Danish Canadian Advent Calendar 2020 - December 2nd 2020

Advent Calendars in Denmark changed after the second world war, Advent calendars with small gift wrapped presents (in Danish Pakkekalender), slowly began to become the normal in Denmark. An Advent calendar with gifts would typically have 24 small gifts and one big gift on the 24th of December. The presents could contain small packs of Lego or Candy for the Children. Some Adults also make a Advent Calendar for their partners. There are so many ideas for the Advent Calendars and it extends the Christmas season, creating so much joy and fun with the first 24 days of December being Christmas everyday.
 
For myself having a GOOD bread makes all the difference in a meal, no matter if its a beautiful sandwich, hearty stew or a delicate salad. A good bread increases the level of appreciation, and increases the comfort of the meal. Filling you up in more ways than one. 

Danish Canadian Advent Calendar 2020
​
This month is all about Danish traditions and a Hygge Christmas because I mean really who couldn't use a bit more Hygge in there life. The tradition of the Advent calendar there is no definite date only that it is very European. The credit of the first printed Advent goes Germany in 1903 the first printed by a man named Gerhard in his early 20's. It all stemmed from childhood memories of his family counting down to Christmas with 24 cookies that were sewn onto a lid and put into on to a piece of carton. He was aloud to eat one cookie a day until Christmas.
​
The First Danish Julealender (Advent Calendar) was in 1930. This particular year two Advent calendars were created and sold, one with no doors to open but a picture with verses there was tear-off blocks to count down to Christmas leaving the picture and verses. The other was more like what we all see today it had the 24 windows with little unique size openings and treats inside. These Advent calendars were pricey and not everyone could afford them. By the year 1932 people of Denmark had started making there own Advent calendars for gifts in all sorts of fashions.

News from Sons of Norway

Sunday, March 8, 2020 at 1:00 pm
Bowen Centre Room 1, Nanaimo, BC

We would appreciate a great turn-out for this meeting as there are some important issues that will be discussed. We also ask you to give serious consideration to putting your name forward as a Board Member or nominating someone you think would be an asset to our Club Board. Thank you.

1. Call to Order
2. Announcement of Chairperson
3. Quorum
4. Adoption of the Agenda
5. Adoption of the 2019 AGM Minutes
6. President's Report
7. Treasurer's Report
8. Newsletter Editor's Report
9. Nomination of Board Members
10. Election of Board Members
11. Results of Board Member Election
12. Discussion of 2019 Activities
13. Discussion of 2020 Federation
14. New Ideas for 2020
15. New Business
16. Adjournment

Board Members are elected for 2-year terms

The Present Board Members are:

President:                John Jensen           1 year remaining
Vice-President:       Sophia Sorensen    Term expiring
Treasurer:                Tom Hedekar          Term expiring
Secretary:                 Lena Tsuji               1 year remaining
Directors:                  Carsten Krogh        Term expiring
                                   Louise Krogh          Term expiring
                                   Darlene O'Neill       1 year remaining
                                   Hakon Philipsen    1 year remaining

Coffee and goodies will be served following the Meeting.

Please note: 2020 Membership Fees must be paid in order for Members
to vote at the Annual General Meeting. Thank you.

Membership Dues are $20 per member per calendar year.
You can pay Vibeke at one of our functions or mail a cheque
to:

Treasurer, Tom Hedekar
6307 Corfu Drive
Nanaimo, BC V9V 1N5

Thank you for all the donations of wonderful raffle prizes for our past Christmas Party!
Tove & Joachim Schindler, Vibeke Sandberg, Anne Quist, Henning Pedersen, John & Diana Musgreave and to Board Members!
​

Sunday, March 8, 2020 at 1:00 pm
Bowen Centre Room 1, Nanaimo, BC

We would appreciate a great turn-out for this meeting as there are some important issues that will be discussed. We also ask you to give serious consideration to putting your name forward as a Board Member or nominating someone you think would be an asset to our Club Board. Thank you.

1. Call to Order
2. Announcement of Chairperson
3. Quorum
4. Adoption of the Agenda
5. Adoption of the 2019 AGM Minutes
6. President's Report
7. Treasurer's Report
8. Newsletter Editor's Report
9. Nomination of Board Members
10. Election of Board Members
11. Results of Board Member Election
12. Discussion of 2019 Activities
13. Discussion of 2020 Federation
14. New Ideas for 2020
15. New Business
16. Adjournment

Board Members are elected for 2-year terms

The Present Board Members are:

President:                John Jensen           1 year remaining
Vice-President:       Sophia Sorensen    Term expiring
Treasurer:                Tom Hedekar          Term expiring
Secretary:                 Lena Tsuji               1 year remaining
Directors:                  Carsten Krogh        Term expiring
                                   Louise Krogh          Term expiring
                                   Darlene O'Neill       1 year remaining
                                   Hakon Philipsen    1 year remaining

Coffee and goodies will be served following the Meeting.

Please note: 2020 Membership Fees must be paid in order for Members
to vote at the Annual General Meeting. Thank you.

Membership Dues are $20 per member per calendar year.
You can pay Vibeke at one of our functions or mail a cheque
to:

Treasurer, Tom Hedekar
6307 Corfu Drive
Nanaimo, BC V9V 1N5

Thank you for all the donations of wonderful raffle prizes for our past Christmas Party!
Tove & Joachim Schindler, Vibeke Sandberg, Anne Quist, Henning Pedersen, John & Diana Musgreave and to Board Members!

Jens Munk Service in Holmens Kirke in Copenhagen
​
According to Thorkild Hansen’s bestselling book Jens Munk, there was a Church Service for Jens Munk and his crew in Holmens Kirke on Sunday, May 9, 1619. Hansen recounts that at this Service King Christian IV addressed the crew and wished them well on their journey in search of the Northwest Passage to the Orient. The crew then went down on their knees and the King prayed that the expedition into uncharted waters would be blessed. Pastor Rasmus Jensen who would be the Chaplain on the voyage would undoubtedly also have been present. It is unknown what his role was at the Service. Pastor Jensen had just been ordained a ships chaplain the year before by the Bishop of Sjælland, Hans Resen Poulsen.

After the Service, Munk and his crew were rowed out to the expedition’s two ships. The Unicorn, the larger of the two navy ships, flew the flag of the King’s Navy on the main mast. This was after all an official expedition supported by the King. The two vessels were ready for the voyage and were appropriately weighed down with provisions for the long journey. Along the harbour people watched the two ships slowly sail out to sea. It was a beautiful day and consequently there was barely any wind.

Holmens Kirke was the Danish Navy’s new Church. The building had originally been built as an anchor forge in 1563 by the previous king, but in 1619 it was converted into a Church for the Navy by King Christian. It is the only church in Denmark which lies directly out to the water. When the Service for Jens Munk and his crew was held, the Church had already begun to hold Services, but was not yet completed. It wasn’t until September 5, 1619 that Holmens Kirke was officially inaugurated.

In addition to being the Church for the Navy, it is a regular parish church and it is a church which has been the backdrop for numerous national celebrations and anniversaries. Holmens Kirke also serves as the final resting place for naval heroes Niels Juel and Tordenskjold.

The Church, situated on Holmens Canal across from the old Stock Exchange and the Parliament Buildings, celebrated its 400th anniversary recently, on September 8, 2019. In attendance to celebrate the anniversary was naturally Queen Margrethe II. For the Queen the ceremony undoubtedly brought back many memories, as she was married to Price Henrik in Holmens Kirke in 1967.

Copies of The Journal of Jens Munk 1619-1620 are available from the Danish Canadian Museum in Dickson, the Danish Canadian Club in Calgary, the Danish House Society in Burnaby and at Sunset Villa in Puslinch. The price is $15. The Journal makes for a great Christmas present.

- Rolf Buschardt Christensen

How did Irene Ellefsen come to write about Jens Munk?
 
In her book JENS MUNK. JAKTEN På NORDVESTPASSASJEN, Irene Ellefsen tells how in early 2016 she had never heard of Jens Munk, but fortuitously came upon his name, which eventually led her to write the book. She was just so inspired by him! Below is what is writes in her book - translated from Bokmål to English by yours truly. Attached is the brief review Otto Christensen of Gimli, Manitoba, 
wrote. He found the book informative and authoritative. Regards, Rolf.
​
Here she is:
 
Not many people in Norway have heard of Jens Munk. That was true for me too, until one fall day in 2016 when I came across a random page in a thick book. The book was bound in a textile cover with a faded red and golden design. It smelled like an old library. A sentence shone on me from its glossy pages:
 
"Except for the well-known explorer Jens Munk who went to school in Fredrikstad in 1586-1588, none of the school's pupils in the first period achieved fame."
 
Who was this famous explorer and why was it the first time I heard about him? The small sentence was pretty well all I found about Munk in this big book, which was actually Volume 1 of
Martin Dehli's Fredrikstad City History. The fact that Jens Munk was a somewhat enigmatic explorer who moreover lived in the Renaissance made me curious. I flipped through Dehli's file, neatly handwritten, yellowed sheets, until I found his source for the information on Jens Munk. It became the first step in a long treasure hunt. During my search for more information, one thought gradually grew bolder. I was going to write a book about Jens Munk!

”Jens Munk - Jakten på Nordvestpassasjen”
 
Vi har en fantastisk sakprosadebutant på utgivelseslista i høst: Irene A. Ellefsen heter hun, og hun har en fantastisk evne til å gjøre historien levende. I fortellingen om Jens Munk har hun vært tro mot fakta og historiske kilder, samtidig som miljøskildringene er skrevet slik at leseren føler seg omgitt av tiden og historien med alle sanser. Her får du innblikk i en del av historien vår på en ny måte. Nysgjerrig? Da kan du kan bestille et gratiskapittel fra boka her: (see link below)
 
On the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Jens Munk’s journey we have a new book - released August 2019. It is written by Irene Almkvist Ellefsen, who is the curator of the ‘Østfoldmuseene - Frederiksstad Museum’, Norway. The book is written in Norwegian, but can easily be enjoyed by people who read and understand Danish.
​
Ellefsen writes in the prologue: In my search for information about Jens Munk one idea gradually came to fruition. I should write a book about him. The learning curve was steep and had many detours. Although Munk is best known for his expedition in search for the Northwest Passage, there were many equally interesting episodes in his life. Step by step I have combed through the written sources. (p. 12)

The result is a book of 322 pages with an additional 32 pages of illustrations, charts, and maps, written so as to keep the reader’s attention to the last page. The book is published by Humanist Forlag AS, Oslo. You can download a chapter of the book for free on their webpage: https://www.humanistforlag.no/jens-munk-jakten-paa-nordvestpassasjen.6236173-325676.html?fbclid=IwAR0379DMGGgFIe4bXi8xS9S3c_izP-LmQ-1jmlsgJxNjo8_QuOk_LOaLiDE .
 
I have not been able to find a review of the book on the web. The above description is based on my own reading. I recommend the book to anyone who wants a more fact-based account of Munk’s life that what you get from Thorkild Hansen’s Book: Jens Munk (Copenhagen, 1965). Hansen was an author rather than a historian. In Ellefsen’s case it is the other way around. The book has been well received in Norway, even suggested as a Fathers’ Day Gift. It is so new that no other language translation is available. My guess is that it is just a question of time before this lack will be remedied. We’ll see.
 
With all due respect,
Otto Christensen, Gimli, Mb.
- Member of the Jens Munk Commemorative Steering Committee
  Federation of Danish Associations in Canada

​KNUD RASMUSSEN
 
In less than two years from now, in 2021, it will be one-hundred years 
ago since Knud Rasmussen set out on his Fifth Thule Expedition, which 
focussed primarily on Arctic Canada. Perhaps you have read about it in 
his book DEN STORE SLÆDEREJSE, which was a bestseller in Denmark, and 
which has been re-issued in various editions over the years, due to 
popular demand. The book (which would be translated The Great Sled 
Journey), is actually a short popular version of his official 
scientific Fifth Thule Report.
 
Between September 1921 and December 1924 the Fifth Thule Expedition 
explored vast areas of Arctic Canada, laying the foundation for many 
later explorations. The Expedition included Greenlanders as well as 
Peter Freuchen, next in command, and Therkel Mathiassen, an 
archaeologist and anthropologist. Mathiassen carried out excavations 
near Repulse Bay which eventually established that the roots of 
contemporary Inuit culture lay in an earlier NeoEskimo culture which 
he called Thule.
 
By sled Knud Rasmussen and a smaller team traveled by dog team across 
Northern Canada, following the shore of the Arctic Ocean to Alaska, en 
route collecting geographic and ethnographic information as well as 
artifacts. The findings of the Fifth Thule Expedition were compiled 
into the ten-volume series Report of the Fifth Thule Expedition, which 
still today is considered a treasure and an indispensable source for 
Arctic studies. The ethnographic reports are highly valued as they 
describe the culture, customs, habits and beliefs of the Inuit of the 
North. Knud Rasmussen, born in Greenland, spoke Greenlandic and was 
therefore able to communicate with the Inuit of Arctic Canada in their 
own language, as the languages of the Inuit up north are in many ways 
similar to Greenlandic.
 
In the time to come the Danish Federation will strive to disseminate 
information about Knud Rasmussen and his Fifth Thule Expedition to 
members of the Danish community and above all to the public at large. 
During the anniversary of the Expedition we must do our best to 
commemorate and celebrate this historic and ground-breaking 
exploration, bringing awareness of it to the general public. The 
contribution that the Danes and Greenlanders on this Expedition made 
to the history and knowledge of Arctic Canada is truly remarkable, and 
should be better known.
 
Rolf Buschardt Christensen
President, Federation of Danish Associations in Canada
613-747-9764
robuch@ca.inter.net

Knud Rasmussen
Greenlander Polar Explorer

Born:
June 7, 1879
Ilulissat, Greenland

Died:
December 21, 1933 (aged 54)
Gentofte, Denmark

more information: www.britannica.com/biography/Knud-Rasmussen

Our Danish Club Nanaimo member Thelma Thaargard told me that she has a stack of Heritage Books from years gone by and would like to gift the stack to someone. If nobody wants them, she'll throw them out.  Thelma suggested people could call her son, David at Pryde Vista Golf Course 250-753-6188 to contact her.
 
The 2019 edition is 8 1/2 x 11 with 236 pages and previous editions are similar. See attached picture of the cover page. Normally, these books sell for $15 each.
 
Cheers, Tom

A big thank you to our member and our Danish Club Event's photographer, Louise Krogh! She has shared all her photos again from our Harvest Party. If you would like to save a photo to your computer, click on the image, it will open up on it's own page, then right click on image and click 'save image' and give it a name and click on 'save' and there you go!

​https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZmotXabNieKRoabP6

A big thank you to our member and our Danish Club Event's photographer, Louise Krogh! She has shared all her photos again from this past summer's 2019 Sankt Hans Fest at Rathtrevor Beach Park! If you would like to save a photo to your computer, click on the image, it will open up on it's own page, then right click on image and click 'save image' and give it a name and click on 'save' and there you go!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NupjKjVY8cKbtSkWA

If you would like to comment on the photos, please do!

Here's an interesting link to some podcasts in Danish. Lena Tsuji played one and said it was quite interesting. Cheers, Tom
​
​https://www.dr.dk/radio/special-radio/pa-kanten-af-verden

In 2020, 100 years have passed since Southern Jutland was reunited with Denmark...
​https://genforeningen2020.dk/english/

Dear Members of the Danish Federation,
 
Attached please find a report by Ed Kuhlman about the Leif Erikson Festival at the Scandinavian Centre in Burnaby, B.C., on Saturday, October 5, 2019, where the theme was JENS MUNK.
 
It was great to hear what a success this event was. Thank you, Ed. Ed is willing to answer questions or hear comments. His email address is kuhlman@shaw.ca
 
Regards,
Rolf Buschardt Christensen
President, Federation of Danish Associations in Canada
613-747-9764
robuch@ca.inter.net

​Dear Members of the Danish Federation,
 
Ambassador Hanne Fugl Eskjær took up her duties as Denmark's 
ambassador to Canada last month. She was previously Denmark's Arctic 
Ambassador. I met with her at the Danish Embassy in Ottawa on October 
3rd. Here are the highlights of our talk.
 
When Ambassador Eskjær presented her credentials to Governor General 
Julie Payette on September 9th the Ambassador mentioned Jens Munk and 
his 1619-1620 expedition to the Governor General.
 
Ambassador Eskjær plans to attend the Jens Munk event in Churchill, 
Manitoba, next year.
 
Ambassador Eskjær is very much interested in Ole Japp's film The 
Northwest Xpedition, about Jens Munk's expedition, and would like to 
obtain a copy of this movie. This movie was shown at the Leif Erikson 
Festival at the Scandinavian Centre in Burnaby on Saturday, October 
5th. This was a Canadian premiere.
 
The ambassador also expressed an interest in visiting the various 
Danish organizations across Canada. She specifically mentioned Dickson. 
 
Ambassador Eskjær is also keen to commemorate and celebrate the 100th 
anniversary of Knud Rasmussen's Fifth Thule Expedition 1921-1924, 
which took him across Arctic Canada by dog sleigh, and further West to 
Alaska and Siberia. Along the way he collected invaluable artifacts 
and stories about the Inuit in Canada. Knud Rasmussen spoke 
Greenlandic and was able to communicate with most of the Inuit he met 
in Arctic Canada. I will be in touch with the Embassy again about 
commemorating Knud Rasmussen's Expedition.
 
Regards,
Rolf Buschardt Christensen, B.A., M.A.
President, Federation of Danish Associations in Canada
679 Eastvale Court, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1J 6Z7
1-613-747-9764
robuch@ca.inter.net

Jens Munk Display at DAAL
 
On display right now at the Danish American Archive and Library on 
Washington Street in Blair, Nebraska, is an exhibition marking the 
400th anniversary of Jens Munk's expedition in search of the Northwest 
Passage, north of Canada to China and India.
 
The Danish American Archive and Library traces its origins back to the 
earlier archives of the United Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church as 
well as the archives of Dana College in Blair, Nebraska. These 
archives were essentially institutional. Since 1986 a new archive has 
emerged with its emphasis being Danish, rather than institutional. 
First named The Danish Immigrant Archive, the focus of The Archive 
today has grown to include not only the experiences and significant 
contributions to American society and culture by Danish pioneers, but 
also their descendants. The DAAL also contains material relating to 
Canada.
 
The DAAL has a permanent staff which is helped by anywhere from 30 to 
40 volunteers in any four-month period. The DAAL is open from 8:00 
a.m. to 3:00 p.m. every weekday. There are visitors every day, most of 
them from outside Nebraska.  For more information see danishamericanarchive.com
 
Regards,

- Rolf Buschardt Christensen
Federation of Danish Associations in Canada

A century ago, Iceland banned all alcoholic drinks. Within a decade, red wine had been legalized, followed by spirits in the 1930's. But full-strength beer remained off-limits until March 1, 1989. Megan Lane asks why it took so long for the amber nectar to come in the from the Icelandic cold. 

When the mercury hovers below zero, a cold beer is not the first drink that springs to mind. A warming shot of schnapps might be more appropriate. But on March 1, 1989 - when the top temperature in Iceland was a -5°C, beer was exactly what drinkers had in mind. It was the first time in 74 years they'd had a chance to legally order beer. This red-letter day is marked annually as Bjordagur (Beer Day). A generation on, beer accounts for 62% of the 7.1 liters of pure alcohol consumed each year by the average Icelander. That's higher than in traditional brewing countries such as Germany and Czech Republic (54% each) and the UK (37%), according to the most recent World Health Organization figures.

When full prohibition became law 100 years ago, alcohol in general was frowned upon, and beer was especially out of favour - for political reasons. Iceland was engaged in a struggle for independence from Denmark at the time, and Icelanders strongly associated beer with Danish lifestyles. "The Dances were drinking eight times as much alcohol per person on a yearly basis at the time," says historian Stefan Palsson, author of Beer: Around the world in 120 Pints. As a result, beer was "not the patriotic drink of choice".

It didn't take long for Prohibition to be undermined. "Doctors started prescribing alcohol as medicine in huge quantities. Wine if you had bad nerves, and for the heart, cognac." says Palsson. But beer was never "what the doctor ordered", despite the argument some put forward that it was a good treatment for malnourishment. There were other leaks in the Prohibition armor too. The Spanish threatened to stop importing salted cod - Iceland's most profitable export at the time - if Iceland did not buy its wine. 

Politicians bowed to the pressure and legalized red and rose wines from Spain and Portugal in 1921. Over time, support for prohibition dwindled, and in 1933 Icelanders voted to reverse course. But even then the ban remained in force for beer containing more than 2.25% alcohol. As beer was cheaper than wines or spirits, the fear was that legalizing it would lead to a big rise in alcohol abuse. The association of beer with Denmark also continued to tarnish its image in a country that only achieved full independence in 1944. Polls throughout the 1980's showed about six in 10 Icelanders supported legalizing beer. Finally, in 1988, Iceland's parliament, the Althing, voted to legalize beer. Today, Icelanders drink less than many of their European counterparts. Ordering an Icelandic beer isn't always easy, unless you happen to speak the language. Some, such as Borg Snorri Nr. 10 and Ulfur Ulfur Double IPA Nr. 17 are just about pronounceable, but others - Olvishold Suttungasumbi, for example, or Viking Islenskur Urvals Einiberjabock - are more of a challenge.

Once you have the glass in your hand, though, it's easy. You just say "Skål!" and drink.
- For a more in depth article please go to: www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31622038

As you know, our Club is a member of the Federation of Danish Associations in Canada and each year and Annual General Meeting & Conference in a different location. This year the meeting was held in Winnipeg May 24-26, hosted by the Manitoba Danish Canadian Club of Winnipeg. My wife, Lynn and I attended this meeting and really enjoyed visiting Winnipeg. As our club has agreed to host the Federation AGM next year, it was important for us to be at these meetings. 2019 marks the 800th anniversary of the Danish flag, Dannebrog and is also the 400th anniversary of Jens Munk's visit to what is now called Churchill, Manitoba, sent by Christian IV to find the Northwest Passage.

Winnipeg chose to host this year since Jens Munk overwintered in Manitoba. The Danish Ambassador to Canada. Thomas Winkler attended the meetings and gave a very interesting talk and slide presentation on the 'Arctic, Past, Present & Future' during the "Ambassador's Reception" on the first evening of the conference. The following morning was the AGM for the Danish Canadian National Museum in Dickson, Alberta. After the short meeting, we were bused to Winnipeg City Hall where we were met by their Mayor for a formal ceremony at which the Mayor and the Ambassador raised the Danish flag in front of City Hall. The Mayor invited all of the conference attendees inside for a tour of the council chambers and Mayor's office followed by a lovely buffet lunch in the atrium. That evening, a social was hosted at the hotel by the Danish Canadian National Museum group with a "silent auction" as well as a "live auction" to raise a few dollars to support the museum.

The Federation AGM was held Saturday morning and was followed by a self-guided tour of the Canadian Museum of Humanity. The building is an impressive work of modern architecture and the displays in the museum were fascinating testament to the humanity of people throughout history. Saturday evening, the Federation hosted a formal dinner/dance at the hotel and was enjoyed by all.

Sunday morning we were bused to the Winnipeg Zoo for a most interesting tour. We saw lots of Polar Bears, Grey Wolves, Muskox, etc in a very large area (acreages), unlike the typical cages we are used to seeing in most zoos. For lunch, we were bused to the Scandinavian Cultural Centre of Winnipeg where we were treated to a fabulous Smørrebrød buffet and entertainment provided by their Scandinavian Dancers with music by their own 12-member band, all in full costume. Once lunch was finished, I gave a short (tourism) talk and slide show on the sights of Nanaimo to encourage everyone to come to our Conference next year. The Conference finished up with the Manitoba Club passing the Federation Flag and "trophy plaque" to me for next year's meetings.

Next year in Nanaimo, we will continue the saga of Jens Munk, because in the Spring of 2020, he headed back to Denmark. We currently have formed a "host committee" for next year, but there are still a few positions we'd like to fill, so if you are interested in helping out in any small way, please call me. We have a very exciting agenda in the works and would encourage our own members to attend as many events as possible. We are designing the program in a way that will make it easy for our members to participate.

~ Submitted by Tom Hedekar

Danish Inns, KRO, have existed since the 12th century. They are striving to survive and re-invent themselves. Their history can be traced back to 1198 when Bromølle Kro became the first one. In 1283, King Erik Klippinge decided that kro'er, should be built next to the so-called royal roads, kongeveje, and ferry boat crossings, allowing the King a place to stop on his travels through Denmark. In 1396, Queen Margrethe I expanded the number of inns when she decided they should be located all over Denmark, no more than 40 kilometers apart, a days ride by horseback at that time. The oldest used to be Royal, as they were Kongelige Priviligeret, meaning they had the right to use the name kongelig, as well as use of the Royal Crown in their logo.

You will still find them scattered around the countryside and in local towns. They are struggling to redefine themselves since modern travel, new Nordic cuisine and changed eating habits have become a threat to their traditional looks and culinary meals. Many have expanded and today feature modern conference facilities, hotel accommodations, spas and more. Others have refurbished and updated their looks. While still respecting their origins they accommodate a more light and Scandinavian look, and combine traditional Danish meals with more modern Danish and French cuisine and others have stayed more traditional. The inns are definitely worth a visit, either for a simple meal as part of a one-day excursion, or as a weekend retreat. 

When trying to find one, look to see if they have a platte, or Kroplatte. This is a selection of the traditional lunch menu. Because they all employ different concepts to survive now, even if called 'kro', they man no longer serve traditional meals but instead only new modern gourmet Danish/French cuisine, which of course is also worth having, just maybe not on the day you wanted something traditional.

Here are some great photos courtesy of Tom Hedekar from our annual Sankt Hans Midsumnmer Celebration at Parksville, BC. If you have any photos you would like to share with other members, please contact Tom Hedekar and he will pass them onto me so that I can add them to the website.

Here's a couple of pictures from the July 1st parade. We have (left to right) Ingeborg Kristiansen, Vibeke Sandberg and Inge Yost along with a couple of Canada's finest.

The Danish Heritage Seminar was held at the Hotel Fort Garry in Winnipeg from May 27th to June 1st, 2019. This year’s theme was Wanderlust, the desire to explore the world.

The headmaster, Pastor Susanne Ivalo Rasmussen of the Danish Lutheran Church of Vancouver, discussed wanderlust and romanticism during the 19th century. Many of the Danish lyric poets, sculptors, writers and composers had wanderlust and would stay for long periods in other parts of Europe, particularly Rome. The participants were introduced to the works of H.C. Andersen, B.S. Ingemann, Holger Drachmann, Bertel Thorvaldsen and a number of other well-known 19th century Danish artists. Pastor Susanne emphasized how the Danish national anthem and other national songs were composed or became popular during the 19th century. This body of work laid the foundation for much of present-day Danish culture and tradition.

Professional musician and singer, Charlotte Andersson, from Copenhagen was an extreme delight for this year’s participants.  Charlotte awed everyone with her beautiful voice and many musical performances during the entire week. She described Christian Winther’s “Hjortens Flugt”, a poem which dealt with wanderlust and romanticism.

Otto Christensen gave a captivating PowerPoint presentation about Jens Munk. Aase Christensen spoke on Scandinavian Folklore and the role Trolls played both then and now. She talked of the Thomas Dam trolls which have become collectors’ items and of the Thomas Dambo trolls which can be found all over the world. Rolf Christensen spoke about political Populism and Populists. There were excursions to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the Manitoba Legislature. Pastor Susanne spoke about Pastor Rasmus Jensen, who had accompanied the Jens Munk expedition. She also performed a Lutheran Church Service just as it would have been held during the reign of King Christian IV.

On the last evening the 28 participants held a Goodbye Party, where they showed off their talents in creating their own entertainment and fun.  A very successful fundraising lottery was held during the evening with many very desirable winnings.

- Rolf Buschardt Christensen