The Norwegian in Me

The week before Thanksgiving I happened to be in Midtown on a Saturday afternoon. Walking past the Norwegian Seamen's Church, I noticed a sign advertising a Christmas bazaar. Lured by the promise of a cup of grog, I ventured inside. (Grog is a type of mulled wine, though their "wine" was actually made of Cranberry juice). The mature gentleman serving it explained that one does not drink "spirits" in a house of worship. 

I couldn't believe my eyes and ears. I was home! While I couldn't understand the language that most of the people were speaking, I saw a reflection of myself in the Nordic people. My best friend, L., a North Dakota born-and-bred Norwegian, makes lefse, a type of potato pancake, every year around Christmastime. The food tables at the bazaar contained lefse mix, pickled herring, chocolate advent calendars, and many other items to make a wonderful Christmas feast. I took away a tin of sardines and a couple of chocolate bars, including this one:

This candy bar, made by Nidar, is actually Finnish. I hope I don't get any flack for it.

godt nytt år
 
-Marie