Swedish Center News

Swedish Center News
December 2011
Swedish Cultural Center . Seattle . Washington
Our Mission
To promote better understanding
between the United States and
the Nordic countries, with
emphasis on Sweden, and to
perpetuate Nordic culture
and traditions through the
teaching, observance, practice
and celebration of this culture
and its traditions.
swedishculturalcenter.org
Swedish Cultural Center
1920 Dexter Avenue North
Seattle, WA 98109
206-283-1090 Club Business
206-283-1078 Rentals
206-283-2970 FAX
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.swedishculturalcenter.org
Office Hours
Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Board of Directors
President Carl Westerdahl
Vice President Terry Anderson
VP, Properties Erik Pihl
Treasurer Bob Blair
Secretary Judy Nilsen Cooper
Past President Karl Larsson
Directors Michael Edlund
Sara Lightle
Erik Sundholm
Laura Wideburg
Peter Wigren
Center Operations
Executive Director Kristine Leander
Facilities Manager Kyle Feldman
Financial Manager Debbie Smith
Ladies Auxiliary
Chair June Anderson Evanoff
Vice Chair Jean Wirch
Secretary Aina Oscarsson
Treasurer Bonnie Orr
Sewing Jean Wirch
Swedish Women’s Chorus
[email protected]
Svea Male Chorus
Bob Reetz [email protected]
Geri Damm
Swedish Center News
Editor: Kristine Leander
Copy Editor: Martin Stillion
Swedish Center News (USPS 533750) is published as part of yearly
membership dues at $12 per person, per year, by the Swedish
Cultural Center, 1920 Dexter Ave.
N., Seattle, WA 98109-2795. Telephone is 206-283-1090. Periodicals
postage paid at Seattle, Washington. Postmaster: send address
changes to Swedish Center News,
1920 Dexter Ave. N., Seattle, WA
98109-2795.
Deadline for material for
the next issue is
Feb. 15.
Bring articles into the office or fax
to 206-283-2970. You may also
e-mail articles to
[email protected].
2
Executive Director’s Notes
T
he end of the year is a wonderful time for
parties, meals, and celebrations, and we’ll
be having some great ones in the next month
or so here at the Center. It’s also a time to
focus on the blessings of the past year and
prepare for what’s coming. Dark nights and
snug homes make us more introspective as we
take stock and finish up the tasks of the year.
It’s also a time to consider resolutions for
the future. Maybe you want to become more
active, attend more events at the club, or
volunteer more? I hope so, and some of you
have already contacted me to tell me so. The
end of the year is also a good time to consider
the financial gifts we want to make to our
favorite charities and to take advantage of the
tax benefits of supporting what’s dear to our
hearts. Many of you have already donated to
the club since the annual appeal began this fall,
for which the Board and I are very grateful. I
hope that others will think about what this
club—and this community—mean to you
and why it deserves your support.
Our Swedish club community is unique
in that many of us were raised by parents and
grandparents who taught us basic Scandinavian values. We believe, for example:
• That it’s important to maintain
beauty in our surroundings. This is
why we prize our grand midcentury
modern building and its Scandinavian
setting.
• That music, food, and dance
bring people together. This is
why we offer a Swedish meal for
your enjoyment every Friday
and Nordic music at our
monthly pancake breakfast.
It’s why we provide space
for Swedish dance and music
groups to practice and
perform—groups like
Nordiska Folkdancers,
Spelmanslag, Swedish Women’s Chorus, and Svea Male
Chorus.
• That heritage and traditions
add value to our lives. This is why
we continue to celebrate all the Swedish
holidays, such as St. Lucia’s Day in December, Swedish National Day and Midsommar
in the summer, a crayfish dinner in the fall,
julbord at Christmas, and so on. We also
offer space at a discount to other Scandinavian groups for their celebrations.
• That a successful community must
build for the future. This is why we
support Nordic youth groups, provide
space at an extremely reduced rate for the
Swedish School to meet weekly, and offer
affordable memberships for students and
other youth.
• That the common good trumps
individual needs. That’s why we’re
asking everyone to donate to the club. The
Swedish club is the incredible cultural and
social gathering place for local Swedes and
other Scandinavian-Americans. It’s like a
family home that keeps our community
together and gives us a place to gather and
celebrate, learn, socialize, etc.
As 2012 nears, I hope that your appreciation of the club will lead you to support it
through your attendance, your volunteer
time, and your financial gifts.
Kristine Leander
Executive Director, Swedish Cultural Center
[email protected]
december 2011
Become a Lifetime Member!
beet salad and baby red potatoes, with rice porridge for dessert. The
following weekend we’ll mark St. Lucia’s Day with two traditional
ifetime Memberships are a way for the Swedish Cultural Center
celebrations. On Saturday evening, Dec. 10, we’ll go back to the
to provide an enhanced benefit for its faithful supporters, while
elegance of earlier years, when the Lucia Bal was the formal dance
bringing in much-needed funds. Becoming a Lifetime Member means event of the year. The evening starts with glögg and pepparkakor.
you’ve gone all in to support the club—and you’ll never have to
Sterling Band will offer the best dance music of the year, and our
worry again about dues deadlines or rising membership rates.
Swedish chefs will prepare a traditional julbord. Local young men
Currently the club has about 100 Lifetime Members. We haven’t and women of the community provide the Lucia tåg, and Richard
offered this opportunity in a long time—but as of November 2011,
Svensson plays the music for dancing around the Christmas tree.
we have a limited number of Lifetime Memberships available, for
Three local stars with Swedish roots will join us that evening: Jen
$2,000 each or $2,500 for a couple.
Newberry, Swedish pop singer/songwriter, will sing a solo during the
Incidentally, if you purchase a Lifetime Membership before the
tåg. Tenor Steve Thoreson, who placed second in the “Swedes Got
end of the 2011—for yourself or a family member—you’ll receive an Talent” show in Sweden, will also sing for you. To end the evening,
extra perk: dinner at the home of Swedish Consul Lars Jonsson and
Tobias Larsson, one of the stars of Teatro Zinzanni, will help lead the
his wife, Laurie MacDonald Jonsson. They’re hosting a party early in dancing around the Christmas tree. The next day, students from the
2012 for everyone who donates at least $1,000 to the club this year.
University of Washington will be at the Center to participate in a
To become a Lifetime Member, call the club at 206-283-1090
Lucia Festival for the enjoyment of the whole family. Before their
or visit www.swedishculturalcenter.org.
pageant, the Swedish Women’s Chorus and Svea Male Chorus will
sing Christmas songs. Afterward, the best-ever Swedish bakers
(coincidentally, they’re all club members) will provide cookies and
erhaps it’s just that Santa lives in a snowy region that reminds us
coffee, and Jon Persson plays music for dancing around the tree.
of Sweden. Or that Swedes love red, a traditional color of
We’re hoping St. Lucia will stick around long enough to appear
Christmas. Whatever the reason, it’s during the Christmas season
at our monthly Kafferep (coffee party) at 2 p.m. on Wednesday,
that Swedes and Swedish Americans come into their own. Nobody
Dec. 21. Everyone’s invited, and we’ll be sure to have the requisite
does Christmas better than we do! And true
seven kinds of cookies! The following
to form, the Swedish Cultural Center is doing
Wednesday, Dec. 28, our monthly Finnish
To RSVP for any of these events,
it up right again this year.
film is Joulutarina, a delightful Santa story
call
206-283-1090
or
e-mail
By the time you read this newsletter, the
that took Finland by storm four years ago. It
[email protected].
Christmas tree decorating party in late
screens at 7:30 p.m. for a $5 admission.
November will be over, and you’ll see
After all these events, don’t you think it’s
Christmas trees on all three floors of the
fair that the club will be closed the last two
Center. Thanks to the volunteers who made that magic for us! Our
Fridays of the year, Dec. 23 and 30? We do. But in the meantime,
first December event will be the julbords on Dec. 2 and 16—one
there’s ample opportunity for members and friends of the Swedish
of those Swedish traditions that we’re happy to provide for you and
Cultural Center to celebrate the season in Swedish style.
your friends. Chefs Ann-Margret and Malin make a full, authentic
julbord on these two Fridays. You can come for lunch at noon, or to
a dinner seating at 5:30 or 8 p.m. on either day. We must have your
hat happens when a reporter from The New York Times is
RSVP, so be sure to tell us when you plan to come.
writing a story about Swedish glögg and needs to know the
Saturday, Dec. 3, is an opportunity to take a bus with other
history of this famous Swedish Christmas drink? Well, the reporter
members of the Center to watch the Leavenworth Town Light- contacts the Swedish Cultural Center in Seattle to ask us! And here’s
ing. Experience the ultimate European-style holiday event, just
our answer.
three hours away from Seattle on a comfortable bus ride. At press
Jul (Yule) is a midwinter feast that dates back thousands of
time, we had room for five more guests. Call us to RSVP. Our
years. The earlier name, jól, probably referred to “wheel” or the
Sunday, Dec. 4, Pancake Breakfast won’t leave Christmas out
turning of the season, which was important to the agricultural
either! Katrilli Dance Group will treat us to a special Lucia presentasociety of earlier days. It has always been a time for revelry, eating
tion at 10 a.m. Children who want to participate can meet on the
and drinking. In pagan times it was believed that intoxication led to
main floor of the Center at 9:30 a.m. for costumes and a bit of
communication with the gods. People drank during jul to get in
practice. The Swedish Women’s Chorus will sing us some Christmas
contact with the spirits, no pun intended, who determined the luck
songs too, starting around 11:45 a.m.
for the coming year.
At the Members & Friends Dinner on Wednesday, Dec. 7,
While drinking beer was customary throughout the year,
we’ll eat pickled herring, lutfisk, Swedish Christmas ham, meatballs,
Christmas beer had higher alcohol content. One Viking-era king
L
It’s an Eventful Jul
P
Glögg: The Spirit of Christmas
W
swedishculturalcenter.org
3
SCC Announces
News about, or in the interest
of our members...
The Swedish Cultural Center announces 994 member households.
New Members
Yoshiko Abe
Rick & Leanne Ballard
Kristi Bergstrom O‘Connor
Roger & Sud Billings
Blaine & Michelle Bradbury
Margaret Brashers
Kathleen Burns
Alejandro Cejudo and
Michael Utech
Gunnel T. Clark
Ellen Cravens
John Crone, Sally MacGregor, and
Gresham Crone
Derrick Cunningham
Cassandra De Pree
Bayley Denham
Eileen Enstrom
Emelie & Erik Espling
Lyall G. Fordyce
Logan Galyan
Howard Gorlick
Katie Greiff-Eriksson Ned and
Barbara Gulban
Katherine Hitsman-Cater
Mildred Jekel
Ryan Johnson
Ann Joona
Debra Kappler
Marilyn Krichko, Ann Misch,
Jennie Ohlin
Anne Krook & Kasz Maciag
Ozzie Kvithammer
Randy Lagerberg
Gary & Kaisa London
Peter Mark
Alanna Martin
4
even made brewing beer mandatory for farmers, and “drinking Yule” was part of medieval
laws. Over time, foreign ideas crept in, such as the Christian tradition of assigning the birth of
Jesus to the jul feast, along with other customs such as the Christmas tree, etc.
Today, breweries still make julöl or julbrygg (Christmas beer) using traditional Christmas
brewing methods, and drinking alcohol is an expected part of the Christmas season. Every
Swedish workplace, for example, has a julbord (Christmas table) event, which means going out
for lunch or dinner together to enjoy a traditional smörgåsbord at a hotel or restaurant—and it
always involves drinking.
Since Sweden does not produce wine, glögg is probably one of those foreign ideas that
crept in from countries to the south, such as Germany with its tradition of hot mulled wine.
Today in Sweden, glögg
is consumed before a
meal with pepparkakor
(gingersnaps), followed
by herring, aquavit and
beer. Traditional recipes
are based on heated
wine (never boiled) and
spices, often spiked
with vodka. Once again,
here’s the recipe that
the Swedish club has
reprinted several times
in our newsletter:
1 fifth vodka
2 fifths claret wine
12 cardamom pods
6 whole cloves
Peel of one orange
6 oz. sugar
1 cup blanched
almonds
1 cup raisins
1 2-inch cinnamon
stick
Bring everything to
simmer except the
vodka. Add vodka and
continue heating. Set
aflame for a few
seconds and serve hot
in punch cups.
A
re you 70 and a half or older? Do you have to withdraw money from your IRA
by the end of the year? If you don‘t need it for living expenses, we invite you to
make a tax-free gift to the club. The transfer is easy and counts toward your required
withdrawal—and supports the club. Contact your financial advisor about your
specific situation and/or our office to help you handle the withdrawal.
december 2011
Members & Friends Dinners
Dec. 7
Our after-dinner program will be presented
by Living Voices, a historical theatrical
company that explores significant events
through interactive performance and
archival film. This evening, the Swedish
Cultural Center is privileged to have Living
Voices perform Northwest Passages, the
story of Julia Berg from Sweden. When Julia’s
father decides to move the family to
Washington, they arrive on the streets of
Seattle during the Alaska Gold Rush and
travel from there to Preston, in the Cascade
foothills, where a sister is born. Along the
way, they meet immigrants from other lands,
with their own hopes and dreams, each one
making the same Northwest passage toward
becoming Americans.
Ola & Joely Mork
Menu
Julene Marta Newland-Pyfer
Valerie Ogami
Inlagd sill
Pickled herring
Dennis Ortblad
Rödbetssallad
Beet salad
Marcia Peterson
Lutfisk, köttbullar och jul skinka
Lutfisk, meatballs and/or ham
Barbara Endicott Popovsky and
Kokt potatis med persilja och rostade
rotsaker
Boiled potatoes with parsley and roasted
root vegetables
Johann Rocholl & Marta Johnson
Rispudding med mandel/gräddsås och
lingonsylt
Rice pudding with almond cream sauce
and lingonberry preserves
Robert Osrowske
Erik Pfaff
V. M. Slava Popovsky
Mildred Rowbottom
Molly Sano
David Savage
Amy Schneider & Gary Barone
Liz Seagrave
Melanie Sharbono
Natalia S. Slobodina
Ciara, Ryan, and Juniper Stewart
Marcus Thor & Lori Stamper
Steven & Andrea Valenta
Julia Weisenburger
Bruce & Keren Whittemore
Jan. 4
Known for more than 65 years of construction in Seattle, Skanska USA has worked on
landmarks from Benaroya Hall to the Alaskan
Way Viaduct. A subsidiary of Solna-based
Skanska AB, the company is committed to
sustainability in all its work, using construction to help support a healthy environment,
economy and community for generations to
come. Recently, Skanska entered the market as
a commercial property developer. Our
Members & Friends
Dinner on Jan. 4 will
include a presentation
by Skanska representatives, who will tell
us about the company
and its current Seattle
projects.
Menu
Sill och osttallrik
Starter plate with pickled herring and dill
Havarti cheese
Grace Wiebe
Qiong Wu
Cara Zemanek
Deaths
Sjömansbiff med gurka och rödbetor
Seaman’s beef with pickles and beets
Albert D. Rosellini
Chokladpudding
Chocolate custard
New Address?
Feb. 1
Nature photography
of Greenland and
Finland.
swedishculturalcenter.org
Send your address changes or
corrections to:
Swedish Cultural Center
Attn: Address Change
1920 Dexter Ave. N.
Seattle, WA 98109
Or you can e-mail to
[email protected].
Let us know if we left out your
information by mistake.
5
Godspeed, Governor
F
ormer Washington Governor Albert D. Rosellini was a
Lifetime Member of the Swedish Cultural Center, and we note his
passing in October at age 101.
He wrote to us at the time of
our building’s 50th anniversary
party earlier this year, saying
that he remembered the start of
the new facility in 1961 and
enjoyed visiting the Center many
times over the years. His ties to
the Swedish club were also
evident in the archives. One
newspaper reported that
Governor Rosellini spoke and the Svea Male Chorus sang at a
fundraising event for the new building, at Sweden Day at Vasa Park in
1957. Thank you for your support over the years, Governor Rosellini.
You and many others helped us become what we are today!
Thanks to Our Volunteers!
T
he Swedish Cultural Center could never do without its
army of volunteers who faithfully manage the landscaping,
put on fundraising events such as the auction, change the display
cases, send out membership enrollment information, answer the
phones, put on nearly all of the pancake breakfast, log books into
the library, register guests for events, teach language classes, and
so on! Here we see Bob Erickson, who was part of a group of
On the Thanksgiving edition of Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” radio show, Keillor and guest singer Heather Masse sang new lyrics to
“Now Thank We All Our God,” which included Therm-a-Rest mattresses in a
litany of thanks. That was a career highlight for SCC member Jim Lea, the
inventor of Therm-a-Rest. Jim reported that while he worked hard on his
inflatable mattress design, developing solutions to all the issues, being
featured in a song on “Prairie Home” may be the pinnacle of its success.
volunteers that decorated the trees in the Center to prepare for
Christmas. Thank you to each and every volunteer at the Swedish
Cultural Center! (Photo: Sonja Richter.)
Coming Events at the Swedish Cultural Center
Saturday, Dec. 3. SCC Trip to Leavenworth.
Join other members to watch the Town Lighting for $89 (members)
and $99 (guests). We have space for five more attendees, so RSVP to
206-283-1090 if you’d like to go!
Fridays, Dec. 2 & 16. Julbord.
Our Swedish chefs make a full, authentic julbord on these two
Fridays. Lunch (noon): $20. Dinner (5:30 and 8 p.m.): $30. RSVP at
least three days in advance (late RSVPs add $5).
Sunday, Dec. 4. Swedish Pancakes.
Music and dancing, plus authentic Swedish pancakes, lingonberries,
ham, and all the right fixin’s. Music by Richard Svensson & Bjarne
Jacobsen, Katrilli, and Swedish Women’s Chorus. $9 guests, $6 SCC
members, $5 children 5–12. 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Katrilli has a special
treat with a Lucia presentation at 10 a.m. Kids who want to participate can meet upstairs at 9:30 for costumes. Bring your camera! As
always, stay afterward for genealogy help in our lobby.
Tuesday, Dec. 6. Ladies Auxiliary.
Support the club and enjoy the company of others who do too! Join
us at 10 a.m. every first Tuesday of the month. Also Jan. 2 and Feb. 6.
6
Wednesday, Dec. 7. Members & Friends Dinner.
Lutfisk on the menu! Ham and meatballs too. Entertainment by Living
Voices, who will perform Northwest Passages, the story of a Swedish
immigrant family that travels to the Northwest during the Gold Rush.
Continued on p. 8
december 2011
Hemlandsnytt
News from the homeland
A column of current Swedish news topics, taken from
Swedish news media.
Compiled by Gunnar Wallin
Increase: Volvo’s passenger car division needs to hire more than
10,000 workers in order to sell 800,000 cars per year by 2020. “To
meet that goal, we need to increase the workforce to between
33,000 to 35,000 employees,” said Stefan Jacoby, Volvo’s passenger
cars manager. Today, almost 24,000 work for Volvo PC, with about
16,000 in Sweden. Most new employees will be in China, where
Volvo plans to open a new plant within two years.
New ambassador: Diplomat and lawyer Mark Brzezinski
presented his letter of accreditation to King Carl XVI recently at the
Royal Castle in Stockholm, and thus officially became the U.S.
Ambassador to Sweden. Herewith, President Obama has elected a
member of his inner circle who specializes in foreign politics. The
ambassador is the son of Zbigniew Brzezinski, an advisor to
President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981.
Advice: In Sweden, summer heat is the deadliest weather, with the
winter cold coming in second. The weather bureau and researchers
Swedish Classes: Winter Schedule
Swedish History ($55 members; $75 public)
From Vikings to medieval castles, from a colonial superpower to a
neutral power, from a European backwater where one in four people
departed for North America to a technological powerhouse—learn
the amazing history of the Swedish people from the very beginning to
the latest news! No textbook; this class is taught in English. The
instructor is an expert in historical linguistics and medieval literature.
Tuesdays, 7–8 p.m., Jan. 10–Mar. 6 (Laura Wideburg)
Beginning Swedish I ($75 members; $95 public)
This class will start from the absolute basics and introduce practical
knowledge with focused instruction and much humor. Learn
pronunciation, greetings, and sentence formation as you prepare to
travel to Sweden or speak with Swedish relatives. Text: Swedish: The
Basics. The instructor is credentialed to teach in Sweden. Tuesdays,
5:30–7:30 p.m., Jan. 10–Mar. 6 (Jennifer Hawkins)
Beginning Swedish II ($75 members; $95 public)
We will cover shopping, traveling, and talking with friends! Review
Swedish: The Basics, chapters 4–7. Mondays, 6–7:30 p.m., Jan.
9–Mar. 5 (Jennifer Hawkins); Thursdays, 6–7:30 p.m., Jan. 12–Mar. 8
(Laura Wideburg)
Beginning Swedish II Plus ($95 members; $125 public)
Same material as Beginning II, with extra time for practice and
cultural information. Saturdays, 10 a.m.–noon, Jan. 14–Mar. 12
(Laura Wideburg)
swedishculturalcenter.org
are working on a warning for the unhealthy weather, according to a
Swedish newspaper.
Windy: Many Swedish communities and districts that had
planned Lucia crownings, lighting decorations, etc., during the first
day of Advent were forced to postpone the arrangements due to
stormy weather. Heavy winds damaged newly mounted Christmas
decorations and Christmas markets, and resulted in the closing of
some shops.
Money: With every minute that passes, the euro seems to get
nearer to its downfall. Not only Greece but Spain and Italy may have
to give it up. Next year Italy will try to borrow 345 billion euros—
which, according to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, could mean
the end of the currency in Italy.
Bad times: Retracting its earlier assessment, Denmark’s Dansk
Bank now claims that the Swedish recession will hit Denmark. The
bank also expects that development will be lean in 2013. The debt
crisis must be dealt with, which takes a long time according to the
bank. As a result, GDP growth in Sweden will be held back over a
longer period. Although consumer demand can be sustained, it will
become difficult to avoid a drop in exports, which can lead to
reduced business investment and stripped-down stocks.
Opinions expressed are not those of the Swedish Cultural Center.
Brush Up Your Swedish with Berit! (Drop-in class: $10
members; $12 public)
Drop in and focus on exactly what you want to learn! Berit is there
to take your questions and give you answers and the specific
practice you need! Instructor is Swedish born and raised. Thursdays,
noon–2 p.m., Jan. 12–Mar. 8 (Berit Lehner)
Intermediate Swedish ($75 members; $95 public)
Converse, read, and write in Swedish as you learn to handle
real-life conversations with Swedish speakers and read short texts
in modern Swedish. Includes review of basic grammar and
in-depth coverage of more complicated structures. Text: Swedish:
Beyond the Basics handouts ($10). Thursdays, 7:30–9 p.m., Jan.
12–Mar. 8 (Laura Wideburg)
Advanced Swedish ($75 members; $95 public)
This class is held primarily in Swedish, and students are expected to
read a Swedish novel in nine weeks. The class will focus on conversation, grammar review, and reading/discussion of a novel chosen by
the previous Advanced Swedish class. We also have lots of fun and
lots of laughs—in Swedish, of course. Instructor is credentialed to
teach in Sweden. Text: Form i Fokus, plus novel. Mondays, 7:30–9
p.m., Jan. 9–Mar. 5 (Jennifer Hawkins)
Conversational Swedish ($55 members; $75 public)
Spend your Friday lunch hour in Swedish conversation! Students are
encouraged to discuss the theme of the day, but the conversation
flows the way a normal conversation would. Fridays, noon–1 p.m.,
Jan. 13–Mar. 9 (Jennifer Hawkins & Laura Wideburg)
7
Coming Events at the Swedish Cultural Center
Continued from p. 6
RSVP by Monday, Dec. 5 to 206-283-1090 or
[email protected]. $30. Late RSVPs and
walk-ins $32. Social hour 5:30, dinner 6:30.
Saturday, Dec. 10. Lucia Bal.
We’re going back to the elegance of earlier years,
when the Lucia Bal was the dress-up event of the
year! Join us for a fabulous julbord menu by chefs
Ann-Margret and Malin, Lucia tåg by young women
of the community, and dancing around the Christmas tree for an evening you won’t forget. After
dinner, experience the best dancing of the year, with
music by Sterling Band. Tickets: $60 members, $70
guests. Glögg at 6 p.m., program at 7 p.m., and
dinner at 7:30. Please call the club to order your
tickets, at 206-283-1090.
Volunteers?
We need volunteer help
cashiering at various special
events, including Friday
Happy Hours.
We always need help
with pancake breakfasts, including a volunteer
to call and e-mail the whole
corps of pancake volunteers
a week before each
breakfast to ask for specific
commitments.
To lend a hand on any of
these projects, e-mail info@
swedishculturalcenter.org or
call 206-283-1090.
Rentals available at
Swedish Cultural Center.
1920 Dexter Ave N., Seattle.
Call 206-283-1078 or visit
www.swedishculturalcenter.
org/Venues/venues.htm. If
you’ve been a member for
at least a year, you get a 20
percent discount.
8
Sunday, Dec. 11. Lucia Festival.
Students studying Swedish at the UW will combine
with the Swedish Women’s Chorus, the Svea Male
Chorus, and the Swedish club’s best bakers to make
a Lucia event for the whole family. 3 p.m. to start,
but stay afterward for dancing around the tree. $5
entrance for adults, $3 for children 12 and younger.
Wednesday, Dec. 21. Kafferep.
Monthly Swedish-style coffee party with homemade goodies from our best baking members. 2 p.m.
Everyone is welcome.
Wednesday, Dec. 21. Sami Film.
The Pathfinder. The all-around best winter film,
filmed in Norway. Reenactment of a Sami legend,
with English subtitles. 7:30 p.m. $5 donation.
Friday–Monday, Dec. 23–26.
The Center will be closed for Lilla Julafton on Dec.
23 and through the Christmas holiday.
Wednesday, Dec. 28. Finnish Film.
Christmas Story (Joulutarina). This charming Santa
story took Finland by storm in 2007. 7:30 p.m. $5.
Friday, Dec. 30; Sat.–Sun., Jan. 1–2.
The Center will be closed on these days.
Saturday, Dec. 31. Nordic New Year’s Eve.
Want a low-key place to welcome the New Year
and watch the fireworks? A spectacular view,
camaraderie, a glass of champagne with friends? If
you’re a member of the Swedish Cultural Center,
Nordic Heritage Museum, or Sons of Norway—or
accompanied by a member—you’re welcome at the
club! Perhaps drop by before or after your New
Year’s dinner? For $25, there will be hors d’oeuvres
and a glass of champagne for you upstairs in our
bar. This party will be on the top floor, so the
number of guests who can enjoy the evening will
be limited. Get your prepaid reservation in early, or
no later than Dec. 28. 8 p.m. till 1 a.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 4. Book Club.
We’ll discuss Predikanten (The Preacher) by Camilla
Läckberg. Read in Swedish or English, and join us to
discuss this famous novel. 5:30 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 8. Swedish Pancakes.
January’s pancake breakfast is delayed one week
because of New Year’s Day. Music and dancing, plus
authentic Swedish pancakes, lingonberries, ham, and
all the right fixin’s. Music by Skolkis, Mäd Fiddlu, and
Nyckelharpa. $9 guests, $7 SCC members, $5 children
5–12. 8 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. As always, stay afterward
for genealogy help in our lobby.
Every Friday. Swedish Kafé & Happy Hour!
Smörgås sandwiches, Swedish meatballs and homemade pastries. Kafé starts 12 noon. Evening food by
Chefs Ann-Margret and Malin starts at 6 p.m. Check
the menu: www.swedishculturalcenter.org.
Every Friday. Matinee.
Films with English subtitles. $5 donation. 2 p.m.
Come early for lunch in our Kafé.
• Dec. 2. French film by Swedish director Lasse
Hallström: Chocolat.
• Dec. 9. Sami film: Pathfinder.
• Dec. 16. Swedish TV classics for Christmas and
New Year’s Eve. Come see what the Swedes
watch over the holidays.
• Jan. 6. Finnish film: Christmas Story (Joulutarina).
Every Friday. Library & Genealogy.
Our Friday librarian and genealogist, Alan McCool,
will guide your genealogy search or help you find a
book. 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Every Friday. Viking Series.
Our Viking DVD series is shown at 5:30 p.m. in the
library. Start anywhere in the series. Free.
Every Friday. Mad Men.
Our building is from the ’60s, so we’re showing the
TV series “Mad Men” in the library. We started the
third season in late November. 7:30.
december 2011