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Grab Your Norwegian Sweaters for Velkommen Jul!

Velkommen Jul
Treats abound at the Velkommen Jul buffet.

As we near the holiday season, Co-Chair of the Augsburg Associates Jessica Wahto has a special message to share about an Augsburg favorite tradition:

Remember the days of walking into grandma’s kitchen at the holidays, and the smell of cardamom and sugar wafting through the air. Recall that trip you took to Norway and Sweden. The beauty of the Fjords, the colorful knit sweaters and the delicate embroidery on their bunad’s. Think of your exchange student who visited from Denmark and all the laughs you shared. Enjoy these memories and make new ones at Velkommen Jul!

Please join us and kick off your holiday season at Velkommen Jul on Friday, Nov. 30! Augsburg University’s annual Christmas celebration is open to all. Attend chapel and worship featuring Scandinavian Christmas music at 10:40 a.m. in the Hoversten Chapel. Then head to the Christensen Center at 11 a.m. Here you will find our Velkommen Jul boutique, offering unique Nordic gifts and treats.

After you have claimed your treasured gifts, join us for a festive celebration in Augsburg’s commons with music and traditional costumes and sweaters! Reminisce with friends and make new introductions while enjoying a smorgasbord of Scandinavian treats. Don’t worry; there will be plenty of coffee as well! You can add to the celebration by wearing your Norwegian sweater or Bunad! Velkommen means Welcome, and here at Augsburg you always are! We hope to see you there!

*All proceeds from the boutique as well as donations gathered at the smorgasbord go to help fund student scholarships.

Velkommen Jul is December 2

 

Velkommen Jul 2015Velkommen Jul is an annual celebration at Augsburg, presented by the Augsburg Associates, to welcome the Advent and Christmas seasons.

Join us in the chapel for our annual Velkommen Jul service –  A Scandinavian Christmas Celebration – on Friday, December 2, at 10:40am, in Hoversten Chapel. We welcome Nordic musicians Erik Rydvall and Olav Luksengård Mjelva, who play traditional Scandinavian instruments in new ways. We will also sing Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian carols together. Wear your Norwegian sweater and join the fun!

At 11 a.m., join a festive celebration in the Commons with Scandinavian treats, including lefse, krumkake, and coffee, prepared by the Augsburg Associates. Shop the boutique in the Christensen Center lobby for unique gifts and goodies. All proceeds benefit student scholarships, and donations are accepted at the buffet by Augsburg Associates holding gift baskets.

Continue the celebration by attending the Advent Vespers worship service on Friday evening at 5 p.m. or 8 p.m., or one of three services on Saturday, December 3. See more information about Advent Vespers and reserve your seating envelope.

 

Meet a Super Velkommen Jul Volunteer

Lee FurmanYou might know Lee (Dyrud) Furman ’61 from her time teaching in the social work department at Augsburg, or you might recognize her as one of the delightful Augsburg Associates dressed up in a bunad or traditional Norwegian costume at Velkommen Jul each year. She’s also the recipient of an Augsburg Distinguished Alumni Award in 1989. Furman is among the many fantastic Associates volunteers you will see if you stop by campus on Friday, Dec. 5. Velkommen Jul begins with chapel service at 10:40 a.m. and moves to the Christensen Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Furman fondly remembers the beautiful singing and enthusiasm of chapel, and the fellow alums she has known through the years. She has been a part of the Augsburg Associates for approximately 12 years, since she moved back to Minneapolis for the first time since college. She still remembers going to Velkommen Jul when she was a student. “It was quite splendid. I was very much in awe,” she says. Continue reading “Meet a Super Velkommen Jul Volunteer”

Calling All Norwegian Sweaters!!

Choir of SweatersWe like to think of Velkommen Jul at Augsburg College as the largest gathering of Norwegian sweaters in Minnesota. This traditional festival to usher in the Christmas season brings campus together around a lovely, historic tradition that features Scandinavian yuletide music, tasty treats including krumkake and lefse, Norwegian bunads, a bake sale of holiday goodies, and a visit from St. Nicholas during chapel. Donations are accepted and welcomed in support of student scholarships.

We love gathering together each year for this event that welcomes students from all backgrounds and faiths into long-cherished Augsburg traditions. But as we all know, these beautiful, long-wearing sweaters are not inexpensive.

Here is where you can help! Please consider donating any older or unworn Norwegian sweaters for our students to wear for this wonderful event and throughout the Christmas season. Sweaters must be clean and in reasonably good condition.  No matter who you are or your background, let’s share the wealth of Norwegian sweaters that is so proudly displayed here in Minnesota winters.

Please make your sweater donations by Wednesday, November 26 at noon. Please call 612-330-1085 with any questions. Sweater donations may be mailed or delivered to the Alumni and Advancement office at:

Oren Gateway Center
Suite 300
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis MN 55454