Swedish American Cultural Union

Julgransplundring – Wikipedia En julgransplundring, Knutsfest, Knutsdans eller julgransskakning är en tradition i samband med att julen tar slut, som innebär att man bland annat "klär av" och "kastar ut" julgranen och ställer undan advents- och julsakerna, vilket i Sverige ofta sker på tjugondag Knut, som infaller den 13 ja...

SACU recently welcomed Karin Olofsdotter, the Swedish Ambassador to the United States, to its monthly lunch in Rosslyn, for a discussion about Sweden's progress on the road to becoming a member of NATO,. She also reflect on her time in Washington, and Sweden's commitment to collaboration, transparency, and continued innovation.

Karin Olofsdotter is an accomplished diplomat who started her career in the Foreign Service in 1994 with a posting to the Embassy of Sweden in Moscow.

In the years following she worked in numerous leadership posts within the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs before serving as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, DC, from 2008–2011. She took her post as the first female Ambassador of Sweden to the United States on September 1, 2017.

Celebrate Fastelavn/Fettisdagen at Mikko's Chef Mikko himself will show us how to make a version of the buns eaten in the Nordic countries during this festive holiday which precedes L

https://nordicmuseum.org/events/sami-film-festival?fbclid=IwAR3Yp5Jm3cciIvLwRHJ8nlcNYoiuUGwZsmxAMdsAHKLe6ExJHiO_2oJxMyE

Sámi Film Festival The Sámi Film Festival originated as a partnership between the National Nordic Museum and Pacific Sámi Searvi in 2018. Since that time, it has become an onsite event drawing audiences from the East...

On behalf of the board of SACU, we extend our gratitude to our autumn 2022 speakers: Lennart Lundh, who offered a virtual lecture on Sweden and NATO; Helene Larsson Pousette for the tour of “Faraway So Close,” an art exhibition; and Linda Zachrison for her in-person presentation on re-starting the arts after COVID.

We thank the House of Sweden, Embassy of Sweden, for its gracious hospitality in allowing SACU to have programs at the House of Sweden. Thanks are also due to Jenny Mählqvist Cabezas for planning and logistics.

Thank you also to everyone who was able to attend and support these events.

Please Mark your Calendars for our first event of 2023, a virtual program on the shield maidens (skjaldmær) of the Viking age by Dr. Maj-Britt Frenze, a scholar of the literature and cultural history of the medieval North Atlantic zone.

Date: January 18, 2023

Time: 12:30 pm

Format: Virtual

Subject: Viking Women

Speaker: Maj-Britt Frenze, Ph.D.

Registration: The event is free to SACU members and friends, but registration is required. Invitation/Announcement to Follow.

On this day 55 years ago, traffic in Sweden switched from driving on the left-hand side of the road to the right. 😵🚗

September 3, 1967 is often referred to as Dagen H – ‘H Day’. The H stands for 'Högertrafikomläggningen', Swedish for right-hand traffic diversion.

This 📷 is of Kungsgatan, one of the main streets in Stockholm, on the day and today.

Photo and repost
Archive photo: Kungsgatan 1967/Stockholms Stadsmuseet.

Dear Members of the Swedish American Cultural Union (SACU),

On behalf of the board of SACU, it is with pleasure that we extend an invitation to you to attend our upcoming lectures and tours. We are delighted to announce our Fall 2022 programs and to provide a preview of 2023. Our schedule is a combination of in-person and virtual programs and tours.

We are privileged to have as our first presenter of the season, Lennart Lundh, a distinguished journalist and expert on Sweden and NATO. He will be speaking on “Sweden’s Long and Tortuous Road to NATO Membership” on Tuesday, September 13, 2022 at 12:30 pm. Below, please find the announcement for this virtual event focusing on a very important and timely subject. Please RSVP to [email protected].

The Zoom link for the meeting is provided here and with the announcement: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88993539913?pwd=bDFsOGppakpKVUIzVm4wTm4yWDdhUT09.

SACU is very pleased to announce two exciting programs on the arts of Sweden taking place in October and November 2022.
On October 19, 2022 at 12:00 noon, Helene Larsson Pousette, the Cultural Counselor of the Embassy of Sweden, will guide us through “Faraway So Close,” an exhibition at the House of Sweden (Embassy of Sweden) which explores the influence of American popular culture on Swedish art, particularly from the post-World War II period onward. It features works by prominent Swedish artists reflecting their interpretations of American culture and society.

In November 2022, Linda Zachrison, formerly the Cultural Counselor of the Embassy in Sweden, and a prime-mover of the arts in Sweden, will speak on restarting the arts in Sweden after COVID. SACU is honored that Helene Larsson Pousette and Linda Zachrison are both Board Members of SACU.
We are looking forward to many diverse and stimulating programs in 2023. Among them are: a presentation by Jan Olof Nilsson, author of “Lucky Strike,” which focuses on the experience of young American soldiers and airmen who found themselves in Sweden during portions of World War II after their planes had crashed; and a lecture by Maj-Britt Frenze, Ph.D., who will speak about depictions of Viking women and shieldmaidens in medieval Scandinavian literature.

Lectures on Swedish culture, both contemporary and historical, from current affairs and innovations in business and technology to the arts will be integrated into the schedule. Also included will be tours, including an on-site presentation at the “Fountain of Faith,” the last great work of Swedish sculptor, Carl Milles by an art and architectural historian.

As many of you know, the Key Bridge Marriott is now closed. While this means that we can no longer have luncheon programs there, we are planning Fikas and luncheon programs at other venues in the future.

Please note that attendees at SACU events must abide by the COVID policies of host establishments and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in effect at the time of the event. It is suggested that each person follow his/her own medical doctor’s recommendations.

Information on renewing membership will be sent out later in the fall of 2022 for 2023. Dues will be collected in the New Year.
We thank you for your support of SACU and we look forward to seeing you (both virtually and in-person) at our programs.

Sincerely,
Karin Alexis Frenze
Karin Alexis Frenze, Ph.D.
Vice President of the Swedish American Cultural Union
(Acting Interim President)

Swedish American Cultural Union updated their information in their About section.