Museum members are invited to have their children participate in our annual Lucia performance on December 7th and 8th. They are sure to have fun dressing as tomtar, pepparkakor, folk dancers, star boys, and Lucia and her attendants while singing traditional Swedish Christmas songs.
Lucia performances are on Saturday, December 7th 11:30 & 2:00 (call time 10:30 am) and Sunday, December 8th 11:00 & 1:30 (call time 10 am)
What better place to celebrate St. Lucia Day than the American Swedish Historical Museum!
Christmas and wheat weaving go hand-in-hand in Sweden, with straw ornaments decorating the house and Christmas tree. The most famous and recognizable of these ornaments is the Julbock, the Christmas goat, who once brought presents to Swedish homes. Later the Julbock became the helper of the increasingly popular Jultomte.
Don’t miss this unique, magical holiday experience! The outdoor Christmas Market includes your favorite holiday deli items, Christmas decorations and gifts, and SWEA bakery treats. The Swedish Christmas Café will sell holiday foods and sweets for refreshment. Enjoy live music holiday music by the Last Chance duo throughout the day. During the market, shoppers can experience the Lucia children’s program twice daily.
The Market will take place in our heated tent outside, and Lucia performances will be in the Grand Hall. Shoppers can enjoy the day, rain or shine!
Don’t miss this unique, magical holiday experience! The outdoor Christmas Market includes your favorite holiday deli items, Christmas decorations and gifts, and SWEA bakery treats - with new vendors for 2024! The Swedish Christmas Café will sell holiday foods and sweets for refreshment. Enjoy live music holiday music by the Last Chance duo throughout the day. During the market, shoppers can experience the Lucia children’s program twice daily.
**Julbord is now sold out. Please check back and join us next year.**
The act of taking a sauna is an inherent part of Finnish culture. Sauna is Life: Sauna Culture in Finland explores the Finnish sauna tradition with an interpretive sauna and objects as well as stories, photos, and videos shared with us from home and abroad. In addition, the exhibition highlights related sweating practices from other cultural groups around the world, including the Japanese and the Lakota in the United States.
Rooted in the folk traditions of the Dalarna region, hand-carved and painted wooden horses are known in Sweden as Dalahäst (singular) or Dalahästar (plural). This in-person workshop offers an immersive journey into the cultural legacy of this cherished Swedish symbol.
ASHM members from all over the country and world are invited to this exclusive discussion. This month members will get to meet the Museum’s new Curator, Brett Peters! Learn about his background and plans to get to know the organization. This is also your opportunity to introduce yourself and share the story of your special connection to ASHM.
This is a free event for ASHM members held via Zoom, please RSVP to receive the Zoom link. Not a member, no problem! You can join ASHM when registering for the event.
Join us for our in-person Annual Meeting to honor this year’s Amandus Johnson Volunteer Service Award winner Leonard Busby.
A light reception will follow the meeting with a chance to tour The Sweetest Side of Life: Swedish Candy and Confections and taste a variety of Swedish treats from the Sweetish Candy store mobile Pick-and-Mix wall! Plus, learn more about Swedish candy from Tyler Graybeal, owner of Sweetish Candy.
The act of taking a sauna is an inherent part of the Finnish culture. The tradition stretches back almost 10,000 years – the earliest examples of sauna culture are from 7,000 BC. Finns bring sauna wherever they go, including the United States, and the tradition still thrives in certain regions of America where many Finnish people have settled. Sauna is Life: Sauna Culture in Finland explores the Finnish sauna tradition with a model sauna and sauna objects as well as stories, photos, and videos shared with us from home and abroad.