Just before Thanksgiving break, BYU kicked off the holiday season with a Scandinavian Christmas market in the Joseph F. Smith Building courtyard on Nov. 20.
The market lasted from 6:30-9 p.m. and included a central stage with rotating performances, several vendors selling Scandinavian baked goods and a variety of tents from local Scandinavian organizations and craftsmen.
Nate Kramer, the BYU section head of Scandinavian studies, was one of the organizers of the market. The market was inspired by a symposium that Scandinavian studies hosted earlier in the week to celebrate 200 years since the first recorded Norwegian American immigrant ship.
“We've had people from all over the US come and give papers and discuss Norwegian immigration,” Kramer said. “We wanted to do something celebrating or focusing on Scandinavia in conjunction with the symposium … We just thought this (market) would be a fun way to end the whole thing.”
He proposed the idea of a Scandinavian Christmas market to the BYU Conferences and Workshops office with a general sense of which vendors should come and what the event should look like, and said they executed above and beyond his expectations.
The festival was decorated with garlands and hundreds of paper star lanterns. A small crowd gathered toward the beginning and lingered at the end, but at the peak of the event, the courtyard seemed fit to burst at the seams.
“I was simply stunned. I thought if we had 100 to 150 (attendees), that would be a success,” Kramer said. “I heard from various people that there were between 1,500 and 2,000. Simply put, it far and away exceeded our wildest expectations.”
BYU student Jordan Potter attended the event after getting a call from her brother, who saw the event being set up.
“I love the dancing,” Potter said. “I have a special spot in my heart for dancing, and it's just so fun to watch.”
A small ensemble of BYU Folk Dancers performed several spirited Scandinavian dances. The group added an inside joke to the choreography as each of the male dancers took turns stealing the singular hat from one another.
The hat came into play during a dance, “Little Man in a Fix,” where one dancer stood on a chair, holding the hat up with a stick, while another attempted to kick it off.
According to Claire Rose, one of the performers, the songs and choreographers all had Scandinavian roots.
“We’re doing all of our dances to this live band, Skogafoss. It’s very traditional,” Rose said. “We have a great line of performers, it's great weather, and all the booths are beautifully put together, so we're excited.”
One of the tents at the market included an archery game where people could win a customized leather arm band, while others were run by heritage societies like the Sons of Norway.
“I know that I have some ancestors from Scandinavia. I don't know much about it,” Potter said. “I went to the LDS women's Scandinavia event ... and I'll probably do some research about my family from Sweden.”
Kramer said one of the purposes of the symposium was to inform BYU students about the campus Scandinavian program, which includes a Scandinavian choir, a club that hosts crafts and treats on occasion and Scandinavian heritage.
“I think tracing (our sense of self) back to wherever we come from creates a sense of belonging. It creates a sense of community,” Kramer said. “And that all happens through memory. Through this remembering of traditions and these sorts of events that celebrate our past.”
Luke Stager, one of the night’s performers, said he appreciated the chance to celebrate his “niche interest” with people who appreciate Scandinavian heritage. Stager plays the Hardanger fiddle, a traditional Norwegian folk instrument characterized by its intricate decoration and the four additional strings which increase its volume.
“Some people might think that they haven't heard a Hardanger fiddle before, but if you've ever seen The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the Rohan theme is played on the Hardanger fiddle,” Stager said. “It has a slightly different quality.”
As part of his set, Stager played and sang a traditional Christmas song about mice setting up for Christmas. People clapped as he played, and several children grabbed their parents’ hands to jump along with the beat of the music.
“This was the first time I felt like someone really wanted me to come and play for them,” Stager said. “So the fact that there were so many people here was just really amazing, (it was) a great crowd.”
Even after the last performance ended, there was a line of attendees at the food truck. With the event being so unexpectedly well-attended, Kramer said that several of the vendors sold out of their goods.
“All of the vendors I talked with were not only really happy with the event, but want to do it again next year,” Kramer said.