Blog

The mission of Sons of Norway is to promote and to preserve the heritage and culture of Norway, to celebrate our relationship with other Nordic countries, and provide quality insurance and financial products to our members.

Vigeland’s Legacy

Norway’s most famous sculptor, Gustav Vigeland was born as Adolf Gustav Thorsen in 1869 on the outskirts of Mandal, in southern Norway. With other craftsmen in the family, Gustav followed in his cabinetmaker father’s footsteps, developing his talent at an early age in the wood workshop.

March 18th, 2024|Categories: Blog|

Bound to Help, On Land and Sea

You may have heard of the parable of the Good Samaritan, a person who helps a stranger in trouble, expecting nothing in return. With the cold winters and many remote areas in Norway, getting assistance quickly can be a matter of life or death.

February 15th, 2024|Categories: Blog|

Pizza in Norway

Scandinavian countries are known for many things, but pizza isn’t typically one of them. Traveling to Norway, one would expect things like potatoes (and all the dishes made from them), fish, and gjetost. But in Norway, as with the rest of the world, pizza has become a popular staple that can take on local flavors.

February 15th, 2024|Categories: Blog|

Birken Ski Festival – A Tribute to History

March 16, 2024 will be an eventful day in the Norwegian mountains as it marks the annual Birken ski festival – also known as the Birkebeinerrennet. Athletes from all over the world travel to Norway to participate in the various cross country ski races.

February 15th, 2024|Categories: Blog|

Melodic Competition

Have you been sensing a certain sparkle in the air lately? It‘s probably reverberations of a special season in the Norwegian music industry. Melodi Grand Prix (MGP), the Norwegian run up to the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) kicks off each January with much glitter, theatrical smoke and fanfare.

January 16th, 2024|Categories: Blog|

Brennsnut

The aurora borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is a natural phenomenon that many wish to see in their lifetime.

January 14th, 2024|Categories: Blog|

Award-Winning Cheese

When one thinks of Norway’s staple foods, fish, lamb, and potatoes often come to mind. However, in recent years, another food item is capturing the hearts of many: cheese!

December 19th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Lindesnes Fyr

There are a total of 212 lighthouses that dot the approximate 62,706 miles of Norway’s majestic coastline. The first and oldest of those lighthouses was erected in 1656 at Lindesnes, which sits at the southern tip of Norway, in Agder county.

December 19th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Risalamande

Serve this delicious dessert on Christmas Eve and whoever finds the almond should receive a small prize.

December 18th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Dramatic Beauty: Møre og Romsdal

Dotted with coastal islands and carved with deep fjords, Møre og Romsdal county graces Norway’s central west coast where imposing mountains end in plunging waterfalls or ease into lush valleys.  

November 22nd, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Meet the Maker: Rosemaler Judy Ritger

The original artwork for this year’s limited edition rosemaled ornament was painted by Judy Ritger of River Falls, WI. Learning rosemaling mainly through studies at Vesterheim Folk School in Decorah, Iowa, Judy also studied with Ragnvald Frøysadal in Norway and in the U.S.

November 21st, 2023|Categories: Blog|

A Semester in Trondheim

As a student majoring in Nordic Studies at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, one of the “requirements” was to spend a semester in Norway. I have ‘requirements’ in quotes, because it was more of a golden opportunity, as I had longed for a Norwegian experience for as long as I could remember.

November 21st, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Sveler med Smørkrem – Norwegian Griddle Cakes with Buttercream

According to godt.no, sveler were first made on board the ferry company Fjord1's routes in Møre and Romsdal in 1971. Originally, the sweet griddle cakes were made on a voluntary basis by the employees, but over the years the tradition developed into an expected service offered to the passengers. Sveler became associated with ferry rides so much, they are also referred to as fergesveler, ferry pancakes. 

November 20th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Hva Spiser Du Til Frokost? What Do you Eat for Breakfast?

Breakfast is considered an important meal of the day in Norway. A 70% majority eat a daily breakfast, and only 5% of the population report that they never eat a morning meal. According to godt.no, Norwegians eat the following foods for breakfast at least once a week:

October 16th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

My Year Above the Arctic Circle

There is peace in a dog yard. It’s paradoxical, but it is there. You feel it while chopping raw meat, the rickety table covered in ice and deep gouges from persistent swings of cleavers and axes.

October 15th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Intriguing Viking Finds

The July/August issue of Viking featured an image of an intriguing unnamed carving in the article “Tales from the Orkney Islands.” The ornate piece is not made of wood, but is a Viking whalebone plaque discovered in a late 9th- or early 10th-century burial in Scar, on the island of Sanday, Orkney.

September 20th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Bits and Bobs

The Norwegian language has a tendency to sprinkle word pairings throughout conversation and writing, like bits of linguistic spice. These phrases are fun to say and add a poetic flavor, since they often appear in rhyming and or alliterative pairs.

September 20th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Kleppmelk- A Classic Regional Middag

Kleppmelk (dumpling milk) is a creamy soup commonly eaten in Northern Norway, Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal. It consists of thick dumpling dough formed into balls, simmered in milk and topped with cinnamon and sugar. Despite its light sweetness, this is no dessert, but is considered a main dish.

September 19th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Kleppmelk / Dumpling Soup

Kleppmelk (dumpling soup) is a creamy soup commonly eaten in Northern Norway, Trøndelag, Vestland, and Møre og Romsdal, with each region having a slightly different recipe.

September 18th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Scandinavian Food Festivals

When thinking of traveling and the best countries in terms of foods to try, Scandinavia might not be the first place to pop in your head. However, they in fact hold some of the world’s best food festivals.

August 23rd, 2023|Categories: Blog|
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