Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
On Campus Blog
Alex Friedrich

What’s all that pastry and wool at Augsburg?

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Velkommen Jul Sweater_0193
That's a lot of Norwegian. (Courtesy of Augsburg College)

Krumkake. Kransekake. Lefse. Julekage.

Just try to say that three times fast.

I'm surrounded by the stuff in the dining hall -- a big spread of Scandinavian treats with holiday decorations and live classical music in the background.

Heart-shaped vafler with jam and whipped cream? I'm in. I'll even take the strange brown slices of caramelized goat cheese.

baked goodies
I don't care what you call it. I'll eat it. (Alex Friedrich / MPR)

After all, it's Velkommen Jul, Augsburg's traditional Scandinavian-style Christmas celebration.

Just don't try to Google it. You won't find any such holiday in Northern Europe.

Augsburg kinda ... made it up.

No one seems to know for sure how long it has been going on, but formal mention dates back about 20 years. The Augsburg Associates, a mostly female alumni association, started it as a way to raise money for the school.

larson
Larson (right) working the decorations. (Alex Friedrich / MPR)

Barb "Bunny" Larson of Edina, who graduated from here with a music degree in1963, chaired the event for a few years. She seemed to think it's been around since the 1960s.

She says Velkommen Jul is Norwegian for "Welcome to Christmas" -- "to welcome the community and students to Christmas season."

It's also a big alumni event. As we talk, a sea of older folks in Norwegian sweaters passes en route to the tables of holiday decorations and gifts for sale.

IMG_3653
Hardcore (Alex Friedrich / MPR)

Many are fresh out of a chapel service that Augsburg bills as "one of the largest gatherings of Norwegian sweaters in the country."

(And no, they're not the tacky sweaters we make fun of here.)

Some really go native. Kathryn Selin, a 2007 graduate in Norwegian studies, dressed up in folk costume along with her Norwegian husband, Jens, and her two boys, 3-year-old Thomas and 1-year-old David.

The day before the couple got married on Dec. 3, 2005, did she spend the time making last-minute wedding arrangements the way most normal folks do?

Nope. She went to Velkommen Jul.

"It's part of our tradition now," she says.