz shows antibacterial activity against many antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The discovery of THCz can lead to the development of new drugs against, among other things, pneumonia, tuberculosis and gonorrhea. In connection with the publication of the discovery in PNAS, National Academy of Sciences of the USA in November,

the research group wrote about future needs of new antibiotics: “Since the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928, antibiotics have greatly improved the health quality and life expectancy of mankind. However, multi-drug resistance among most microbial pathogens is reaching alarming levels, and the World Health Organization foresees a post-antibiotic era where common bacterial infections may become lifethreatening again due to the lack of adequate treatment regimens.”

Portable X-rays for efficient border control With the help of new portable X-ray machines, Swedish Customs hopes to be more effective in the fight against drug smuggling. The use of the small hand-held machines is expected to lead to more efficient control. They are described as versatile and easy to use. Swedish Customs has been working with the X-ray machines during a six-month trial period; as of December they are in 15 places in the country. Each X-ray machine costs at least $55,000.

Riksbank signals higher rates

The Riksbank leaves the key interest rate unchanged for now but predicts an increase in the interest rate toward the end of 2024. This is the first time the Riksbank signals an interest rate increase since the pandemic began. The announcement was in line with market expectations.

DECEMBER 15, 2021 5

Photo: Ingemar Lindewall/Royalcourt.se

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local events

Local Events California Los Altos Dec 18, 3 PM Advent service: Pastor Joakim Schröder leads the service in Swedish and Zaida Singers perform. Los Altos Lutheran C h u r c h , w w w. s v e n s ka k y r ka n . s e / sanfrancisco Oakland Dec 17, 8 PM Cool Yule: Renowned Danish jazz violinist Mads Tolling plays Christmas music of the Nordic countries, blending the authentic customs and sounds of the Nordic countries with the joy and spirit of American jazz. The Sound Room, 510.496.4180 / www.soundroom.org Petaluma Dec 19 & 20 Julbord To Go: Enjoy a traditional Swedish Julbord holiday experience. Stockhome will have in-person seatings on the 19th (12 to 4 p.m.) and a to-go options on the 20th (4-7 p.m.). Stockhome Restaurant Petaluma, 707.981.8511 / www.stockhomepetaluma.com San Francisco Dec 18, 6 PM Christmas Dinner: The Young Scandinavian Club gathers again for a Christmas Dinner at the historic Norwegian Club with the talented Swedish Chef Pelle to cook a holiday feast. RSVP julfest@ysc.org / www.ysc.org/product/jule-dinner Dec 24 Christmas Eve: Church service in Swedish and Norwegian. Swedish Church, www. svenskakyrkan.se/sanfrancisco

Julotta, when Christmas morning is gleaming ...

The heart of the Christmas celebration in early Swedish settlements - and somewhat still today in both Sweden and Swedish America - is the Julotta service early on Christmas Day. Often as early as 6 a.m. on Christmas morning there is a church service to celebrate Christmas with candlelight and joyful music, especially “När juldagsmorgon glimmar” (When Christmas morning is gleaming), and often followed by strong coffee and cardamom bullar. Many groups in the U.S. still offer Julotta at local churches, although some are on hiatus again this year because of the pandemic. If you go, be safe and enjoy this very special part of a Swedish Christmas! See this listing for details in California, Iowa and Kansas; check our online calendar for more at www. nordstjernan.com/calendar (and see p24 for more history on this old tradition).

Illinois

Massachusetts

Chicago Dec 18, 1 PM Book Club Online: Discuss The Saga of Gosta Bergling by Selma Lagerlöf — her first and best-loved novel. Free, register via email museum@samac.org. Swedish American Museum, 773.728.8111 / www. swedishamericanmuseum.org

West Newton Ongoing through December Exhibit-Marty Lehman 2021: Marty had a professional career in architecture for nearly 50 years in Sweden and Boston.

This show, his fourth exhibition at the SCC, represents work done in the past 10 years, featuring his favorite themes: buildings, cityscapes, landscapes, and all things Swedish. Scandinavian Cultural Center, 617.795.1914 / www.scandicenter.org

Dec. 19, 5 PM Julmiddag: A festive and traditional Swedish Christmas Smörgåsbord is catered by Tre Kronor. Tomten will be on hand to give julklappar (presents) to all the children. There will be a Lucia procession and dancing around the Christmas tree. $70/ members, $80/non-members, $20/ age 12 and under, free/12 months and under. RSVP online or in person with proof of Covid vaccination or a negative test.

Swedish American Museum, 773.728.8111 / www.swedishamericanmuseum.org Rockford Dec 16, 12-5 PM Korv Sale: Get your potatiskorv in time for your julbord. Call 815.962.4279 to order.

Iowa Stanton Dec 25, 6-8 AM Julotta: Traditional Swedish service with fika afterward. Evangelical Covenant Church, 712.621.6543 / austinpquist@ gmail.com / www.stantoniowa.org

Kansas Lindsborg Dec 25, 5:45 AM Julotta: Traditional Swedish Lutheran Christmas service at Bethany Lutheran Church, 785.227.2167, www.visitlindsborg. com Dec 26, 10 AM Annandag Jul: “Another day of Christmas” service in Swedish at Bethany Lutheran Church, 785.227.2167, www.visitlindsborg. com 6 NORDSTJERNAN

Minnesota Minneapolis Dec 15 & 29, 6-7 PM Jan 5, 6-7 PM Holiday Glögg Tour: Enjoy glögg (Swedish mulled wine) and specialty lite-bites during a guided tour of From Our House to Yours. Explore how our community partners from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Finland and the Hmong Museum decorate their homes from the holidays!

This is a 21+ event. $50-$55. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www. asimn.org Dec 15, 6:30-7:30 Virtual Demo - Making Glögg at Home: Amp up your glögg game in this fun evening workshop with recipes for glögg, Scandinavia’s favorite holiday mulled wine. This is a live virtual class taught over Zoom, designed as a demonstration so students can watch the entire process and ask questions before tackling the recipes at home at a later date. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www.asimn.org Dec 17 & 18, 9-10 AM Kids at the Castle: This action-packed kids and family creative playtime is inspired by tomtes and encourages adventurous young minds through circle time, storytelling, crafts, visual play, music and movement. For ages 2-5 with a grown-up. Registration required.

American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www.asimn.org

Dec 18 & 19 Julbord: This Scandinavian feast delivers a full selection of traditional dishes, including meatballs, herring and delectable desserts; music will be provided by Tjärnblom. Lunch and dinner seating times available. RSVP, American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www. asimn.org Dec 18 & 19 Scandinavian Christmas Concert: Magnum Chorum offers a heartwarming serenade of beloved carols and Scandinavian works evoking the joy and serenity of the season.

Check website for Twin Cities locations. www.magnumchorum.org Dec 23, 9:15-10 AM Babies at the Castle: Leave your strollers at the door and carry your baby through ASI’s exhibition before it opens to the general public. Tours are 30 minutes followed by 15 minutes of sensory play, which could include circle time, music and/or sharing touchable objects. Designed for babies from newborn up to 18 months and their caregivers. Tours also include a wooden teether for each baby. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www.asimn.org Dec 30, 5-8 PM Neighborhood Open House: Whether you live nearby or far away, or if you are a long-time ASI Member, please come for an evening of hands-on holiday crafts, performances, bonfires and more. Free museum admission to thank supporters, celebrate the holidays and introduce the ASI to new friends. American Swedish Institute, 612.871.4907 / www.asimn.org

New Hampshire Marlborough Dec 16, 6 & 8 PM Scandinavian Feast: Enjoy a festive multicourse Nordic dinner with cocktails, dinner, dessert and a live pianist. Two seatings available. 603.876.5085 / www. forayevents.com

local events Since 1919

Who is Jultomten?

All over the world elves of various sorts are helping Santa Claus, and in Sweden it’s no different - but they’re known as tomtar (plural) or one tomte. On Dec. 21 at 10:30 a.m., if you’re in the Philadelphia area, bring your toddler and come see the American Swedish Historical Museum decked out in holiday splendor during Toddler Time. Read “Little Tomte’s Christmas Wish” by Inkeri Karvonen and Hannu Taina and get into the spirit by learning about the tradition of Jultomte.

American Swedish Historical Museum, 215.389.1776 / www. americanswedish.org

Haram-Christensen Corporation Importers of fine Scandinavian Specialties

125 Asia Place Carlstadt, NJ 07072 Tel:201-507-8544 Fax:201-507-0507 www.haramchris.com Email: sales@haramchris.com

The Swedish Santa, Jultomten, here in one of illustrator Jenny Nyström’s (1854-1946) depictions.

New York New York Dec 15, 6 PM Glöggmingle with Lucia: SVEA NY’s annual holiday event returns – eat well, mingle and listen to Christmas music; the Lucia choir performs at 7 p.m. Svenska Kyrkan. www.eventbrite.com Dec 16 & 17, 7 PM Gunhild Carling & The Carling Family: Swedish musical sensation Gunhild Carling is an internationally acclaimed superstar, a jazz artist combining extraordinary skills on trumpet and trombone with tap dancing and singing during her show. $35 cover + $20 food/ drink min. www.eventbrite.com Jan 6, 7:30 PM Music on Park Avenue: The popular series hosted by Scandinavia House and Per Tengstrand welcomes its audience back to Victor Borge Hall to hear Tengstrand joined

by Katie Liu on viola in a performance of Schubert’s “Arpeggione Sonata.”

Scandinavia House, 212.779.3587 / www. scandinaviahouse.org

people per one-hour time slots starting at 10 and 11 a.m. and 12 and 1 p.m. Masks required indoors. 503.977.0275 / www. nordicnorthwest.org Dec 19, 10 AM-12 PM Kubb: A Nordic lawn game suitable for almost any age* and all abilities. Bring your own team or join with others to form a team. Volunteers teach the game and organize teams. Grab a beverage from Broder Söder while you play and enjoy!

Nordia House - Back Lawn, 503.977.0275 / www.nordicnorthwest.org

Pennsylvania Dec 29, 4:00- 7:00 pm Museum Tour & Glögg Tasting: Get cozy at the ASHM with our special Museum & Glögg Tour! Join us for our general gallery tour and learn about Scandinavian holiday traditions. Then enjoy some glögg, Swedish pepparkaka and Danish aebleskiver. between the tours. We are offering two tour time slots at 4 pm and 6 pm. $5 for members and $15 for non-members. American Swedish Historical Museum, 215.389.1776 / www. americanswedish.org

Ongoing A solo exhibition by Swedish photographer Anders Petersen, born in Stockholm in 1944, is on display at Fotografiska, the Stockholm-based center for photography in Manhattan and includes some neverbefore-seen prints, contact sheets, and hand-written notes by the artist. Through March 13, 2022. www.fotografiska.com/ nyc

Ongoing American by Craft: The Art Furniture of Olof Althin. This exhibition explores the important legacy of turn-of-the-century Swedish immigrant cabinetmaker, Olof Althin, within the field of American decorative arts. Through January 2022.

American Swedish Historical Museum, www.americanswedish.org/events

Oregon

Texas

Portland Dec 17-18, 10 AM-2 PM Christmas at Fogelbo: Tour Fogelbo’s indoor winter wonderland, hear about the history of Fogelbo (right next to Nordia House) and the large collection of Nordic antiques. In-person tours are limited to 30

Dallas Dec 30, 9 PM New Years Eve with Jeremy Olander: Ring in the new year with Olander, a Stockholmbased Swedish DJ and producer. It’ll Do Club, 214.434.1702 / www.itlldoclub.com

Washington Seattle Dec 16, 6-8 PM Crafts & Cocktails: Come celebrate the season in person and try your hand at making a variety of woven heart styles.

This month’s craft is: Woven Paper Hearts! Age 21+ and proof of vaccination required. $25/members; $35.general admission includes craft supplies and one drink ticket. National Nordic Museum, 206.789.5707 / kated@nordicmuseum. org / www.nordicmuseum.org

Products –KLÄDESHOLMEN Herring & Cod Roe Spread, ROYAL SWEDEN Lumpfish, Capelin, Löjrom Caviar & Cod Roe Spread, ABBA Herring, Kalles Kaviar, & Salmon Pate, FELIX Lingonberries, Red Cabbage & Sliced Pickles, BEAUVAIS Pickles & Red Cabbage, HAFI Preserves including Lingonberry, Gooseberry, Blueberry & Queens Blend, NYAKER Lemon, Oat & Gingerbread Cookies, Läkerol, Pearl Sugar, Spirit Vinegar, Crispbread, FREIA & NIDAR Chocolates & Marzipan, CHEESES: Snöfrisk, Gjetost, Gulost, Farmers Cheese, Danbo & Esrom & Danish Tilsit and many more products from the Scandinavian Countries.

Call for information about the store nearest you that carries our quality products.

Washington, DC Dec 16, 5-7 PM Holiday Cocktail Party: After a year of hiatus, return for an evening with drinks, warm glögg, Swedish hors d’oeuvres, a Lucia Procession and the opportunity to buy and bid on Christmas gifts and décor.

House of Sweden, www.eventbrite.com

Great coffee makes better people.

The family operated Dalahäst Roasting Co. is a craft coffee roastery in Jamestown NY based in Peterson Farm.

We roast in small batches for a consistent product and keep Scandinavian traditions alive through our love of a great full-bodied cup of coffee.

Whole bean and ground. We ship anywhere in the U.S. All coffee Fair Trade Certified. www.petersonfarmswede.com 716.483.2202

National archives and library for Swedish-American historical research Publishers of Swedish American Genealogist 639 38th Street Rock Island, IL | 61201-2296 309-794-7204

www.augustana.edu/ swenson DECEMBER 15, 2021 7

local events

Food feast, Swedish style

Ulrika Bengtsson and Gisela Nelson in the kitchen preparing Skagenröra for 75.

Managing the catering service sweDISHnyc, Ulrika Bengtsson and Gisela Nelson form quite a team, preparing and delivering Swedish delicacies not only in New York but also throughout the United States.

When I visited them in a kitchen on the Lower East Side one morning right before the holidays they were busy indeed. Seventy five snack boxes for a Visit Sweden event had to be prepared immediately and many other customers were lined up, such as Swea, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce, Volvo, and the Finnish and Norwegian Consulates.

In the kitchen I spotted the ingredients required for making Toast Skagen.

A classic in Scandinavia, it led me to wonder what their five most frequently asked-for dishes are. The answer was short and without hesitation: Swedish meatballs, Skagenröra or Toast Skagen, Jansson’s temptation, open-faced sandwiches, and hot smoked char. (There is a reason I put meatballs on the top of the list. According to Gisela, she and Ulrika make about 1,000 each week).

I mentioned snack boxes, as the time had come for Christmas boxes. Plenty of them, filled with the delectable culinary holiday treats normally reserved for Sweden. And what about delivery throughout the U.S.? “We do it by Fed Ex,” Gisela informed me, “from Jansson’s temptation to Florida and meatballs to California.”

I knew Ulrika from when she ran her own restaurant in Manhattan. As for Gisela, she managed a fashion and home design company for many years.

So how did the two find each other? “We met through a mutual friend a couple of years ago,” said Gisela. And they cooked up a plan for a business.

What a good thing that was. Who ever saw two people working so hard and so cheerfully together? For more info, see www.sweDISHnyc.com Bo Zaunders

The SweDISH team was working on making Skagenröra (Skagen mix) as Bo visited— another late addition to a Swedish Julbord but oh so delicious. Just in case time doesn’t allow for you to order the tasty mix from Ulrika and Gisela, here’s a generic recipe for Skagen mix—SKAGENRÖRA: Ingredients 14 oz Greenland shrimp tails (shelled and cooked) 4-7 oz mayonnaise (or half mayo, half crème fraiche) One bunch dill, cut fine + dill sprigs for decoration Salt and white pepper to taste Some will add a little grated horseradish or a drop of tabasco to taste (optional) Instructions Coarsely chop half the shrimp tails and put them in a bowl with the remaining whole shrimp tails / Add enough mayo (mayo/crème fraiche) to properly coat all the shrimp and make the mix creamy. Not too much because it could turn into sauce, which is not the idea / Add dill, salt and pepper and maybe horseradish. Let the mix sit in the fridge for 10 minutes / Then stir and adjust the texture with more sauce if needed / Serve in a wide cocktail glass with a wedge of lemon and a dill sprig. Or serve on a baked potato.

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local events

D

Ingebretsen’s 100 years

uring the past century Ingebretsen’s Nordic Marketplace has earned a reputation as a destination for all things Scandinavian. The store, which now stretches across four storefronts near downtown Minneapolis, began as the Model Meat Market in 1921, located in the center of Minneapolis’s Scandinavian immigrant community. Generations later, Ingebretsen’s has expanded and the Butcher Shop & Deli is now accompanied by a gift store, a needlework store and classroom at 1605 E. Lake Street.

The Butcher Shop & Deli is run by the Dahl family: Steve, who began in 1965, and his daughter, Lenae. The gift store and Ingebretsen’s website are managed by two generations of Ingebretsens, making it a four-generation legacy and a dedicated family business. Many of the customers and their families have been shopping at Ingebretsen’s for generations!

Immigrant history

Charles Ingebretsen, Sr. emigrated from Norway in the early 1900s, the only member of his family to leave the country. From New York, where he arrived at Ellis Island, he traveled to Fargo, North Dakota and learned butchering. Charlie then came to the Twin Cities and found the vibrant Scandinavian-American community in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. After opening meat markets on Cedar and Lake streets, the Model Meat Market, in the words of granddaughter Julie Ingebretsen, “is the one that stuck,” and became known as Ingebretsen’s. It opened in 1921, the same year that Charles (Bud) Ingebretsen, Jr. was born.

Bud married Honore Adams and began managing the Lake Street store after World War II. In the 1960s, Bud took on a partner, Warren Dahl, who brought with him his recipes for Swedish meatballs and sausages, plus other traditional foods that have since become signature items in the butcher shop.

The love of these classic dishes has been passed down through generations as a way to connect to family heritage. Demand grew for authentic Scandinavian items, and Bud and Warren decided to try selling gift items alongside the deli.

Granddaughter Julie was between jobs in 1974 when her family suggested she manage this new gift store. Julie accepted, thinking she would just take the job “for a while” ... fast forward to today and Julie is still the manager; she admits her definition of “for a while” is very fluid! Now yet another generation—Julie’s daughter Anna—is becoming more involved as is one of Julie’s nephews who works with the expanding mail order business.

Keeping traditions alive

The Powderhorn neighborhood in South Minneapolis has faced countless changes since the 1920s.

Ingebretsen’s has stayed in the same location and

Ingebretsens at Lake Street. The 1990s photo of the storefront to the right features a Dala-style mural painted by Judith Kjenstad on the outside wall. / Below: Julie manning the store in 1980.

the family continues to work diligently to be a positive force in the community and collaborate with other Lake Street businesses.

“Scandinavians have to a large extent moved out of the area but we have become a destination for Minnesotans with a Nordic connection—and not just for shopping. During regular, non-pandemic years we hold classes in cooking, arts and craft and needlework to keep the community close and spread traditional Scandinavian culture,” Julie says. The business succeeds, in part, because of the fierce devotion to Scandinavian Christmas traditions. “If it weren’t for Christmas, we wouldn’t be here. I mean, it’s huge in the general marketplace,

but it’s especially huge, I think, for Scandinavians.

It’s a very traditional time. Our big focus is on traditions, keeping the traditions alive, and teaching people about them,” she says. And come Christmas Eve, as is the custom from the old country, the entire Ingebretsen family gathers for a traditional Scandinavian meal at home.

Together as a Nordic marketplace, Ingebretsen’s draws Scandinavians from all over the state and the country. Christmas is the time when you can drive past Ingebretsen’s and see a line of customers waiting to fill the store. Satisfied shoppers carry out bags and coolers stuffed with lutefisk, lefse and Swedish meatball mix. Thanks to the loyalty and support of this community, 2021 marks 100 years of Ingebretsen’s.

For more info, see www.ingebretsens.com DECEMBER 15, 2021 9

language & culture

A Christmas treat not to be missed - makes you happy every time “Ät en pepparkaka så blir du snäll” goes the Swedish saying—eat a ginger snap and become kind.

True or not, strongly addictive for sure, perfect accompaniment for the cup of glögg and a classic in every way around Christmas in Sweden:

Pepparkakor - Ginger snaps 10 oz unsalted butter (2 sticks and a couple of tblsp) 1-3/4 cup sugar 1 cup golden syrup (“ljus sirap”) 1 cup water 1 tbsp baking soda (hjortronsalt or bikarbonat) mixed in with flour 6-1/3 cup flour 1/2 tbsp ground ginger 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tbsp ground cloves Frosting (optional and seldom used in Sweden other than for decoration) 1/2 cup confectioners sugar 2 tsp water

Instructions Mix butter, syrup, sugar and spices Add water Mix in flour and baking soda Refrigerate for 12 hours Roll the pastry very thin and cut shapes with cookie cutters Bake the ginger snaps at 375ºF-400ºF Frosting Place confectiorners sugar in a bowl and gradually add water until frosting is firm.

Decorate the ginger snaps with the frosting, let rest until dry.

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local events

A new-old Michigan Julbord tradition When I was growing up, we had some idea

of the Julbord in our Swedish American home and church, and more commonly referred to it as the smörgåsbord. This was most certainly mispronounced as “smore-gus-board.”

The buffet table was laden with herring, sliced ham, potato sausage, meatballs, warm rice pudding with a custard top (oh, the memories of the church ladies’ variations on rice pudding!), au gratin potatoes—which I now believe for our Swedish American group was a derivative of Janssons frestelse (temptation), deviled eggs, jello salad (which is neither Swedish nor a salad), pickled beets, boiled carrots and peas, yeast rolls, and for dessert, homemade pepparkakor and something wonderful that I have not found in Sweden but was ALWAYS on our table for special occasions: farina torte (this was a delicious combination of a grain, brown sugar and egg white cake base layered with loads of sweet whipped heavy cream … yum). At home there may have been aquavit, but never at church, of course—there it was dark coffee, juice and water.

This year my friends at Svenska Café in Birmingham, Michigan are bringing the Julbord to their community. Christina Axelsson has been bringing the Swedish fika experience to the neighborhood since 2016 and it has evolved to an award winning local café where people of many nationalities and backgrounds gather for rich coffee, sweet treats, lunch, conversation, work and laughter. There is such a sense of warmth and community as one enters, as if good friends have been sitting together for a while, a “sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name” sort of feeling. Many of Christina’s customers have no connection to Sweden whatsoever, but they are delighted to learn and celebrate the tastes and traditions with her.

Ingela Larsson Oginsky is the lead baker and assists Christina and her business partner, Isabel Fernandez, with menu planning and the bakery choices. Ingela says this year the team wants to expand on their popular Viking plate feature to deliver a full julbord in one plate, giving customers a true taste of the Scandinavian holiday season. The plate includes tastes of herring, ham, meatballs, beet salad, Janssons frestelse and ginger cake. “I’ll also include a dollop of lingonberry cream with this, since we Swedes put a bit of sweet cream on most pies and cakes.”

We talk over what my childhood smörgåsbord looked like and wonder how jello salad and au gratin potatoes entered the scene. Can’t help but wonder what we are passing down from our own cultural experience that may get misconstrued in future generations.

As we take our fika together, Ingela adds, “I am passionate about Swedish pastries.” She follows Richard Tellström, a Swedish food historian, and is constantly stretching her own abilities and

understanding of the Swedish baking techniques.

She creatively offers traditions and tastes from her northern Swedish childhood, including cloudberries and lingon.

Ingela says the best sellers at Svenska Café are the cardamom cookies, biskvi made with butter cream, mandelmusslor (sweet almond tarts) and cinnamon buns—with pearl sugar, of course. For a meal, our patrons choose the shrimp sandwich and Viking plate; born Swedes who come always take the rakmakor (shrimp sandwich). Our customers come for the camaraderie no matter their ethnicity … and they come for the delicious baked goods.”

After another deep drink of coffee Ingela fills me in on what special pastries will make it to the glass case for the holiday season. There will be lussebullar (saffron buns, special to the Lucia celebration), almond tarts, the ginger cake with lingon cream and frosted tomtar cookies. Giggling, she and I talk for a minute about how fun it is, albeit a little strange, that the nation has taken on the tomtegubbar as a holiday symbol—referring to the little people clad in pointed hats and beards, referring to them as trolls and gnomes. “So why not, our customers love them!”

Isabel Fernandez joined the community at Svenska Café as a frequent customer but soon found her closest friendships and new business partner. She enhances the business model at the café with her marketing and financial background, and dreams with Christina of the next expansion. Originally from Spain, Isabel, celebrates the Swedish culture as well, saying again “everything about our café may not be Swedish, but it represents who we are and the experience we offer our clientele. I join Christina

in her commitment not to skimp on ingredients or quality for profit. We don’t cut corners. And our customers honor that.”

“What? What is that?” Christina’s eyes light up and her big laugh is contagious. “Swedes might not do that, we do that.”

It’s the camaraderie, the corner bakery feel, the energy of the favorite bar, brought to you by Christina, Isabel, Ingela and the rest of the team. Walk in to Svenska Café this Christmas season (or any other) and you’ll smell “delicious.” It’s cardamom, cinnamon and strong coffee. All your senses will be heightened and you’re going to know that the customers and staff are “glad you came.”

For this Jul 2021 the staff at Svenska Café have embraced the challenge from their bosses: “To present the Christmas Table on one plate for our customers, to offer the Swedish Christmas tastes in a way they haven’t seen before. “We’re giving them Julbord on a plate. Yes. We are.”

In case you’re anywhere nearby, Svenska Café is at 930 E. Maple Rd., Birmingham, MI. For more info, see www.svenska-cafe.com Martha Swanson DECEMBER 15, 2021 11

readers forum

Lean into the light Early in our experience of Reverse Migration, I learned that Swedes indeed have an affinity for leaning into the light, for being outside, for following the sun. Even their holidays are lightcentric. The summer solstice is a huge celebration in which Swedes eat and drink and dance around poles with flowers in their hair staying up long into Midsommar’s early morning. And on December 13 when there’s so little daylight, Lucia’s crown is lit for the whole country to honor. Leaning toward light matters to Swedes!

Sorting through dozens, if not hundreds, of old photos is one of the pastimes around our experience.

We comment on the clothing and examine which baby in the 21st century has the same ears as grandma Jennie from 1890, or the same small strong hands as Ellen who managed the store. We line up photos against each other to see which boy in the family has Sven’s jaw line, and how on earth grown women had such tiny waists and itty-bitty feet pressed into laceup leather boots. We look at the size of this or that tree in the background and we recognize a particular climbing rose is well over 100 years old. But one thing puzzled us. Why did the relatives congregate outside the bathhouse, in the far corner of the yard, away from the houses for picnics and photographs when being closer to the houses would have been much more convenient?

One day in early October just a couple years ago, we were working hard on a project around that old bathhouse-turned-storage shed. It had been vacant for many years and we were just starting its restoration. Envision all manner of tools, furniture and junk from an old barn. We were hauling and lifting and pulling and carrying and digging and shoveling. We were exhausted and tired when I left to prepare a late afternoon fika.

I dug through cupboards for something that could resemble sustenance and a light meal. With little preparation, my large heavy basket held a table linen, plates, cups, treats and coffee. Worn out from our hard day’s work we sat down, broke bread together and relaxed in the late afternoon sunshine; that feeling of sore backs relaxing, letting tired eyes look on something other than the huge task in front of us and dirty hands pouring coffee… And then it hit us.

THIS. This was why those old relatives put in the effort to come together in this particular spot. It’s where the sun shines! The house takes in the morning light and we enjoy nice breakfast coffee there, but in the late afternoon, this is the place to sit with our faces toward the sun.

Swedes have an affinity for leaning into the light.

They celebrate the low winter sun for its few short hours every day. They rest their backs against warm brick walls and let the sun soak their faces. They put snow tires on their bikes and ride to coffee shops 12 NORDSTJERNAN

with outdoor seating when the sun is out on a frigid February day. Most take the entire month of July for a holiday, to spend time outside and days by the sea.

This need for the light nods toward some of the other lessons I’ve learned in our Reverse Migration: rhythms of life; picking vitsippor in the spring and eating ripe fruit when it’s ready; winter is for slowing down, lighting candles, getting cozy, and waiting.

Advent is a season of waiting. Lucia ushers in with her ancient tradition of carrying light into the darkness. Old songs are sung, churches ring with hymns of light, and Swedes acknowledge at their core that, in the words of an American favorite, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that …”

(Martin Luther King, Jr.).

I was told by a young Swedish woman that she envisions her body collecting sunlight during the long summer months when energy and vitamin D are strong with nearly 19 hours of daylight, so that she can sustain the cold, dark winter, conserving energy as she waits for the winter solstice and days to get increasingly longer. I get this. From my American perspective, as I see Swedes posting all manner of lovely, cozy, photos on social media, I envy the warmth. It is lovely. And it is long. Swedes need the warmth and glow of candles and stars and Lucia’s crown. These daily reminders and rituals during winter are sustaining.

The lesson for me? There’s a lot to be said for cozy candle-lit windows. Bending toward the light is life giving and serves as a reminder that we each need a source of warmth. We need it in our bodies. We need it in our spirits: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it.” The Bible: John 1:5.

I take this lesson from the Swedes. I’ll light my candles. And I’ll follow the sun. Like a Swede, when the sun shines, I’ll make it my priority to enjoy it. I’ll try like a Swede not to miss it. I’ll sit outside with my coffee and a blanket in February, I’ll find a warm wall on which to lean as days get longer. I’ll keep candles in my windows in the bleak midwinter and I’ll surely celebrate when the summer sun shines on the faces of all those I love.

Photo: Simon Paulin/Imagebank Sweden

reverse migration Martha Swanson speaks to us about the life lessons coming from her Reverse Migration to the country her ancestors left a long time ago. She lives in Michigan with her husband, Don, and her two rescue pups, Milly and Lyndie. Their adult children live in Sweden, Seattle and Holland, Michigan. Martha contributes regularly about her experiences and life lessons while she examines the lifestyle in the community around her ancestral home, aptly named Solbacka: Sunny Hill. Her return to Småland in 2021 after the long Covid delay confirmed that her heart rests there. “Spending precious time every year at Solbacka with our cousins, friends and married daughter is the highlight and greatest privilege of my life,” she says with a smile, adding, “after my husband and other two children, of course.” Now Martha shares with our readers her perspectives and lessons learned through Reverse Migration.

language & culture

Swedish Ljuskrona, Äppelträd and Änglaspel The concept of Advent is about “waiting,” and according to the Swedish Church, Advent is the Latin word for “arrival” and refers to the arrival of Jesus Christ. The four Sundays of Advent leading up to Christmas are celebrated in one way or another in most Christian countries.

During the four Advent Sundays, the long, dark, cold nights leading to the winter solstice are brightened by the appearance of glowing Christmas candles, stars and Advent decorations illuminating the windows of almost every Swedish store, office building and home. The collective and uniform effect of all these lights creates a magical, warm coziness of Christmas.

The western European and Scandinavian beeswax candle was invented in the Middle Ages, unlike its ancestor the taper, made of tallow (animal fats), which dates back to at least 3000 BC. The candle’s main function is to illuminate the darkness.

In 1783, the Swedish chemist Carl Scheele (1742-1786, best remembered for his role in the discovery of oxygen), as part of his research on soap, boiled olive oil with lead oxide and obtained a sweet-tasting substance that he had called Ölsüss and is now known as glycerin. In 1823, the French chemist Michel-Eugène Chevreul (1786-1889), driven by this discovery, found that it is not the fatty substances that combine with the alkali to form the soap, but that they are first broken down into fatty acids and glycerin (or glycerol). Chevreul was at the origin of the theory of saponification, converting fats into soaps. These two elements were at the base of a massive industrialization of candles and soap.

Inset: an angel chime pattern of 1905 from Adrian & Stock. The Solingen, Germany company was among the first to mass-produce metal candle chimes for the holiday market. Dalaindustrier and the website anglaspel.se offer a variety of chimes, and chimes are available stateside at for instance Hemslojd, Ingebretsens and Al Johnson’s.

Light in the darkness

The candle as we know it was manufactured in the middle of the 19th century and differs from the taper because of its raw material and braided cotton wicks. The weave allows the wick to bend and burn slowly. Those candles have been used in religious rituals and lighting ceremonies for centuries.

Many families in Sweden bring out their ljuskronor (in singular ljuskrona, pronounced “use-kroona”) or “light crown” on Dec. 13 to begin the Christmas season. The candle holders are placed in the center of the dinner table, where they remain until Jan. 13, St. Knute’s Day (Tjugondag Knut). A ljuskrona is a paper wrapped candelabra also used in Swedish-American homes during the Christmas season. They were made by immigrants to America and used in churches and private homes to add elegance to a fruitless prairie existence. They were a reminder of the Christmas celebrations immigrants had attended back home in Sweden. They also brought light and hope with a promise that the following year would be better in the new home.

Christ the appletree Top: the original Blekingeträd, crafted for the local Blekinge Hemslöjd from 1937. Above: A later ljuskrona, likely from the 1960s, by Howard Shogren, a local Lindsborg, Kansas craftsman.

The Shogren family was among the woodworkers who used to supply Aple Trees to Hemslojd.

Once well-known in Sweden, ljuskronor have largely been replaced by the more familiar evergreen Christmas tree. But in Kansas, USA, where pine trees were scarce, Swedish immigrants continued the ljuskrona tradition. Many ljuskronor are handed down from generation to generation.

Homemade traditions adapted the construction and paper wrapping elements to the maker’s own taste, sometimes candle arms indicated the number of family members and space was left for additional members as generations passed. Families created their decorations using branches found in the sparsely wooded prairie during their first years in the United States.

The Ljuskrona Project, Lindsborg, Kansas, with The Smoky Valley Art & Folklife Center was started with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1988 and documented more than 200 ljuskronor found throughout the greater Lindsborg area.

The relationship between the ljuskrona and the apple tree (äppelträd) can be seen in the ljuskrona exhibition by comparing the elements they have in common. Both decorations have candles, both are made to resemble a somewhat abstract suggestion of a tree and both would brighten any space during the dark days and nights of a Swedish or prairie winter.

The origins of the Swedish äppelträd are in southern Sweden, possibly in northern Germany.

There are very old examples of äppelträd in several museums in southern Sweden. Some are plain while others are quite elaborate, requiring not only skill with a lathe and band saw, but also Continues on next page DECEMBER 15, 2021 13

language & culture

Ellen Lindström “The Swedish Meatball”

Adding fun & musical flavor to every event.

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Merry Christmas!

God jul önskar

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Continued from previous page some expertise at hand carving.

One especially grand äppelträd has a chain, carved from one piece of wood that hooks from one apple branch to another.

In the United States there have been several äppelträd makers. The documentation is brief prior to the 1930s. The Lindsborg tradition probably started when American artist Margaret Sandzen Greenough purchased one on a trip to Sweden and then asked a local carpenter to make an exact copy so her Christmas table could have one at each end of the table. From this first copy, a cottage industry was started by area carpenters who needed inside work during the cold months.

Here the original design slowly changed as each carpenter made “Svenska Äpplen” by Görel Näslund, his own special “type.”

Mora, Sweden 2014.

A 1991 copy of Hemslöjden, a magazine published by the Swedish Arts & Crafts Association, includes an article about the custom of creating a Christmas or äppelträd candelabra that was common in the southern Swedish province of Blekinge. The trees were sometimes beautifully painted in many colors, bearing evidence of the artistry of some of the local craftsmen.

Such “trees” were usually only decorated with fresh apples and candles.

Simpler äppelträd could be decorated with all sorts of candies, tissue paper flowers and ribbons. The äppelträd lost ground in Sweden when the Christmas tree became popular around the turn of the century. In recent years, they have seen something of a renaissance. Blekinge County Museum had a beautiful exhibition of äppelträd in 1991. Today, some older and newer models of the trees can still be bought —even here in the United States. The Folklife Institute of Central Kansas has several made by local craftsmen.

The combination of apples and candles for Christmas seems to have retained its meaning for Swedish-Americans, although today the apples

Merry&Bright Spend the holidays at the National Nordic Museum with festive favorites all season long!

Visit us at nordicmuseum.org 14 NORDSTJERNAN

language & culture are sometimes replaced by wooden balls painted red. Apples were once a real delicacy to enjoy in the snowy mid-winter.

Musical candle chimes

The term “angel chimes” (änglaspel), a candle-powered metal whirligig in whatever language, derives not from the design of these toys, but from an ancient popular legend that on Christmas Eve bells throughout the world are rung by angels announcing the birth of the Christ Child.

The legend was revived in Europe in the 19th century, and many pious poems and stories about it survive from that period. The earliest German “Engelgeläute” takes the name from that now-forgotten sentimental tale, and was originally designed specifically to evoke it.

This type of candle chime, its design and its modern name, can be traced to the Westphalian city of Solingen, Germany, 1905, and to the manufacturing firm of Adrian & Stock. The chimes were generally stamped from unadorned flat brass, rather than embossed lithographed tin. Numerous pre-WWII designs included reindeer, larger angels with halos, the sun, a larger version, angelabra, numerous different stars, various lithography, horses and even clowns!

World War II stifled both the export and German domestic markets for candle chimes and other tin toys for a significant period after the war was over. At the same time, it is likely the Adrian & Stock design patents, originally established in 1905, had expired. Swedish and other northern European makers continued to meet a post-war demand for candle chimes, which Germany could not fulfill.

Some sets of typical angel chimes in the Swedish pattern date from the 1960s and 1970s. In addition to the standard angel chime, Avebe of Sweden also offered “giant” angel chimes as well as a design variant which featured a Christmas tree as a base, and a star topper.

In the postwar years, aggressive marketing of simple, well-designed and carefully-engineered “Swedish pattern” candle chimes through Sears (an example from the 1958 Sears “Wish Book”) and other American outlets led to a significant rise in popularity of these bright Jultide toys.

Holiday hours: Tue - Sat 9.30 to 5; Sun 10 to 3.

We are closing our doors after 59 years with a HUGE sale the first two weeks in Jan. Storefront will be open until mid January.

Online sales close Dec.17. Looking forward to seeing you in our store this Holiday Season.

It has been amazing getting to know many of you and all the friendships will be missed.

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510.705.1932 • email: orders@nordichouse.com

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An indigenous Swedish/Scandinavian folk art, i.e. candle illumination, provides continuity in our lives that links the present and the past, is accepted by individuals and then by the group or community.

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God Jul & Gott Nytt År!

349 Main Avenue Norwalk, CT 06851 Phone: 203-529-3244

info@scandinavianbutik.com www.scandinavianbutik.com

DECEMBER 15, 2021 15

language & culture

SweDISHnyc Meatballs

Ingredients 2 pounds ground beef 1/2 cup milk (or heavy cream) 1 onion finely diced and mix the parts you can not chop fine with club soda to make a paste 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs 1 (or 2 eggs depending on size) 1-1/2 tbsp brown mustard pinch of allspice salt and black pepper to taste Instructions - Brown the diced onion soft in oil and butter, salt, pepper and a touch of allspice - Mix milk, the onion-club soda mix, mustard, egg.

- Mix in the bread crumbs and let sit for 10 min.

- Mix in the ground meat and sauteed cold onions.

- Flavor with salt and pepper. Fry a test ball to make sure it taste great.

How can you not trust the recipe from a team that makess 1000 meatballs every week?

16 NORDSTJERNAN

Image courtesy of SweDISHnyc

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Lussekatter (Saffron buns)

Ingredients 1-1/4 cups milk (300 ml) 1 g saffron (.035 ounce) 1-3/4 oz (50 g) fresh yeast 3/4 cup sugar (150 g) 9 Tbsp butter (125 g) 5-1/2 to 5-2/3 cup (700 g) all purpose flour

1 egg 1/2 teaspoon salt raisins (for decoration) Instructions Preheat oven to 475°F / Crumble the yeast in a big bowl / Melt the butter and add the milk, making sure the mixture is about 100°F (37°C). Pour the mixture over the yeast, and stir until yeast is dissolved / Add

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the sugar, the saffron, the salt and then, a little at a time, the flour. Mix into a smooth dough. Cover the dough with a tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes / Knead the dough and divide it into 25-30 pieces and form buns the shape of lussekatter (see image on previous page).

Press raisins in. Cover the buns with the towel and let them rise for another 40 minutes / Beat the egg and brush the buns, then bake for 5-10 minuwtes. Let cool.

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SWEDISH-INSPIRED

Cocktail Party

18 NORDSTJERNAN

The season of celebration is upon us, and it is the perfect opportunity to share a little Scandinavian holiday cheer with friends and family in the form of a cocktail party, which, as most of you know, in Sweden can take the form of a glögg party. As you may remember from earlier years you don’t need much really for an informal glögg party. This year we’re taking a different direction, offering the ingredients for a cocktail party that includes traditional Swedish-Scandinavian tastes but really works equally well before, during or after Christmas. Any of the sandwiches here will also as an appetizer or a late night snack and any of the four Sundays of Advent is the perfect excuse for putting together your own party.

The menu for this particular event includes an assortment of open-faced rye toasts (små smörgåsar) and, instead of heated glögg, a festive lingonberry-infused champagne cocktail which are sure to delight your guests.

Fortunately for you, all the components for the små smörgåsar can be prepared at least a day ahead of time. The toasts themselves can be prepared with homemade bread (see the Easy Overnight Rugbrød recipe included in this article) or you can simply buy a dense rye bread from the grocery store or a local bakery. Little slices of cocktail rye would even work nicely here! Simply assemble the toasts before the party begins and dust off the cocktail shaker and champagne flutes. It’s going to be a memorable evening!

Menu Swedish 75 co cktail

Roasted butter nut squash and ricotta ry e toasts Roasted beet and goat cheese ry e toasts

Smoked salm on, apple fenn el salad and hors eradish cream rye toas ts Roast beet an d Danish remoulade ry e toasts

Swedish 75

Makes 2 servings This easy and refreshing Swedish 75 is a delicious Scandinavian take on that iconic champagne cocktail know as the French 75. A bright and citrus-y concoction of fresh lemon juice, gin, lingonberry preserves and sparkling wine, this rosy-hued, Nordic berry-infused cocktail is sure to get your evening started on a festive Scandinavian note.

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 6 tablespoons gin 2 tablespoons lingonberry jam Ice cubes for shaking 1/2 cup dry sparkling wine, chilled Frozen lingonberries or a twist of lemon peel for garnish (optional) Combine lemon juice, gin and lingonberry jam in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a champagne flute and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with lingonberries or lemon peel if desired. Serve.

’Tis the season of making Swedish meatballs … so, it goes without saying that if you have some leftover meatballs languishing in the fridge, it’s nothing to worry about. In fact, consider yourself lucky. You have the makings of another easy and delicious Swedish meatball open sandwich: Swedish meatball smörgås with creamy pickled beet salad (the latter beet salad also an additional staple on many a Swedish julbord).

The recipe on page 23 is also from our favorite Omaha chef Kristi Bissel and while this sandwich looks unusual and you are probably thinking she just made this up, we can assure you it is one of the classics. Kristi herself thinks of it as a Scandinavian version of the American meatloaf sandwich albeit a lot more beautiful and interesting. The beet salad is easy, colorful and tasty and if you haven’t held on to Kristi’s recipe for pickled beets from Nordstjernan issue 13, 2020, for instance Felix Red Beets (Swedish, pickled) can be ordered or picked up from any of our advertising food stores. And just in case you haven’t yet made the meatballs or didn’t try Kristi’s veggie meatballs earlier in the fall and want to try them now, we’ve included swedishnyc chefs Ulrika and Gisela’s (p8) recipe for Swedish Meatballs on page 16. Think about it, if you make one thousand meatballs every week you’re bound to master the taste for the ultimate Swedish meatball … /Ed. DECEMBER 15, 2021 19

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Easy Overnight Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød) Makes 1 (13”) loaf

Ingredients For the soaker: 2-1/2 cups 7 grain hot cereal mix such as Bob’s Red Mill brand or rye chops (see note below) 1 cup sunflower seeds 1 cup pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup flax seeds 2-2/3 cups cold water For the dough: 2 cups dark rye flour (I use the Bob’s Red Mill brand), plus more for dusting the pan and loaf 2 cups bread flour 1 teaspoon instant dried yeast 1-1/2 cups cold water 4 teaspoons fine salt 1/4 cup molasses butter for greasing the pan Special equipment needed: Stand mixer 13” x 4” Pullman loaf pan with lid For the soaker: Combine all the soaker ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight, or 8-12 hours.

For the dough: Combine both flours, yeast and water in a bowl separate from the soaker. Stir to combine as best you can (mixture will be thick) and then knead briefly with your hands until you have a cohesive mixture.

Dough will be very thick and clay-like in texture. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature overnight, or 8-12 hours.

Rye Toasts

Makes 12 small toast squares 3 thin slices dense rye bread such as Easy Overnight Rugbrød (see recipe)* *one loaf of this bread can make up to 40-50 very thin slices of bread.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted Coarse salt - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut each slice of bread into 4 small squares or triangles and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the bread with butter and season with salt.

- Bake the toasts until darker brown in color and beginning to crisp up around the edges, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

- Toasts can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature before adding sandwich toppings.

20 NORDSTJERNAN

- Grease a 13” x 4” Pullman loaf pan with butter and dust with rye flour, including the lid. Set aside. Combine the soaker, flour mixture, salt and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit mixer with paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 2-3 minutes until everything is thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time. Increase speed to medium and mix for an additional 2-3 minutes, stopping to occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mixture will be quite sticky.

- Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Smooth out the top and sift a thin layer of rye flour over the surface of the dough. Place lid on pan and let the dough rise for 1.5 - 3 hours at room temperature or until it is about 1/2 inch from the top of the pan. The time that takes for your dough to rise will largely depend on the temperature of the dough and your kitchen.

- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500°F. Bake loaf with the lid on for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 400°F and continue to bake, covered, for an additional 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven and carefully slide off the lid. Reduce temperature to 300°F and bake uncovered for an additional 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and turn out loaf onto a metal cooling rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.

Return the bread to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

- Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool completely before slicing, at least 2-3 hours. Rye bread is even better a day or two after baking. If you can wait until the following day, loosely wrap the loaf in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil after it has cooled completely and store it at room temperature for an additional 12-24 hours before slicing. The bread will keep at room temperature for 3-4 days wrapped in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for longer storage.

Rugbrød is traditionally made with rye chops, uniformly cut pieces of rye grain. They are available through King Arthur Flour’s online store at www.kingarthurflour.com. Because rye chops are difficult to find, I call for using a whole grain hot cereal mix such as Bob’s Red Mill’s 7 grain cereal mix. These mixes contain a variety of coarsely milled whole grains, including rye, and make a fine stand-in for rye chops.

Roasted Squash and Ricotta Rye Toasts Makes 12 small toast servings

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into half-inch squares 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 3/4 cup ricotta cheese (preferably whole milk) squeeze of fresh lemon juice 12 rye toasts (see separate recipe) chopped fresh thyme and crispy fried onions for serving - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread the squash in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the squash is tender and golden brown, 25-35 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly. (The squash can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead and stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator).

- Whisk together the ricotta cheese, remaining tablespoon of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (The ricotta mixture can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead and stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator).

- To assemble the toasts, place a few cubes of roasted squash on each rye toast. Top with a spoonful of ricotta and sprinkle thyme and crispy onions over the top. Serve.

Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Rye Toasts Makes 12 small toasts

1 medium or 2 small beets (any color is fine), scrubbed and trimmed 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on beets coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 1 small shallot, minced 1/2 teaspoon honey 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 12 Rye Toasts (see included recipe) 5 ounces soft goat cheese 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted - Preheat oven to 400°F. Place beets on a large piece of foil, drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, rub the oil onto the surface of the beets. Create a pouch by folding the foil over them and sealing the edges. Place the pouch on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Roast beets for 45-60 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Smaller beets will take less time than larger ones.

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- Remove beets from the oven and open the pouch. Let cool before handling. When the beets are cool enough to work with, rub off the skin with a paper towel. Cut the beets into ½-inch cubes. Set aside. (Beets can be prepared and cut up to 24 hour hours in advance and stored tightly covered in the refrigerator.)

- Make the vinaigrette: Whisk together the shallot, vinegar and honey in a small bowl. Slowly add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and whisk to combine.

Season with salt and pepper, and set aside. (Vinaigrette can be prepared up to 24 hour hours in advance and stored tightly covered in the refrigerator.)

- Assemble the toasts: Toss the beets with the vinaigrette and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread a layer of goat cheese on each Rye Toast. Top with roasted beets and toasted almonds. Serve.

DECEMBER 15, 2021 21

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Smoked Salmon, Apple Fennel Salad and Horeseradish Cream Rye Toasts Makes 12 small toasts

1 package (4 ounces) cold-smoked salmon Apple Fennel Salad, recipe follows Horesradish Cream, recipe follows 12 Rye Toasts (see included recipe) Dill sprigs for serving For the Apple Fennel Salad: 1 granny smith apple, cored and cut into thin matchsticks 2 tablespoons fresh fennel, finely chopped 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Coarse salt to taste For the Horesradish Cream: 1/4 cup creme fraiche 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste - Make the Apple Fennel Salad: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir gently. Season to taste with salt. (Apple Fennel Salad can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored tightly covered in the refrigerator).

- Make the Horseradish Cream: Combine creme fraiche and horseradish together in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Horseradish Cream can be prepared 24 hours in advance and stored tightly covered in the refrigerator).

- Assemble the toasts: Top each Rye Toast with smoked salmon, a little Apple Fennel Salad and a dollop of Horseradish Cream. Garnish each with a dill sprig and serve.

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Roast Beef and Danish Remoulade Rye Toasts Makes 12 small toasts

1/4 pound thinly sliced best quality roast beef A handful or two of baby arugula leaves or other small lettuces 12 Rye Toasts (see included recipe) Danish Remoulade, recipe below Store bought crispy fried onions For the Danish Remoulade: 1/4 cup prepared mayonnaise 1 tablespoon skyr or greek yogurt 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard 2 teaspoons capers, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon dill pickles, finely chopped 2 teaspoons shallot, finely chopped 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Text and photography by subscriber/ contributor Kristi Bissell. For more inspired Scandinavian cooking, check Kristi’s True North Kitchen blog which offers a sampling of recipes with a true Nordic feel. See www.true-north-kitchen.com 22 NORDSTJERNAN

Prepare the Danish Remoulade: Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl. Stir until incorporated. (The remoulade can be made 24 hours ahead of time and stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.)

Assemble: Arrange a few leaves of arugula on each piece of toast. Top with roast beef and a dollop of Danish Remoulade. Sprinkle with crispy fried onions. Serve.

Swedish Meatball Smörgås with Creamy Pickled Beet Salad

This smörgås starts with buttered dense rye bread, as so many of them do. From there you add a handful or two of baby lettuces or arugula and a generous spoonful of a simple creamy beet salad. A few cold sliced meatballs finish it off with a dill sprig or a little chopped parsley or chives for garnish. Lunch is served.

Since its inception, the Nordic open sandwich has been intended as a creative vehicle for leftovers. This gorgeous and tasty Swedish meatball sandwich is the perfect example of Scandinavian leftovers done right.

Ingredients For the sandwiches: 2 thin slices dense rye bread butter for spreading a handful of baby arugula leaves or other baby lettuces Creamy Pickled Beet Salad recipe (follows) 4-8 leftover Easy Swedish Meatballs sliced Dill sprigs, chopped parsley or chives for serving

Instructions Make the Creamy Pickled Beet Salad: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.

Assemble the Sandwiches: Transfer bread slices to a clean work surface. Butter the bread and top with a handful of arugula, a generous spoonful of Creamy Pickled Beet Salad. Artfully arrange meatball slices on top. Garnish with herbs and serve.

For the Creamy Pickled Beet Salad: 1/2 cup pickled beets cut into ½-inch pieces 1 tablespoon prepared mayonnaise 1 tablespoon creme fraiche or sour cream

DECEMBER 15, 2021 23

language & culture

The ride to Julottan, Christmas morning August Strindberg has described a Julotta from the end of the 19th century in his short story Per och Pål.

He recalls the sights and sounds as the horses’ hooves echo when the sleigh goes over the bridge, noting the occasional lights coming from the small houses.

In the distance the morning star shines beautifully.

As the last curve in the road is reached, the church is seen in all its glory. Torches have been tossed into a bonfire where the drivers warm themselves after they have tied up the horses in the church stalls.

As the church bell rings again everyone goes into the church. It is cold but people are warmed by the companionship and the sermon and songs. The children have a good deal to look at as they go around greeting each other and are amazed by the lights.

Wallquist in Växjö stated that in the parish of Älghult it had been only eight years since Julotta had been changed from midnight to 4:00 in the morning.

The majority of the parishes in Småland seemed to have preferred the earlier Julotta and it was not easy to get them to change. The most dramatic reaction was in Angelstad where the parishioners threatened to take back the candlesticks and chandeliers they had given the church if the time for the Julotta was changed.

The situation was different in the old Danish provinces. In Lund in 1555 at the meeting of priests, Julotta was in principle forbidden. Perhaps it was because in early days Julotta had communion associated with it and this was supposed to be preceded by fasting.

The celebration of Christmas Eve with much food and drink did not fit well with that concept, either.

When these provinces became Swedish in was a long time before Julotta was reintroduced. As late as 1821 there were few parishes in Skåne which had the custom and in some places it was as late as the beginning of the 20th century before it was taken up.

Midnight mass to early Julotta

Julotta in a Swedish country church is considered so typically Swedish that it used to be pictured in publications abroad. Almost always the picture showed a horse and sled with the passengers holding torches. This detail from the past inspires many Swedes to attend an early Christmas morning service even if they are not religious. The tradition belongs to Christmas like ham, rice pudding and glögg do.

In looking for the origins of the tradition one finds that it almost certainly originated in the Catholic midnight mass. During Catholic times it was permitted to celebrate three masses on Christmas Day, a midnight mass, an early morning mass and then a high mass later in the afternoon. But since people had to travel great distances, services began to be held closer together. Midnight mass was the beginning of what eventually became known as Julotta.

Racing home from Julottan

Big differences among provinces

The Julotta traditions are not the same all over Sweden, however. The difference is reflected by local interests, with especially early celebrations in Småland and Dalarna.

In the church law of 1686, which in some cases is still valid, it is stated that Julotta should begin at 6:00 in the morning. But as late as 1787, Bishop

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Not missing a beat for 149 years.

The race from Julottan seems to have arisen from an old idea that the farmer who came home first from the service would get his harvest in first in the fall.

Therefore it was an all-out race, with many stories told about how various farmers tried to be first. One, it was said, waited until everyone else was in the church and then mixed up the shafts of the other sleds. It took the others some time to get their gear sorted out and the perpetrator got home first.

Another humorous story was that of the farmer who without any tricks was in the lead on the trip home with his wife by his side in the sleigh. The sleigh turned over in a snowdrift and the farmer left both the sleigh and his wife in the snowdrift while he rode back to the village.

When he got home, he turned around and went back to pick up the sleigh and set his wife back on the seat — and drove home again. He did not even get scolded by his wife, who praised him for having arrived home before the others in the village.

Not without danger

Hurrying back from Julotta didn’t always end well, as is recorded on a commemorative plaque at a grave in the Grangärde cemetery in Dalarna. The plaque reads: “Here rest 10 of the 11 passengers from the Finnmark area, aged 4 to 71, who along with two horses, drowned in lower Noren Lake on the sleigh ride home from Julotta in 1865.”

This type of accident was of course exceptional.

However, popular legends often told of the risks of arriving to church too early for julotta. One legend tells of the young girl who came very early to secure a seat. Much to her surprise she found the church Continues on next page

Are you considering studying or doing research at Stockholm University?

The positive incentives are numerous.

Stockholm University offers an international environment with fantastic opportunities that appeal to students all over the world. And Stockholm, considered one of the most inclusive and welcoming cities in the world, is also famous for its start-up scene and innovations. Furthermore, almost everyone speaks English. Here are five great reasons to apply to Stockholm University.

Stockholm University is one of the world’s 200 highest-ranked universities and one of Europe’s 50 best universities. Shanghai Jiao Tong University produces the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). It measures quality of research, including indicators such as the number of alumni and employed researchers who have won Nobel Prizes, highly cited researchers, and articles published in Nature and Science. In the ARWU from 2021, Karolinska Institute ranked first among Swedish universities, and 42nd in the world; Stockholm University ranked second in Sweden and 74th globally; Uppsala University was third in Sweden and 78th in the world. QS ranks Stockholm University as number one in Sweden in Arts and Humanities. Five disciplines at Stockholm University are ranked among the top 50 in the world: environmental science, social policy and administration, sociology, geography, and geophysics. Read More > The Nobel Prize. At Stockholm University professors who teach students are among those who also nominate Nobel Laureates. Several professors are on committees that nominate the laureates for Nobel prizes and the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. The chairman of the committee for the award in physics and the secretary for the prize in chemistry are currently both professors at SU. Four researchers at Stockholm University have received the Nobel Prize – all in chemistry, and one of the University’s researchers, Gunnar Myrdal, has received the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences. In addition, Nobel Laureate Tomas Tranströmer studied and worked at Stockholm University. Read More >

Stockholm is built on 14 islands and is often called the Venice of the North. Photo: Jeppe Wikström

First-class education and excellent research conditions – in English. SU’s courses and programs are among the most sought-after at any Swedish university. There are over 75 international Master’s programs in natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and law. All are taught in English.

Education and research are closely linked at Stockholm University. Students have close contact with leading researchers and access to the most recent scientific findings. Renowned researchers describe meetings with students among the most satisfying aspects of their work.

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The deadline for applying for autumn 2022 courses and programs is January 17, 2022. To apply as an international student, please visit www.su.se/study where you can create an account, search for and apply to courses and programs, and find additional information about applying to higher education in Sweden.

At Stockholm University, tuition varies according to the course or program of study. The price per academic year for studies within the humanities/social sciences/law is SEK 90,000 (roughly $10,000) and within the sciences SEK 140,000 (approximately $16,000). Some programs have special prices in the above range, and a few programs offered in collaboration with other universities have higher tuition fees. There is also an application fee of SEK 900, paid directly to University Admissions in Sweden to have your application processed.

Doctoral courses are free for all international students. In Sweden, the university or external financiers usually pay for doctoral positions, so you study for free and also earn an income. Additionally, there is a variety of scholarship options available to American students.

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language & culture Continued from previous page full of people. She found a spot in a row where a very old woman sat.

Looking around she realized she knew everyone but they were all among the dead and buried in the nearby cemetery.

The priest who climbed up into the pulpit had also been dead for many years. The old woman next to her bent over and whispered, “Drape the shawl loosely over your shoulders.” The girl looked up to recognize her grandmother, also long dead. As she cautiously got up to leave, the dead tried to capture her but the shawl became their only catch. When the regular church visitors arrived, the torn shawl was found all over the graves.

The legend, called the “Julotta of the Dead,” was widespread in Sweden and has its origin in a tale from the Middle Ages, albeit not about Julotta but about a Saints sermon of a more devout character.

There are such tales from the early years but the general picture of Julotta is the happy one with the families riding in the sleighs in the early morning to attend a church service. After the long Christmas Eve celebration, some may have needed the crisp, cold air to consider and enjoy a more sober Christmas celebration. n

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Sip Swedish through the holidays

on the east coast, sign up at www.gloggclub.com to order your own wherever you are. Our tip: Add a splash of black rum to the Sjöblom Glögg, some brown sugar and the spices listed below (all to taste, and trust us when we say constantly tasting your very own is part of the fun).

In case you’re making your own, here’s the recipe for an old-fashioned glögg: Half a cup of vodka - remember to sip resposibly! (you can also use rum, whiskey or brandy) 5 cinnamon sticks 20 cloves 1 piece of fresh ginger 1 teaspoon crushed cardamom kernels 1 bitter orange peel 1 bottle of red wine (not too strong or rich) 1 cup + 2 oz sugar vanilla blanched almonds and raisins

Swedes drink a lot of glögg around Christmas. There are as many kinds of glögg — with alcohol and without — as there are people making it, sometimes with red wine or vodka, cloves or cinnamon, almonds or raisins. While most of us may prefer our own home-made concoctions when it comes to glögg, we have to say Sjöblom Glögg is a nice addition to any holiday event. It’s well balanced, mildly spiced and with a core flavor of wine—and a quite lovely wine at that. Many of you may have already tasted the glögg made of Swedish California grapes from Napa Valley’s Sjoeblom Winery. Wine- turned also glögg-maker Mike Sjöblom spent several days with a glögg flavoring specialist, a mixologist at a company specializing in developing glögg flavors in Sweden.

Hundreds of blends were tasted, refined, retested, blended and finally approved to make the first winebased glögg produced in the U.S. to reach market.

This year, with fewer Christmas events, especially

Mix the alcohol and spices in a jar, cover with lid and put in the fridge overnight. Shake the jar occasionally. Let the mixture pass through a coffee filter until you get a clear, golden liquid. Never be afraid of experimenting with the amount of every ingredient to find your own favorite taste! Heat this liquid with the red wine, sugar and vanilla. Serve the hot glögg with blanched almonds and raisins.

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Promoting Swedish/Nordic heritage and culture St. Thomas Lutheran Church Route 59 East, Central Nyack, NY Meetings 2nd Saturday of the month 1:00 pm Contact RasmussenTRE@gmail.com

God Jul och Gott Nytt År Jeanne Dragspel@aol.com

to all our friends!

VOA Barnklubben

Elsa Rix #1 516-565-2091

God Jul och Gott Nytt År

District Lodge No. 1, VOA

Sweden Day New York Committee www.swedendayny.com

DECEMBER 15, 2021 27

Illustration: Jenny Nyström

God Jul

VASA ORDER OF AMERICA

Merry Christmas

feature

God Jul & Gott Nytt År

God Jul Gott Nytt År

Consulate General of Sweden 505 Sansome Street San Francisco

Swedish Club of San Francisco and the Bay Area

Barbro, Liza, Kristina & Lotta

Eva, Oskar & Nils Welin

God Jul och Gott Nytt År IN AND AVIA N SC

YOU

UB CL

NG

t t y N t Got r! Å

S

l u J God och

W

WW

.YSC.OR

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YOUNG SCANDINAVIANS CLUB SAN FRANCISCO

Ted & Astrid Olsson Zander, Cam, Eleanor & Josephine Juli, Ryan & Calder

God Jul & Gott Nytt År

Wishing everyone a Wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year Evert “Andy” Andersson

SAN FRANCISCO & LOS ANGELES

önskar er alla

En Välsignad Jul och Ett Gott Nytt År

önskar

Through

NORDSTJERNAN 1.800.827.9333 Ext 10

The Swedish Newspaper in America wishes all friends happy holidays En riktigt God Jul och Gott Nytt År!

www.nordstjernan.com 28 NORDSTJERNAN

Celebrating 125 years “Christmas is a piece of one’s home that one carries in one’s heart.” – Freya Stark

OCH GOTT NYTT ÅR! www.nordicnorthwest.org

God Jul God Jul Gott Nytt År

Glad Jul och Gott Nytt År! tillönskas Vasamedlemmar och övriga föreningsmedlemmar av Fylgia Lodge Nr. 119 V.O.A. Scott Schulkin, Ordförande Roxanne Schulkin, Sekreterare

Wishing all our friends A Very Merry Christmas and A Prosperous & Healthy New Year

The Talbot Family Carol, Kurt, Marilyn, Erika Christopher & Stephanie, Alexandra, Kaley, Audrey, Layla & Wayne Wood

önskar Board of Directors and members The Swedish Society of San Francisco

Björn och Inger Skogström

GOD JUL

Zaida Singers

AnnMarie, Karen Richard III, Rick Dylan, Jeff, Elise, Stephanie & Bryan

God Jul och Gott Nytt År

En riktigt

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

The Van Horns

God Jul och Gott Nytt År

God Jul & Gott Nytt År

och

GOTT

NYTT ÅR önskar LISA WIBORG

www.sacc-sf.org

DECEMBER 15, 2021 29

news in brief

UNMISTAKABLY

SWEDISH Maybe it’s the attention to detail. Or the fact that it’s made with only the finest ingredients. Or maybe you can taste just a hint of the clean air and fresh water of home.

Whatever it is, there’s no mistaking any other tobacco for the Original Swedish Snus.

Sleep in a Moose: If you’ve ever wanted to sleep inside a moose (you heard that right) your wishes could come true. World-championship chainsaw artist, Sören Niklasson, has created moose out of wood that you can stay in. Located outside a moose park in Falköping, the largest structure is 15 meters square and can comfortably sleep five people. For more info and to book your next exotic B&B, see www.wragarden.se

©2021 Swedish Match North Europe AB

Learn more at GeneralSnus.com

DID YOU KNOW?

WARNING: Smokeless tobacco is addictive.

30 NORDSTJERNAN

Sleep in a moose and wake up among the moose in the game preserve next door.

Every time!

NORDSTJERNAN: 1.800.827.9333

language & culture

Lesson 37 Adverb Discover Swedish is not a regular language course.

Teachers and other professionals in the language field may object to the fact that it leaves out bits and pieces, and simplifies language learning. That is a calculated move: These lessons are for regular readers, maybe even beginners, trying to get a grip on another language.

Subscribers eager to look back at earlier lessons, numbers 1-23, please check our online digital content in issues 16-18, 2019 and 01-18, 2020 along with 1-17/2021: www.nordstjernan.com/ digital_issues Apart from grammar and the overall structure of

Swedish, these lessons also teach how to use your own experience with vocabulary. Discover Swedish demonstrates shortcuts, mainly based on the influences of Latin and Greek—languages that are the foundation of English, Swedish and the Germanic languages. The lessons include crosswords, fill-in sections, personal questions, Odd Man Out, word groups, jokes, silly translations, short texts, all in a kind of Swedish atmosphere. By partaking in Discover Swedish you will no doubt get a grip on Swedish and you may even learn about svenska (the language) och svenskarna (the people of Sweden).

Christer Amnéus

Exercise 1: Snabb eller snabbt / Quick or quickly.

Fyll i -t eller sätt - / Fill in (Swedish equivalent to) –ly or nothing.

Sarah är trevlig (adjektiv: vad är hon?). Sarah sjunger trevligt (adverb: hur sjunger hon?)/Sarah is nice (adjective: what is she?). Sarah sings nicely (How does she sing?).

Adverb kan svara på frågan när, hur, var. /Adverbs may answer the questions when, how, where among other ways.

Adjectives: Han är snäll. De är långsamma. Vi är trevliga. / He is kind. They are slow. We are nice.

Adverbs: Han pratar snällt. De arbetar långsamt.

Vi äter trevligt. / He speaks kindly. They work slowly. We eat nicely.

NB: Adverbs often take –t in Swedish and –ly in English, but many words don’t (They drive fast, she works hard).

Michael är snäll___ . Susan äter långsam___ . De joggar lång___ . Ordförråd /Vocabulary - tydlig: distinct, clear, arg: angry, randig: Vi pratar tydlig___ . Jag är arg___ . Katten är brun___ . striped, försiktig: careful, handla: Tigern är randig___ . Jag tänker försiktig___ . (here) act (could also mean shop) Min mamma är lojal___ . De handlar brutal___ .

Exercise 2: Ett ungt par /A young couple Prova nu att översätta / Now try your hand at translating.

Sven är svensk och Johanna är svensk-amerikan. De bor vackert i Malmö. Han är ny ingenjör och hon är ny doktor. De har ett hus nära Öresundsbron. Den lilla familjen har också en grå hund. På lördag och söndag joggar paret långt längs med kusten eller promenerar raskt i staden.

Ordförråd /Vocabulary - vacker: beautiful, bro: bridge, liten (lilla): small, grå: gray, längs med: along kust: coast, promenera: take a walk, rask: quick, stad: town, city

Silly translation: “I love your overcast”

Fler övningar på sidan 25 / More exercises on page 25.

Augusta’s Daughter Ever wonder what made so many emigrate from Sweden in the nineteenth century?

Judit Martin’s novel, “Augusta’s Daughter,” about 19th century Swedish peasant life made such an impression on us, we decided to offer it to the Nordstjernan readership. call 1.800.827.9333 for your own copy ($27.40 incl. S&H to cont. U.S.).

The sequel,

Kajsa

was just released. The story of 15-year-old Elsa-Carolina’s illegitimate daughter Kajsa,who was cast out into the world from a foster home at the age of 8.

Sammanfattning/Conclusion: Sann, snäll, positiv är adjektiv / True, kind, positive are adjectives.

They take –a in the plural (sanna, snälla, positiva) Sant, snällt, positivt är adverb / Truly, kindly, positively are adverbs.

(NB: Mitt hus är gult, havet är blått, vädret är stormigt. Ett-nouns take –t, remember? But they are adjectives.)

Please send me ____ book(s) “Augusta’s Daughter” x $27.40 = _______ Please send me ____ book(s) “Kajsa” x $27.40 =

Incl. S&H (in continental U.S.)

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Name Address City State Zip Tel. m Check enclosed payable to Nordstjernan m Please charge my credit card: Card# Signature

Exp. Date:

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DECEMBER 15, 2021 31

local events

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[The] Swede was written with the intent of introducing Sweden and Swedes to English speakers. It’s personal and informal and inspired by the author’s perspective of a country he loves dearly. Smörgåsbord, ombudsman and of course fika are words that were eventually adopted into English; and [The] Swede will introduce you to the rest—from allemansrätt to housewives, hugging, humor and husesyn—what does it mean to be un-Swedish? What about Swedish sin, is it a real thing?

Are Swedes boring? Are they serious? Does a person bring bananas to a dinner party?

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language & culture Exercise 3: Min åsikt/My opinion Rätt eller fel/Right or wrong (R) or (F)?

1 New York Rangers spelar tufft.

R F

2 Rapmusik är intressant.

R F

3 Joyce Carol Oates skriver fantastiskt.

R F

4 Los Angeles är en vacker stad.

R F

5 En alligator kan vara farlig.

R F

6 Amerikaner äter med gaffel (sällan utan kniv).

R F

7 Bruce Springsteen är populär hos alla.

R F

8 Amerikaner älskar söt mat.

R F

Ordförråd /Vocabulary - farlig: dangerous, gaffel: fork, sällan: seldom, kniv: knife, söt: sweet, mat: food

KEY 1: Snabb eller snabbt/Quick or quickly.

Michael är snäll. Susan äter långsamt. De joggar långt. Vi pratar tydligt.

Jag är arg. Katten är brun. Tigern är randig. Jag tänker försiktigt.

Min mamma är lojal. De handlar brutalt.

Exercise 4. On the silly side Varför bet du din morbror i benet?

Han behandlade mig som en hund.

Continued from page 23

Ordförråd /Vocabulary - varför: why bet: bit , ben: leg, behandla: trea, som en: like a

“En Svensk Tiger” was a slogan and image that became part of a propaganda campaign in Sweden during World War II. Its goal was to prevent espionage by encouraging secrecy. In Swedish, the word svensk can mean both the adjective “Swedish” and the noun “Swede” while tiger can mean either the noun for the animal or the present tense of the verb tiga (“to keep silent” or more colloquially to “keep one’s mouth shut”), giving the poster the double meaning “a Swedish tiger” or “a Swede keeps silent.” The phrase is comparable in use to “loose lips sink ships” in the U.S.

KEY 2: Ett ungt par/A young couple Sven is Swedish and Johanna is Swedish-American. They live beautifully in Malmö. He is a new engineer and she is a new doctor (physician). They have a house near the Öresund Bridge. The small family also has a gray dog. On Saturdays and Sundays the couple jogs along the coast or takes a quick walk in town.

KEY 4: On the silly side Why did you bite your uncle in the leg?

He treated me like a dog.

KEY for silly translation: “I love your overcast” would be “jag älskar ditt överkast,” in other words “I love your duvet.”

“Duvet” is “överkast” in Swedish, has nothing to do with Swedes’ favorite subject, the weather.

Välkommen till nästa övning / Welcome to the next exercise: Personliga pronomen / Personal pronouns in Nordstjernan No. 1, 2022.

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DECEMBER 15, 2021 33

viewpoints

Sweden’s new Prime Minister: Magdalena Andersson Sweden has a new prime minister. Magdalena Andersson, representing the Social Democrats, is the first woman ever to serve as prime minister in Sweden.

It may seem strange that it has taken until now to make this breakthrough, especially since Sweden has long been at the forefront of equality between men and women.

Magdalena Andersson, 54, has a master’s degree from the Stockholm School of Economics. She spent most of her professional life in government quarters. She worked in the prime minister’s office 19962004, advanced to Under Secretary in the ministry of Finance 2004-2006, became director of Skatteverket (the Swedish IRS), and was appointed Minister of Finance in the Stefan Löfven government in the fall of 2014. So, for the last seven years, including the period of the pandemic, she has led Swedish economic policy. Now she resumes the role of prime minister, after having been elected new chairman of the Social Democratic party at its congress in November.

The road was not easy for Andersson through the process in parliament, the “Riksdag,” which elects the prime minister. In Riksdagen, the non-socialist parties occupy close to 60 percent of the seats. But the Center party (which used to be the party for farmers) does not want to have anything to do with the anti-immigration party Sverigedemokraterna (Sweden Democrats). So they have preferred to let the Social Democrats—the traditional power party in Swedish politics—govern with support also from the Green party and Left party (former communists).

The real policy majority became evident, though, when parliament voted on the state budget for 2022. The budget proposal formed by an alliance of Moderates, Christian Democrats and Sweden Democrats was adopted by parliament, rejecting the budget bill from the government. In the wake of that decision, the Greens decided to leave their coalition with the Social Democrats, with the argument that they cannot take responsibility for a budget formed by the opposition. In particular, the Greens objected to a reduction of the high Swedish gasoline tax given their view on climate change.

The end result was a new one-party government 34 NORDSTJERNAN

The Prime Minister’s Office (Swedish: Statsrådsberedningen) and the Government Offices (Swedish: Regeringskansliet) are in a building called Rosenbad, designed by the architect Ferdinand Boberg, and completed in 1902. It is located close to the Sager House, the official residence of the Prime Minister. The Riksdag building and the Royal Palace are located just across the waters of Stockholms ström. Photo: Martina Huber/Regeringskansliet

led by Magdalena Andersson.

In less than a year—September 2022—Sweden holds a general election for a new four-year period, 2022-2026. Magdalena Andersson has been accepted as prime minister during this campaign period. What will happen after the election is totally unclear. She had to promise the Left party a strong future influence in order to get its support for her election as prime minister. That move is not

Uncertainty, not to say confusion, characterizes the Swedish political scene. liked by the Center party, which is a pro-market party in its economic policies. The Center party, led by the young and charismatic Annie Lööf, is assumed to be in a pivotal position also after the 2022 election. Will it allow the Moderate party leader Ulf Kristersson to take over the reign of government, or continue to let the left govern in a country with a strong non-socialist majority?

Nobody knows, not even the Center party itself.

Uncertainty, not to say confusion, characterizes the Swedish political scene. Eight parties are currently represented in parliament, and three of

them—the Greens, Christian Democrats and Liberals—are close to falling below the threshold of four percent needed for gaining any seats in parliament.

The issues the electorate is most concerned about are crime and immigration. Sweden has experienced a wave of gang wars and shootings which has dominated media and shaken the population. This wave is closely connected to the immigrant communities, so the two issues merge.

Most parties have proclaimed the need to increase the number of police as well as sharpen the legal sanctions for youth crimes in particular. But due to long neglect, it is hard to recruit enough of police and to turn the tide of gang violence, also connected to drug wars.

This is not the Sweden we knew.

At the same time, the rest of the economy is booming—and with nearly no unemployment among native Swedes. Sweden has become a socially polarized country, with two completely different realities existing simultaneously.

Hans Bergstrom Former editor of Dagens Nyheter, the Swedish daily

news in brief

Swedish News Sweden’s new government

The minority government in Sweden, which now consists of only one party, the Social Democrats, has taken office after a sea of chaotic events. The prime minister must govern Sweden on a conservative budget. The evening before the PM’s vote in the Riksdag on November 24, Magdalena Andersson agreed with the left on pensions. The left as well as the Center Party voted for Andersson and she was first elected prime minister on November 24, but the Green Party left the government a few hours later when the government’s budget was voted down. Instead the alternative budget proposed by Moderates, Christian Democrats and Sweden Democrats was voted through. Therefore, after a few hours, Andersson had to resign before she was re-elected by the Riksdag on November 29. Andersson will be the first party leader in 15 years to be allowed to rule with a one-party government. “It felt great last week and it feels great today,” said the newly elected prime minister after the vote in the Riksdag. “Sweden is ready to take on the challenges we face,” she continued. According to Andersson, the three most important priorities for the new minority government will be to regain control of welfare, increase the pace of climate change and break the severe violence.

Corona virus update in Sweden

The omicron virus variant has been found in Sweden.

The first cases involved travelers to southern Africa.

“It was expected that we would also find cases in Sweden because it has been discovered in several other countries in Europe,” said Karin Tegmark Wisell, director general of the Swedish Public Health Agency (FHM). A total of 15,164 people have so far died from the virus in Sweden; a total of 1,209,935 people have had confirmed infections. 84.1% of the population over the age of 16 have received at least one dose of vaccine, 79.3% have received two.

Women on boards rarely owners

Executives in Swedish companies often have an ownership interest in companies in which they operate. Of that ownership, men represent 99.3% and women 0.7%, according to a report by the AllBright Foundation on women’s positions in business. Men hold 91% of the listed companies’ chairmanships and 74% of the board seats. According to the report, women have been hired in leading positions without any change in ownership. The fact that men start companies and continue to run them after an IPO is pointed out as one reason for the unequal distribution.

Swedes smoke the least

Only 6.4% of Sweden’s population over the age of 15 smoked cigarettes daily in 2019, according to the EU’s statistical unit Eurostat. There are fewer people smoking in Sweden than in any other county in the EU.

New look for Swedish passports

The Swedish passports and ID cards will have a new look from January 1, 2022. Security will be improved and the documents will be adorned with birds and trees. To increase security, the new documents will be provided with a “floating image” - so the appearance changes with a viewing angle that

makes forgery more difficult. The new passports will also include additional images that are only visible in ultraviolet light. In addition, the chip will be improved, the place for signing is moved and the ID and passport numbers are changed.

Swedish projects receive EU support Two Swedish industrial projects share in the SEK 11 billion that the EU Innovation Fund distributes to reduce climate emissions. One is SSAB and LKAB’s collaboration Hybrid, which will provide hybrid-free steel with the help of hydrogen. The second is Stockholm Exegri’s project to capture

and store carbon dioxide. The purpose of the Innovation Fund is to provide support for new technology that can reduce the industrial emissions of fossil carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and slow down global warming.

Manhole cover poetry for generations Gothenburg started three years ago to replace street manhole covers with lids containing poetry on them.

Now Malmö is doing the same - the first new lids were added in November with a poem by Malte Persson: Regnet hänger i luften och staden i regnet: en flytande framtid, ett flygande förflutet, där molngrå murar faller i spridda skurar av ögonblick mellan himmelskt och kommunalt.

[The rain hangs in the air and the city in the rain: a floating future, a flying past, where cloud-gray walls fall in scattered showers of moments between heavenly and municipal.]

Snow rather than rain and record cold in northern Sweden

On November 28, the very cold temperature of -37.4°C (-35°F) was measured in Nikkaluokta in Lapland — the coldest November temperature measured in Sweden since 1980. Southern Sweden also felt the cold and parts of the inland of Skåne in the south received the first snow.

DECEMBER 15, 2021 35

2021 in a nutshell 36 NORDSTJERNAN

celebrating

150 years in 2022