Friday Happy Hour: New Year’s

Friday, December 30, 7 pm

We’ll watch “Dinner for One” – perhaps the world’s funniest TV sketch. This 18-minute short film from 1963 takes place on New Year’s Eve. Freddie Frinton as the butler and May Warden as the Countess reminisce about bygone times. The butler acts as the old lady’s wooing cavaliers, while serving the dinner. The many toasts gets him tipsier with each course.

Event Chair: Peter

Julbord (Christmas Buffet) with Gangspil Concert

Sunday, December 11, 1 – 4 pm

• Traditional Christmas food: Glögg, gravlax, sill, rye bread and cheese, home made Swedish meatballs with lingonberry jam and gravy, Christmas ham, prinskorv, Jansson’s Temptation, mashed potatoes, apple beet salad, carrot and turnip casseroles, rice pudding, gingerbread cookies, lingonberry juice, coffee
• Glass of wine or beer included. Cash bar available.
• Concert by Danish folk music duo Gangspil. The Danish musicians have let the Club know that they did not get their U.S. work visa straightened out in time, so they unfortunately had to cancel Sunday’s concert at the Club. The Event Committee regrets this late change in the program. However, Mats Klemets and the Scandinavian Club house band will play instead.

Take the lutefisk poll!

Would you like lutefisk in white pepper sauce to be served at the Christmas Buffet on Sunday?

Yes, I love white fish jello!

No, don't be ridiculous!

Not sure. I haven't tried it, but would like to.

Christmas Market

Saturday, December 3, 10 am – 3 pm

• Artisan vendors both inside and outside
• Nordic gifts and food
• Handmade crafts
• Baked goods
• Entertainment
• Lunch: Danish smørrebrød, Swedish pea soup, hot dogs. Indoor and outdoor seating available.
• Free parking
• Much more

Raffle: Vintage American Girl Doll Kirsten Larson with an entire wardrobe of outfits, including a Lucia gown and crown. Three books, rare accessories and bed included. Tickets are $5 and the winner does not need to be present to win.

Kirsten Larson is a pioneer girl of strength and spirit growing up in Minnesota in 1854. After a long, dangerous voyage with her family from Sweden to America, Kirsten finds it difficult to get used to a new country and a new way of life. But as she makes friends and discovers what her new land has to offer, she learns the true meaning of home – and that love is the same in any language. Read more about Kirsten.

Vendors:

Alpaca clothing  – Old Redding Farm
Artisanal small batch jams  – Sammy’s Kitch’n
Beeswax candles  – Sport Hill Honey Farm
Clothing  – Deb Owen
Clothing  – Nic and the Newfie
Crystals and macramé – Zoia’s Creations
Custom buckets – The Lucky Bucket
Felt hand bags – Heidi Armster
Florals – Floral Surroundings
Furniture, candles, and wooden toys  – 2Latitude
Glass – Funky Tulip Glassworks
Glass – Henry B Glass 
Glass – Jason Curtis
Hand bags – Jan Eklund
Hand knit clothing – Siw Potter and Anita Husebaek
Household – Izadorable
Household – Oak & Vale
Household – The Decorator’s Eye
Jewelry – Bead Free Forever
Jewelry – Emmy Starr Designs
Jewelry – Erin DeLuca
Jewelry – Lee Skalkos
Jewelry – Lydia Tucci Jewelry
Jewelry – Peace of Natur by Sofi
Jewelry – Robin Ann
Macramé – Knots on Euclid
Ornaments/decorations – Nancy Allyn 
Ornaments/decorations – Blue Door Vibes
Painting – Donna Albano
Pet Items – Stephanie Lauren
Photography – Brie’s Art
Photography and original environmental education products – Civilian Journalist
Swedish language – Svenska Skolan Connecticut
Skincare – Honey Bee Essential 
Skincare – Obtuse Organics
Wood turning – Dick Stein
Wood turning – Holm-Hansen Woodturning
Woodworking – Rustic Wares
Wreaths – Sonia Schaffner Wreaths

• Snacks and beverages
• On the flatscreen: Your favorite (and most ridiculous) music videos from the ’80s: ABBA, Roxette, A-ha, Pet Shop Boys, Samantha Fox, The Police, and more!
• Fire in the fireplace
• Donation jar for capital improvements!

Event Chair: Ed and Peter

P.S. Please fee free to come on down 30 minutes early to help setup!

Svenska Dagen Brunch

Sunday, November 6, 11 am – 1 pm

Fourth annual Svenska Dagen – Finnish Swedish Heritage Day celebration.

Traditional menu

• Pea soup
• Swedish punsch
• Oven pancake with strawberry jam and whipped cream
• Coffee

$20 for members/$30 for non-members.

Event Chair: Peter

Today, approximately 5% of the current population in Finland are considered to be Swedish-speaking Finns. This history of Swedish-speaking Finns dates back several centuries to when Finland was under Swedish rule and trade was prominent along the Baltic coast.

The day has been celebrated in Finland since 1908 by the Swedish speakers as “Svenska dagen”. The date was chosen in honor of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, who was killed on November 6 in 1632 at the Battle of Lützen in the Thirty Years’ War.

Read more on Wikipedia.

• Food
• Beverages
• Fire in the fireplace
• Donation jar for capital improvements!

Event Chair: Ed

P.S. Please fee free to come on down 30 minutes early to help setup!

• Food: Smörgåstårta
• Beverages
• Donation jar for capital improvements!

“Bread Week” can be very stressful for the contestants on The Great British Baking Show on Netflix. It’s when Paul Hollywood critiques everything from the way bakers knead their dough to their choice of flour. And nothing is as intense as the Showstopper Challenge. This season (season 10, episode 2), Paul and Prue Leith asked the bakers to make smörgåstårta, a Swedish “sandwich-cake” and the results were… interesting.

Try some smörgåstårta for yourself at this Friday Happy Hour!

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smörgåstårta

On our flatscreen: The 1933 feature film Queen Christina starring 28 year old Swedish actress Greta Garbo. Garbo is back! And she talks! In English!

Read more about the Swedish Queen Christina (1626–1689): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina,_Queen_of_Sweden

Event Chair: Ed and Peter

P.S. Please fee free to come on down 30 minutes early to help setup!

• Food: Mac, prinskorv & cheese casserole
• Beverages: Sparkling pear drink from IKEA, BYOB
• Famous showtunes on 85″ flatscreen, including “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” from the 1953 musical comedy film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell!
• Donation jar for capital improvements!

Cheers,
Ed

P.S. Please fee free to come on down 30 minutes early to help setup!

• Korvsoppa – Scandinavian comfort food in the form of soup
• Beverages
• Music videos on 85″ flatscreen
• Donation jar for capital improvements!

Cheers,
Ed and Peter

P.S. Please fee free to come on down 30 minutes early to help setup!

Leifur Eiríksson Brunch

Sunday, October 9
11 am – 1 pm

Everyone is welcome! Drop in, drop out at any time between 11 am and 1 pm.

• Swedish prinskorv with scrambled eggs and roasted potatoes
• Overnight oatmeal from steel cut Irish oats with all the fixings
• Sandwich ingredients: Bread, cheese, tomato, cucumber and more
• Baked goods for dessert and for sale
• Coffee, tea, orange juice, soda

$20 for members/$30 for non-members

Leifur Eiríksson (who is known in English as Leif Erikson) is probably the best known hero of Viking age Iceland, the first European to arrive in America: Leifur’s voyage to America in the year 1000 preceded the Christopher Columbus’ voyage by roughly half a millennia.

In 1964, the United States Congress authorized and requested the president to proclaim 9 October of each year as “Leif Erikson Day.”

Read more on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leif_Erikson

Event Chairs:
Catherine and Peter

Friday Happy Hour

Friday, September 30, 7 pm

Casual get-together under the string lights outside the Picnic Pavilion.

Bring a friend! We are always looking for potential new Club members!

• Food and beverages
• Fire bowl
• Streaming jukebox (Spotify)
• Donation jar for capital improvements!

Cheers,
Ed

P.S. Please fee free to come on down 30 minutes early to help setup!

Friday Happy Hour

Friday, September 16, 6:30 pm

This casual get-together under the string lights outside the Picnic Pavilion includes:

• Danish Hotdogs and Hamburgers plus Beverages
• Bubble wands for kids of all ages
• Corn hole (or other lawn games)
• Raffle
• Fire bowls
• Streaming jukebox (Spotify summer music)
• Donation jar for capital improvements!

Cheers,
Ed and Lisbeth

P.S. Please fee free to come on down 30 minutes early to help setup!

Friday Happy Hour

Friday, September 9, 6:30 pm

Club members and guests are getting together this Friday to relax and share some time together. The Club will offer simple grill food, beverages and snacks. If you have a beverage preference bring it along. Donation jars will be out for anyone interested in supporting the Club’s mission. Proceeds will go to the Club as always.

A couple club members volunteering to set up tables and chairs at 6 pm would be appreciated. Let us know if you have an item to donate for a raffle prize.

Chaired by Ed.

Friday Happy Hour: “Villaavslutning”

Saturday, August 26
7–9 pm

“Villaavslutning”, which directly translates to “closing of the summer house”, is a festive farewell to summer in Ostrobothnia, Finland. It is always celebrated on the last weekend in August and the festivities culminate in mighty bonfires, torches, colored lanterns, fireworks, and more. The original and genuine celebration takes place at the summer house in the archipelago.

Casual get-together under the string lights outside the Picnic Pavilion with traditional BONFIRE and luminarias.

• Beverages
• Raffle
• Streaming jukebox (Spotify summer music)
• Corn hole (or other lawn games)
• Firefly lightshow (after dark)
• Donation jar

Fireworks is also a tradition, but we can’t do that.

Event Chairs:
Lisbeth and Ed

Friday Happy Hour

Friday, July 22, 6–8 pm

Weather forecast shows sunny 🌞 and temperatures in the upper 80s, but cooling somewhat in the evening.

• Hamburgers and hot dogs
• Beverages of all kinds
• Spotify summer playlist
• Donation jar

The sun is hot, the water’s cool. Don’t forget to bring your bikini or board shorts in case you need to cool off in the water by the beach!

Chaired by Ed. Thank you!

Family camping

Saturday, July 16 @ 6 pm to Sunday @ 10 am

Bring your tent and camping spirit this Saturday night for a campout in the back field at the Club.

• Hamburger and hot dog dinner on Saturday night
• Fire bowls with s’mores station
• Scrambled eggs breakfast on Sunday morning

Overnight is not mandatory! Come for an informal get-together, food and drinks on Saturday night. Stay for as long as you like.

Don’t forget bug repellent!

Midsummer Celebration

Saturday, June 25, 5 – 9 pm

Outdoor sit-down dinner at community table for 70 people
(Sunset is at 8:30 pm, so dress in layers)
– Live music
– Fire bowls

Menu:
Appetizer: Pickled herring, gravlax, mustard, Estonian rye bread
Entree: Poached salmon with sauce verte, potatoes, cucumber salad, bread
(Alternative to fish will be available, including vegan option.)
Dessert: Strawberry shortcake, cookies
Included beverages: Aquavit, Swedish Punsch, wine/soda, coffee

Cost: $40/person for members. $60/person for non-members. Kids free.

Signup is required. Limited to 70 attendees.

SOLD OUT! Sorry.

Make your own flower crown and wear it:

For those who would like to practice the singing

“Helan går” by Brahe Djäknar & Florakören:

“Punschen kommer” according to Vasa nation at the University of Helsinki:

Friday Happy Hour

Friday, May 20, 6–8 pm

We’ll plant a whitebarked Himalayan birch (Betula jacquemontii) tree to commemorate the bequest by the Florence and Eleanor Franzen estate, which had enclosed the following note: “Miss Franzen was very proud of her Scandinavian heritage and made this bequest so that your organization could preserve Scandinavian traditions and culture.”

Birch trees are an iconic symbol of the Nordic region with their papery white bark, long lean trunks with eye-like knots and the warming sweet smell of the sauna. They grow abundantly all around Scandinavia. Aside from their distinctive outward appearance, many parts of birch are also used for food: their sap is traditionally drunk fresh, boiled down into syrup, and even brewed into beer, and the small buds, harvested in the winter before they begin to shoot, are deeply resinous and aromatic. The chewing gum sweetener xylitol is extracted from birch trees.

Eleanor Franzen (1922–2019) and Florence Franzen (1918–2006) were two sisters who devoted their lives to their parents, John and Ellen Franzen, their church, The Scandinavian Club including the Northern Lights female chorus, The Southbury Lutheran Home Guild and traveling.

Growing up in Bridgeport, Conn. they were life members of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. Between the two of them they participated in many of its facets: Sunday School, music, fairs including baking! Florence was a secretary at the Fairfield Board of Education and Ellie worked at People’s Bank, Fairfield.

Neither of them ever married, but they were survived by several cousins in Connecticut and Sweden. Florence and Eleanor were two very special ladies who shared their compassion and love with anyone they contacted.

Eurovision Song Contest Viewing Party

Saturday, May 14, 3 – 6 pm

Europe’s favorite television show streaming live via the internet on the Club’s new 85-inch TV!

If you grew up in Europe there’s no need to explain. Before American Idol there was Eurovision. Since 1956, the Contest has been broadcast every year and is one of television’s longest running music shows. It is one of the most watched non-sporting events in the world. Featuring kitschy costumes and every style of music, love it or hate it the Contest represents a broad cross section of European culture unmatched by any other event.

• 40 countries participate in Eurovision 2022; 25 in the Grand Final.
• Two semi-finals are held leading up to Saturday’s Grand Final.
• Five countries are automatic pre-qualified for the Grand Final: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom.
• Each country will have two sets of 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10 and 12 points to give: One set for each country’s jury, and one set for each country’s televoting. Televoters and national juries have equal weight in the voting.

This year’s Contest is hosted by Italy (Turin).

Sweden has won 6 times. First time with ABBA (Waterloo) in 1974.
Finland has finished last 11 times, but won in 2006.

Systur (Sigga, Beta and Elín) will represent Iceland 🇮🇸 at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin with the song ‘Með Hækkandi Sól’.

The Rasmus will represent Finland 🇫🇮 this year with the song “Jezebel.”

Cornelia Jakobs will represent Sweden 🇸🇪 this year with the song “Hold Me Closer.”

Subwoolfer will represent Norway  this year with the song “Give That Wolf A Banana.”

Sadly, Denmark 🇩🇰 did not qualify for the Grand Final this year. Here’s Reddi with the song “The Show.”

Finland’s first and, so far, only Eurovision win (2006).

Spring Artisan Fair

Saturday, April 30, 10 am – 4 pm

• Local fine arts and crafts vendors showcasing handcrafted artistic gifts
• Free admission and parking
• Outdoors
• Burgers and hot dogs
• Coffee, tea, soda

Swedish Punsch Workshop

Saturday, April 2, 5 – 7 pm

Help preserve a hundred year old tradition by learning how to make the classic liqueur of Scandinavia. Our “Swedish Punsch” will be made from batavia arrack (pot distilled rum from Indonesia) mixed with smooth Barbados rum, Yunnan tea, sugar and Sorrento lemons.

Punsch is traditionally served warm as an accompaniment to Swedish yellow pea soup (ärtsoppa) which will also be served at the workshop with a small sample of commercial Punsch for tasting.

Each participant or couple will leave with 2 x 17 fluid ounces of Punsch (Classic and Raspberry, around 23% ABV).

Limited to 20 people (or 20 couples); 21 and older only.

Event chair: Peter

Swedish Waffle Day

Saturday, March 26, 1 – 3 pm
Inside the Clubhouse and/or outside by Picnic Pavilion

“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.

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.
A variety of beverages available.
Suggested donation $5.

Welcome!

Event chair: Marianne

Semlor

Sunday, February 27, 1–3 pm

It’s the time of year for “semla” (plural “semlor”) again! These traditional Swedish pastries are fluffy brioche buns with a hint of cardamom, filled with whipped cream and almond paste, then dusted with powdered sugar.

Get your “semlor” to go, or enjoy inside the Clubhouse, or outdoors by the Picnic Pavilion in a relaxed, wintery setting with coffee and other hot beverages.

“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, February 27 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

Dinner: Plant-Based Nordic by Chrissy Tracey, Bon Appetit’s First Vegan Chef

Saturday, February 5, 6–10 pm

A three course menu:

• Carrot lox on toast
• Vegan Swedish meatballs, potatoes, pickled beets, lingonberry jam, smashed peas
• Runeberg torte in a vegan reincarnation

Vegan chardonnay pairing.

Limited to 30 seats.

SOLD OUT! Sorry!

The dessert is named after the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804–1877) who, according to legend, regularly enjoyed the torte with punsch for breakfast. Runeberg tortes are typically eaten only in Finland and are generally available in stores from the beginning of January to Runeberg’s birthday on February 5.

Event chair: Catherine

2021 Events