More With Odd Nordstoga
Musician Odd Nordstoga grew up in Telemark, Norway, with a strong sense of folk-music culture that’s shaped the artist he is today. He debuted as a recording artist in 1997 with the band called Something Odd. In 2004, Nordstoga signed a major-label recording deal with Universal Music and released his solo album, “Luring,” which features a mix of folk-pop songs. The album topped the Norwegian album chart for 14 [...]
Happy Founder’s Day
Tomorrow is a big day! A momentous day where we all wear our membership pins with pride; a day where hearty congratulations and words of good will shall spring forth from the lips of Sons of Norway members everywhere because tomorrow is Sons of Norway’s Founders’ Day! That’s right, 121 years ago 18 Norwegian immigrants who had started a new life in Minneapolis MN came together to create a [...]
More with Ståle Sandbech
In the January 2016 issue of Viking magazine, we caught up with professional snowboarder Ståle Sandbech. The 22-year-old hails from Rykkin, just 30 minutes outside of Oslo. He’s been snowboarding since the age of eight and had the biggest moment of his career in 2014 when he won a silver medal at the Sochi Olympic Games. At the end of this month, Sandbech will be competing at the X Games [...]
Stein Eriksen: The Heart of Skiing
By now you’ve probably heard about the passing of one skiing’s greatest contributors, Stein Eriksen. However, rather than mourning this sad occasion we want to take a moment and celebrate his life and the contributions he made to the world of skiing.As one of the most recognized names in the ski world, Stein Eriksen was synonymous with skiing style and elegance for more than 60 years. The first alpine skier [...]
Sons of Norway Marks the Passing of Former Board Member
It is with and a heavy heart that we must report to our members on the passing of one of our own. Ernst Granly, a former International Director for Sons of Norway and good friend to the Headquarters staff passed away on December 15, surrounded by his loving family. Ernst, who turned 71 earlier this year, was a man of joy and many words. His laugh was unmistakable as [...]
2015 Marks 150 Years Since Cleng Peerson’s Death
Cleng Peerson Commemoration This year has been an important one for fans of Cleng Peerson, as 2015 marks the 150th Anniversary of his death on the Clifton, TX, farm where he spent the last 10 years of his life. To help mark the occasion, Thomas Mannes, a Sons of Norway member of the lodge in Haugesund, Norway has been restoring the farm. Also and he has retained the services [...]
Norway’s Coffee Culture
Did you know that Scandinavians are among the world’s top coffee drinkers? Their love of coffee is more than just about an energy boost. It’s a cultural custom that has been bringing people together for centuries. Viking magazine’s November cover feature explores coffee in Norway—from the Nordic approach to brewing and top coffee shops. Plus, it’s no surprise that Norway is home to some of the world’s best, most [...]
More With Alan Lucien Øyen
In the November issue of Viking magazine, we highlight multi-talented writer, director, choreographer and performer Alan Lucien Øyen. The award-winner runs a company called Winter Guests, which works with skilled performers to create theatrical works in English for the international stage. From Nov. 28 to Dec. 8, catch his new play, “Jingle Horse—A Christmas Special” at the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, where he’s the Artist in Residence. Read [...]
Nordic American Thanksgiving Breakfast Raises Nearly $15,000 for Charity
This morning close to 900 members of the Twin Cities’ Nordic American community gathered in celebration of the privileges of freedom, faith, family & friendship at the 2015 Nordic American Thanksgiving Breakfast. The event, which was held in Bloomington, MN, not only celebrated these privileges, but also served as a fundraiser for two important charities that serve communities in need throughout the state. In fact, attendees at this year’s [...]
Viking Magazine Dominates Competition at Publishing Excellence Awards
Last week marked a major accomplishment for Sons of Norway and Viking magazine. During the 2015 ceremony for the Minnesota Magazine Publishing Excellence Awards Viking magazine was recognized seven times! This is an all-time high for Sons of Norway and was characterized by one publishing professional as “dominating its category.” In addition to awards for design and editorial coverage, Viking was also recognized with a highly coveted Overall Excellence [...]
Nordic American Thanksgiving Breakfast Welcomes Ambassador
If you haven’t ordered your tickets yet for the Nordic American Thanksgiving Breakfast, we’ve got some news that might just change your mind. We’re proud to announce that this year’s event is also going to be attended by none other than Norway’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Kåre R. Aas! Even better—Ambassador Aas will also join this year’s speakers and MC on stage and make a few [...]
Classical Master
Born in Belarus and raised in Nesodden, Norway, Alexander Rybak is one of Norway’s top classical musicians. He started playing the violin and piano as a young boy and became a household name after winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009. In addition to being a musician and actor, Rybak is now an author. This fall the 29-year-old released a fairytale children’s book, “Trolle and the Magic Fiddle,” (Trolle [...]
And now an opportunity to support the Nordic-American community
Next week there will be a big announcement related to the 2015 Nordic American Thanksgiving Breakfast, but until then we wanted to let everyone know about a great opportunity to support the event. For over three decades the mission of the Nordic American Thanksgiving Breakfast has been to bring the Nordic community together to offer thanks for the privileges of freedom, faith, family and friends. Now, even if you [...]
The Holiday Season is Right Around the Corner!
The holiday season is right around the corner! To help get you in the spirit, Sons of Norway has partnered with the renowned choral ensemble VocalEssence on the production of a new Christmas album, Nordic Nativity. The album, which is available for download from iTunes and Amazon contains 18 tracks of beautifully traditional holiday music from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. Bringing together a mixture of newly recorded material and live recordings from previous VocalEssence holiday [...]
More With Ambassador Kåre R. Aas
Norway’s Ambassador to the United States Kåre R. Aas connects with U.S. students through the Royal Norwegian Embassy’s Virtual Ambassador Program. The program invites students in the United States to chat live via Skype with Ambassador Aas on topics such as The Arctic, girls’ education, NATO and peace and reconciliation. “When I came to the Embassy in 2013, one of my priorities was to strengthen what the Embassy was [...]