Did you know that the world’s northernmost town is in Norway? Perched high above the Arctic Circle on Spitsbergen island lies the polar village of Longyearbyen. It’s inhabited by approximately 2,000 residents from 50 countries.
Snakker du litt norsk? If you are looking to learn the basics of Norwegian, Sons of Norway’s online language lessons get you going with 37 installments, including how to pronounce a few julesanger (Christmas carols - Lesson 26) and how to decipher a Norwegian cake recipe (Lesson 28).
Classic Norwegian Christmas traditions include decorating the tree, baking cookies, visiting family—and sitting by the fire with a big stack of comic books. For two centuries, Norway has had a tradition of releasing julehefter, or Christmas booklets, in late November.
Throughout the last two centuries, Norwegians have taken great pride in their heritage. In fact, Norway has created a patriotic identity that encompasses its values, customs and traditions. However, this has not always been the case; leading up to the 19th century, there was much discontent regarding Norway’s independence.
After a debate on social media about how the Sámi culture was represented in the 2013 box office hit movie “Frozen,” Disney took the time to address the audience’s concerns and looked to the experts. The animators collaborated with a group of Sámi people to get their input on the film.
It’s Christmastime! Are you looking for some Scandinavian-inspired food gifts make for loved ones on your list? Check out the December issue of Viking magazine, which features sweet treats from Brontë Aurell.
Perhaps you are saving for retirement, or maybe you have already hit your goal for retirement savings. Either way, if you are a conservative investor who is wary of market fluctuations, but you still want to build assets for the future, then a fixed annuity may be a good option for you.
If you were to google “U.S. military and Norway,” the top video result would be footage of very cold and wet U.S. Marines struggling to clamber out of a hole in the ice on a frozen lake. It can be entertaining. But more important, it is an example of the excellent Norwegian–American security relationship and the close partnership between democracies on both sides of the North Atlantic.
‘Tis the season for merriment—and Christmas markets! We spread some yuletide cheer in the December issue of Viking by sharing some julemarkeder worth checking out this holiday season in Norway.
