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.

A Natural Treasure Hunt

Warm weather is approaching and summer will be here before we know it. One activity to add to your summer activity list is orienteering.

April 13th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

War Sailor Lands On Netflix

When World War II broke out, over 30,000 Norwegian merchant marines were roped into serving the allied forces- though without the benefit of ammunition, infrastructure or combat training.

April 13th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

The World’s Most Unique Rating System

North Americans are familiar with a 5-star rating system for movies, restaurants, hotels, tv shows, music and even books. Norwegians on the other hand have a unique rating system that sets them apart from the rest of the world- it’s called terningkast or dice roll.

April 13th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

America Fever

In the mid-1800s an outbreak of Amerikafeber (America fever) struck in Norway and rapidly spread over the country. The sloop vessel Restauration had set sail in 1825 for America, carrying 52 passengers.

March 22nd, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Spring Awakening in Norway

Spring is a time for chirping birds, rain showers, and emerging flowers. In northern parts, the snow melts, the weather gets warmer, and people begin spending more time outside. Spring in Norway is quite similar.

March 21st, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Norwegian Cabbage Rolls

Obviously, the star of the show in this recipe is the cabbage, but having a seasoned, moist meat or vegetarian filling isn’t anything to forget about either.

March 21st, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Kicksledding for the Greater Good

February is the month that we encourage you to get out and experience 14 days of friluftsliv. If you are lucky enough to live in a snowy climate, an example set by the Norwegians is to dig in and enjoy the winter season, however you can.

February 22nd, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Valentine’s Traditions in the Nordics

When one thinks about Valentine’s Day, chocolate, roses, and candy hearts come to mind. But are those universal themes? Let’s explore how Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the Nordic countries to peek into other traditions.

February 22nd, 2023|Categories: Blog|

The Road to Eurovision 2023

Break out the sequins, the back-up dancers and the dazzling lights- ‘tis the season leading up to the Eurovision Song Contest! The competition created to bring post-WW II Europe together will take place in Liverpool, England this May.

February 21st, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Kokosboller

These delicious chocolate-covered marshmallow treats would make a great, easy dessert for a Valentine’s meal.

February 21st, 2023|Categories: Blog|

The Dessert Stomach

We can all agree that one of the main focal points of the holidays is food. We stuff ourselves during the main course with mashed potatoes, gravy, ham, eggnog, salad, stuffing, turkey, and so much more until we are filled to the brim. Yet somehow, we always manage to find room for dessert. How can that be?

January 12th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

Embracing Dialects

There are two official written versions of the Norwegian language—bokmål and nynorsk—but spoken Norwegian is another situation entirely. As far as regional dialects, there are four main groupings of spoken Norwegian: Northern (nordnorsk), Central (trøndersk), Western (vestlandsk) and Eastern (østnorsk).

January 11th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

New Year’s Quiz

Around the holidays and New Year, family-friendly quiz shows abound in Norway, with shows presenting daily challenges from various locations. Test your knowledge with this multiple-choice quiz!

January 11th, 2023|Categories: Blog|

What are Your Sju Slag?

Earlier this month, we launched a colorful virtual julekalender (Advent calendar) to highlight various aspects of the Norwegian holiday season. One of the important facets of norsk jul is food—both sweet and savory. The rule of thumb for julebakst (Christmas baked goods) is that you should have a good variety of cookies, in fact, seven kinds or sju slag /syv sorter kaker.

December 15th, 2022|Categories: Blog|

Interview With a Family Member

As you spend time with family over the holidays, take the time to learn more about your relatives and record some family stories. Sit down and chat with multiple generations and make this a group activity.

December 15th, 2022|Categories: Blog|

Porridge: A Norwegian Staple

When thinking about or discussing Norwegian foods, one food will undoubtedly come up: porridge. Porridge has had quite the role throughout Norway’s history. In fact, it is quite possibly the oldest hot dish in the Norwegian diet. The main grains used were barley and oats, as it was difficult to grow other grains in the cold climate.

December 14th, 2022|Categories: Blog|

Queen Sonja Visits Minnesota

Just as fall colors reached their richest hues in mid-October, Her Majesty Queen Sonja paid a visit to Minnesota. The Queen’s official visit covered both government and Norwegian-American entities across the state.

November 23rd, 2022|Categories: Blog|

Viking Age Discovery Found Near Trondheim

An exciting discovery has been made just centimeters below the soil in Stjørdal, near Trondheim. Pawel Bednarski took a metal detector out to his field right before Christmas last year and uncovered a treasure trove of Viking objects.

November 22nd, 2022|Categories: Blog|

King of Fjords

That’s another name given to the Sognefjord, and with good reason. It is the largest and deepest fjord in Norway, with a length of 128 miles and a staggering depth of over 4,000 feet.

November 22nd, 2022|Categories: Blog|

An Arctic Ghost Town

At the outskirts of civilization, not far from the North Pole, lies the town of Pyramiden. It’s located on the remote Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. At first glance, this is a desolate-looking place, surrounded by towering mountains and glaciers and vast open skies. You will find more polar bears and arctic foxes here than people. For much of the year, you can count the number of permanent human residents on two hands.

October 24th, 2022|Categories: Blog|

Foundation Scholarships Available

High school seniors and current college students- it's time to start thinking about 2023! If you are a member of Sons of Norway or have a parent or grandparent who is a member, you can apply for a scholarship from the Sons of Norway Foundation.

October 24th, 2022|Categories: Blog|

Problematic Seagulls in Tromsø

An interesting problem has left the city of Tromsø, Norway, searching for solutions. This issue has been compared to the rat infestation in Paris, but these “rats” in Tromsø can fly, and are known as seagulls.

October 23rd, 2022|Categories: Blog|
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