Semlor
Sunday, March 2, 2 – 4 pm
Semlor have become a bit of an obsession in Sweden, as they are no longer only served for Shrove Tuesday (Swedish fettisdag, French Mardi Gras) sometimes appearing in bakeries before Christmas and all the way through Lent.
History has it that King Adolf Fredrik of Sweden died after consuming 14 of these creamy buns of goodness in 1771.
Sunday, March 2 marks Quinquagesima which is another way of saying 50 days until Easter. Related is Quadragesima which refers to the 40-day period of Lent. In Lent, many Christians commit to fasting, as well as giving up certain luxuries in order to replicate the account of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ’s journey into the desert for 40 days. So, before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, let’s grab the last opportunity to indulge by semla.
Event chair: Peter
Swedish Waffle Day
Sunday, March 23, 2 – 4 pm
We’ll have an array of the traditional Swedish waffle irons that make thin, crispy, heart-shaped waffles. Served with strawberry jam and sweetened whipped cream.
“Våffeldagen” (Waffle Day in Swedish) stems from a mispronunciation. The traditional Feast of the Annunciation, or “Vårfrudagen” (Our Lady’s Day) in Swedish sounds an awful lot like “Våffeldagen”, and so over time, this became less about the conception of Jesus, and more about crispy, delightful waffles.
In earlier times most Swedes were poor, living off the land and coping with a very harsh climate. Late March marked the start of the crop growing season and the increased availability of eggs and milk. As eggs symbolized the start of spring, it became popular to use them to make waffles to celebrate.
Eurovision Song Contest Viewing Party
Saturday, May 17, 3–6 pm
Switzerland was the winner last year, which means that the Grand Finale of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place at St. Jakobshalle in base, Switzerland. We’ll stream the broadcast live on the Club’s 85-inch flatscreen in the Members Lounge.
Visit the official website for more info: https://eurovision.tv/
Christmas Market
Saturday, December 6, 10 am – 3 pm