How To Celebrate Your Nordic Heritage
From the fury of the Norsemen, good Lord deliver us
was a common prayer in medieval Europe. The magnificent clinker built longboats of the Norsemen swept the seas and traveled far up the inland rivers of England, France, Spain, Ireland, Italy, and Russia, where the Norsemen penetrated the Ukraine and founded a dynasty. The Norman kings of England were the direct descendants of Norse invaders who had taken control of a large area of France in previous centuries. Norse longboats sailed west to Iceland, Greenland and North America.
A second even greater wave of Nordic emigration took place in more recent times. Between 1820 and 1920 just over two million Scandinavians settled in the United States, while others emigrated to Canada, Australia, Africa, and New Zealand.
Many of us today have some Scandinavian ancestors, and festivals and museums across the United States celebrate our Nordic heritage. Celebration of the summer solstice, which holds special meaning to a northern peoples enured to long winters, is one of the most popular Nordic festivals both in Scandinavia and abroad. Originally a fertility festival, the longest day of the year on June 21st is welcomed with feasting, bonfires and dancing.
The festival of Santa Lucia, which takes place in mid-December, dates back to medieval times but was revived in its present form in 19th century Sweden and is celebrated worldwide. This festival of light at the darkest time of the year pays homage to a 4th century Christian martyr and is centered around children carrying candles and sweet buns. Scandinavian touches have heavily influenced Christmas traditions everywhere. What would Christmas be without a sprig of mistletoe hanging in your home or office? Your Viking ancestors used to hang branches of mistletoe outside their homes as a sign of peace and a welcome to strangers.