|
|
|
|
Lutefisk: A Norwegian Christmas Dinner Oddity |
| Section: CULTURE / HERITAGE |
| Author: Roger L. Welsch |
| Publication: The world & I online |
| Issue Date: 12/1/1987 |
| Size: 2,566 Words, 14,944 Characters |
|
Some years ago, I was courting a young woman whose family was very American, but which remembered and embraced its Norwegian roots. Over the course of three generations, the family had fared well in America; they had become successful, primarily as farmers and prosperous businessmen. Although all members of the family were outspokenly proud of their Scandinavian background, little about them--other than their name and fair skins--was Norwegian. Not one spoke Norwegian; only one had even visited the old country. Their clothing, manner, speech, and food ways were unvaryingly middle American.
Although I had met almost all family members on one occasion or another and we got along just fine, I not only was not invited to the family's annual Christmas celebration, but was told explicitly...
. . .
...on of exodus.
In their new setting, lutefisk and lefse are no longer Norwegian foods fit only for peasants, but Norwegian-American foods, an esoteric expression of what it means to be a successful Norwegian in the New World. When Scandinavian families continue the ritual of lutefisk and lefse, they celebrate simultaneously their origins, their directions, and the juncture of the two.
(806 of 14,944 characters)
Do you want to read
the whole article? You can
purchase it here.
Subscriber Login |
|
|
Publication Details
(The World & I Online) |
|
The World & I Online is a
comprehensive academic resource that encompasses a broad range of
articles by scholars and experts in the areas of Global Studies,
Liberal Arts, Fine & Applied Arts, General Science, and Spanish.
Originally published monthly in print as The World & I, our site
includes the complete contents since 1986 and continues to publish
a new issue online each month. |
|
Individual Subscription
|
 |
|
|
|
College Orders (based
on full-time enrollment) |
|
-
2 to 5 Computers |
|
-
Up to 1,000 Students |
|
-
1,001 to 2,500 Students |
|
-
2,501 to 5,000 Students |
|
-
5,001 to 10,000 Students |
|
-
10,001 or More Students |
|
|
|
Public Library Orders |
|
-
2 to 5 Computers |
|
-
6 to 50 Computers |
|
-
51 to 100 Computers |
|
For over 100
computers, call 866-211-6040. |
|
|
