So, What Did The Julenissen Bring You, This Year?

Her kommer julenissen!

Every year highlights some new product, and here in the USA, all attention had been on the ever-popular I-pods, Nooks, smartphones, etc. In Scandinavian countries, the top ten most popular gifts seem to be a bit different.

A survey found the favorite "Top Ten" gifts given to Scandinavian loved-ones showed some interesting articles.

The #1 Scandinavian gift? Take a look around. Check out all the people wearing clogs . The clog has become popular for daily wear. Today, Scandinavian clogs come in all shapes and sizes and are available in various materials, from soft rubber to the traditional wooden clog. A popular brand for Scandinavian clogs is Dansko, which was founded in Denmark. Coming in number 2: Another very popular Scandinavian gift is a Norwegian sweater, which travelers can find all over Scandinavia. Online, you can purchase Norwegian sweaters from Selbu and Dale of Norway, authentic Norwegian companies. Norwegian sweaters are cozy and warm and come in various styles and sizes.

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Number 3? Everyone loves colorful photos of the Scandinavian regions. Stunning photos of every imaginable country scene from fjords to picturesque city scenes are always valued as home decorations.

Our next choice would be books. Subjects of everything Scandinavian from history to the modern day in photos and text. There is always something to learn, whether it's the Vikings or the Royal Family.

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And who doesn't enjoy the sound of an Angel Chime? While originating in Scandinavia, angel chimes have made their way around the world , and are now available in many places at low prices. The heat from the candles turns the top of the chimes, and the angles move across the small bells attached, making a beautiful - but subtle - tinkling sound.

----------------------------------------------- Number 6th choice goes to the world-famous Dala Horse. At Christmas time, a delicious chocolate treat. At any other time, a treasure! A Dala Horse is a unique Scandinavian gift inspired by Swedish handicraft. Traditionly, a carved and painted wooden statuette of a horse that originated in the Swedish province of Dalarna. In the old days, the Dala horse was mostly used as a toy for children. But it’s trading value made it a valuable comodity.It was in the small log cabins deep in the forests during long winter nights in front of a log fire that the forerunner of the Dala horse was born. --------------------- Using a knife, woodcarvers made toys for their children.1623—nearly 400 years ago. In the 19th century, Stikå-Erik Hansson from the village Risa in the parish of Mora introduced the technique of painting with two colours on the same brush, still used today. ( In the book "The Wooden Horses of Sweden," it was discovered that this famous Dala painter is buried in a small churchyard in Nebraska after having immigrated to the Midwest in 1887 at the age of 64). He had changed his name to Erik Erikson upon coming to America and is buried at Bega Cemetery in Stanton County Nebraska, outside of Norfolk.

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Number 7 ? Many gifts included a railroad pass. The EUrail Scandinavia Pass offers a flexible and reasonably priced transportation option for travelers exploring one or more countries of Scandinavia by train, on just one train ticket. A valuable gift for a traveler.

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Most everyone enjoys good music. Popular musicians are featured on CDs , and not all are ABBA. Scandinavia's Sissel is a very popular musician. Pleasant to listen to, and also enjoyable to view! Ninth place goes to a gift of artwork and design. And bringing up the final 10..A pipe and SNU for the tobacco lover. Snu is chewing tobacco in Scandinavia. (We know it as "snoose"). Pipes and tobacco are very popular in the cold of winter.

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No mention of any electronic equipment, so we can assume that this list for for the adults.

GODT NYTT ÅR!

Pass The Glögg, Please!

You have prepared the menu for your guests, but what should the beverage be??

How about a traditional drink- Glögg?!

　 Samuel Johnson, author of the first English dictionary, wrote "Claret is the drink for boys, port for men, but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy." By that definition, Scandinavian glögg, will make us saintly. Glögg, pronounced glug, is a sweet, high-octane, mulled wine, which is to say it is made with a potpourri of spices and all three of the above: Claret (red wine), port, and brandy, and is served warm. Especially popular around Christmas, it is the perfect cold weather drink, warming the body and soul from the inside out.

-------------------------------------------- How does it work? The warm liquid raises the temperature of the mouth and stomach slightly, and because alcohol is a vasodilator, it forces blood to the skin, making us feel warm and blushing on the outside

---------------------------------------------- Glögg is the traditional drink in Sweden and Finland during the six weeks leading up to December 25--a cold, dark time of year in Scandinavia. This glögg recipe resembles a variety of historical mulled wines, such as wassail.

According to the Wine & Spirits Museum in Stockholm, King Gustav I Vasa of Sweden was fond of a drink made from German wine, sugar, honey, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and cloves. It was later named "glödgad vin" in 1609, which meant "glowing-hot wine." The word "glögg" is a shortened form, and first appeared in print in 1870.

Its popularity spread throughout the European nations and in the 1890s it became a Christmas tradition. It was often used as a health potion and perhaps for a wide variety of ailments, especially muscle strains induced by shoveling snow.

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Perhaps you are wondering what is in this drink, and how can I make it?.

Wine trader’s glögg Here is a recipe from 1898 taken from the blending manual of an unidentified wine merchant. 181 liters Wine Blend mixed from full-bodied red wine, fortified wine and Port wine cask sediment. 188 liters Cognac 64 liters Sherry 90 kilos Sugar 425 grams Cinnamon 260 grams Cardamom 250 grams Bitter Almond 6 kilos Raisins 100 pods Vanilla

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When you are ready to serve,warm it gently in a saucepan over a low flame or, better still, in a crockpot. Serve it in a mug and, don't skip this, garnish it with a strip of fresh orange peel, twisted over the mug to release the oils. Drink while seated and give your car keys to a friend.

Note: For a nonalcoholic version, use water or orange juice, and substitute 3 cups Concord grape juice for the wine. Omit sugar, and follow glögg procedure.

Christmas Is Coming...

Christmas is coming...

Our Advent Calendar has one more week and Christmas Eve will soon be upon us. The celebration will be in full swing.

In ancient times, long before Christianity came to Scandinavia, "Jul" or "Yule" marked the peak of the winter solstice. It became a mid-winter celebration of the transition from the longest dark winter night to spring, December is the darkest month of the year in Scandinavian countries and marks the time when " the sun turns" and days began to lengthen. Christmas spirit lights up the dark nights with cheer and warmth. Norway, located in the north of Europe, has the longest and darkest winters in Europe. It’s also thought to be the least church-going country in Europe. Jul was celebrated as a drinking season earlier in the year, but Norway’s King Haakon I moved the heathen custom to December 25th to celebrate the birth of Jesus. -------------- Early Yuletide, meaning "the turn of the sun" or the winter solstice ,welcomed the light of the ceremonial candles and the abundance of fresh meat in this time of the year to slaughter the animals--which made more sense in that subsistence economy then feeding them through the winter. It was also a time of warmth as the men harvested the Yule Log. This ceremonial log was originally an entire tree that was brought into the house with great ceremony. The butt end was placed into the hearth while the remainder of the tree stuck out into the room.. The tree would be slowly fed into the fire and timed to last the entire Yule season. --------------------- The Christmas tree would be decorated by the adults, the children would not be allowed to see it until the appropriate time. However, the children had a task of preparing a bowl of porridge to be given to the little gnome who lived in the attic or in the barn. If ignored, this little elf would be capable of great mischief during this Yule season and the upcoming spring season.

The traditional Scandinavian cuisine for the Christmas Eve meal might be a variety of cold and warm delicacies like fish, sausages, ham, salad and desserts. Herring and lutefisk are traditional fish dishes. Glogg and schnapps would be the beverages of choice as everyone enjoys the evening, anxiously awaiting the "Julenisse", a Scandinavian version of Santa Claus. This welcome visitor has no reindeer, perhaps a sleigh pulled by a goat. He also carries a load of simple gifts in a bag on his back for all good Scandinavian boys and girls.

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Christmas Day will be marked with a journey to church to light candles and lay wreaths on family graves. The tradition of layng a spruce wreath and lighted candles or lanterns began in the 1900s, following World War II. Danish Christmas trees were decorated by Danish flags after the war. During the Nazi occupation, Danes were forbidden to display their flag and after the war, they used it as a Christmas decoration. This later spread to the rest of Scandinavia. ----------------- While it appears that we might not have a white Christmas here, areas of Scandinavia should find the ground snow-covered in the countryside with a moonlit night to help guide the Julenissen on his journey.

Jeg er så glad hver juleveld!

GOD JUL!

The Shortest Day Of The Year Is....

Our nights are getting longer as we count down the days to Christmas. December 6th marked the remembrance of St. Nicholas, a legendary person of history. This saint is not too well-known in Scandinavia, but is remembered as a generous soul to children, the poor, and men of the sea. The stories of St. Nicholas become intertwined with that of our famous Santa Claus, who will be arriving soon. Our advent calendar is progressing well. For those of you who have one for the children, you might enjoy an adult version, A very popular one is an Orange and Cloves calendar . All one needs is a fragrant orange, and the needed number of cloves to mark each remaining day to Christmas. -------------- To made this aromatic calendar, just insert the stalk end of the cloves into the unpealed orange in a pattern designed by you. Use a toothpick to design your pattern while creating the holes to insert the cloves. These "Calendars" can be placed anywhere you wish. Each day, pull out a clove and refresh the room with the pleasant aroma of holiday preparations.

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December 13th marks the darkest and shortest day of the year. This day earned a mark on the Scandinavian calendar, which was called a primstav--a wooden calendar stick. On this day Lussi langnatt ( Lucy Longnight), as such, Åsgårdsreia (Asagard parade--(a trail of unsettled dead souls) became a tradition. These restless souls would travel from farm to farm seeing if people were preparing for Christmas. If not, these wandering souls would vandalize the farm.. To protect themselves, the farmers would paint tar crosses over the doors of their houses and barns.On this long night, animals gained the ability to speak and were expected to be generously fed. This feasting was also expected in the farmer’s family. -------------------------------------

Saint Lucia Day is one of few saint days observed in Scandinavia and her story stretches back to the time of the Vikings and the Roman Empire. Lucia was a brave young Sicilian woman who heard of the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Diocletian and decided to take action. She gave one Christian family her entire dowry. This angered her betrothed husband, who then told authorities that Lucia secretly practiced Christianity. Lucia, who died a martyr’s death was much admired for her courage, generosity and faith. Her memory was not forgotten. ----------------------------------------------

It was not until after World War II that the modern celebration of Lucia in Norway was imported from Sweden. Luciadagen became a day to commemorate martyrs on the anniversary of their death ( or birth into heaven). In tradition, the eldest daughter of the family arises to treat her family in the early morning of December 13th bearing treats and wearing a crown of candles.

The day of feasting begins. Christmas is coming.