St. Urho’s Day is one of those legends that has a blurry origin story. If you live in Minnesota you might have heard rumblings about a man who drove the grasshoppers out of Finland. He protected the precious grape crop with his loud booming voice. The myth, originated in Minnesota in the 1950s, created a… More What is St. Urho’s Day?
Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday is a day in February known in Sweden as “Semmeldagen” (the day of the Semla). This is the national day of Sweden’s most beloved pastry, the semla. The semla (semlor, plural) is a small, wheat flour bun, flavored with cardamom and filled with almond paste and whipped cream. The holiday… More Semla Day
A nisse (usually Norwegian) and a tomte (usually Swedish) are similar characters. They are both solitary, mischievous domestic sprites responsible for the protection and welfare of the farmstead and its buildings. Tomte literally means “homestead man” and is derived from the word tomt which means homestead or building lot. Nisse is derived from the name… More Legend of the Nisse and Tomte