Our President Marie Yost, expert calligrapher, prepared hand-made Fastelavn goodie-bags for Danish children which included yummy treats and an explanation of Fastelavn traditions in Denmark and Danish immigrant communities.

Because we couldn’t meet up for our traditional Fastelavn costume party, games, and snacks, both Danish Society members stopped by to pick up bags to bring home to their families instead.

President Marie Yost, Vice President Jen Zamon, and Secretary Edie Craig all helped to hand out Fastelavn bags to visitors.

Longtime member Jane Luoma paid a visit to bring home some holiday spirit to her grandchildren.

It’s traditional to hold a costume party for Fastelavn, and the Hartvigsons wanted to make sure we didn’t forget that is part of the proper celebration!

Society member Berit Madsen stopped by to pick up Fastelavn bags for her family - it was so nice to have quick visits!

Bonnie and Don Fisher came with their family members to pick up bags for folks who couldn’t come along for the van ride.

The Litwin family wasn’t able to make it during the pick-up hours, so we made sure they received their Fastelavn goodie bags with a custom delivery in Lewis & Clark.

To add a bit of excitement to the Fastelavn celebration, Marie Yost made a special Golden Ticket and hid it in one of the goodie bags. Whoever found the ticket would receive a giant LEGO set (LEGOs are Danish, don’t you know?). Meet Otto Watt - the lucky winner!

Otto Watt redeemed his Golden Ticket for a really nice-looking LEGO set - a perfect way to keep entertained on Astoria’s rainy days.

This contest entry takes what we Americans think of as “Danishes” to the next level! Cheese and fruit fillings folded into pastry are accompanied by a traditional set of Danish round candles in a wrought-iron candelabra (available at our local Nordic store, Finnware), a delicate pink glass serving dish, and a finely-woven napkin.

Jen had leftover medisterpølse (Danish onion sausage), so she dressed it up on pumpernickel bread with dill pickles and mustard, garnished with fennel from the garden, and plated out on an Iittala kastehelmi (dew drop) glass dish.

This gorgeous needlework shows off the statue of the Den Lille Havfruen (The Little Mermaid) in Copenhagen, Denmark. Here she greets a returning fishing vessel - something near and dear to our hearts in Astoria, home to one of the largest West Coast fishing fleets in the contiguous USA.

This recipe came from from Ellen Madsen, who long-time Society members will remember as the purveyor of Little Denmark Restaurant and Gift Shop in Astoria. Marie’s bread is accompanied by a generous pat of butter and hand-made decorative embroidery. Simple yet elegant.

This piece was started by longtime member Ella Simonsen and completed by daughter Doreen during stay-at-home orders. The pattern is from the Danish Handcraft Guild and was sewn with Danish Flower Thread on Linen. The image features three potted cyclamen plants, candles on the window sill, and a sheaf of wheat for the birds in the yard, which are Danish Christmas traditions.

Festival tradition carries on in the Craig household with cooking of delicious aebleskiver treats!

Festival week dinner included frikadeller dressed with gravy, lignonberry jam, and sour cream, accompanied by boiled red potatoes and cabbage with onions. Yummy!

Cass Liljenwall (Vasa Lodge) invited family and a couple neighbors for socially-distanced form of traditional hex-making and hex-burning on midsummer eve 19 June 2020. Luckily there was plenty of hay to be had.

Our own president, Marie Yost, along with many others, braved the wind and rain to participate in the Midsummer Festival Stationary Socially-Distanced Optog. Normally, the Optog is a walking parade on the Festival grounds - this time, folks stood in place, with many vehicles honking their support and encouragements. A shout out to Carla Oja - Danish Society member and Festival co-chair - for organizing this! It was a great success.

Although there was no midsummer pole raised this year, there were plenty of midsummer roosters to be had in the Youngs River Valley. An imitation rooster is normally placed at the top of the midsummer pole as a symbol of prosperity and fertility. Here, one of our member’s senior roos - Chip - shows off his Danish spirit with a decorative banner on his chicken yard.

Jen wanted to spice up her leftover frikadeller and cabbage, so she threw caution to the wind and added Herdez guacamole salsa verde and sour cream on top. It tasted just fine, although it certainly put a new twist on traditional Danish meatballs.

During stay-at-home time our member Joanne created this beautiful traditional Christmas heart (julehjerte) with crochet thread and a #0 knitting needle. Joanne makes a new ornament each year for her Christmas tree, and this is the 2020 contribution. The pattern she used can be found at Ravelry.com.

While not strictly smørrebrød, mouth-watering lox (cold-smoked salmon) always qualifies as Nordic fare, especially when garnished with dill and onions. Sides of radish and sweet red peppers ensure you get your veggies!

A very Danish hearty, whole-grain rugbrød (rye bread) paired with salted salmon from our member Herman Bernards, presented on a simple wooden board, is as pleasing to the eye as it is to the appetite. It is also a very healthy meal.

This wonderful melange of custard and fruit was going to be the feature dessert for the Nordic Park fundraiser dinner. Such a mouth-watering photo!

One of our members (I won’t say who, so as not to give away secret spots) found fabulous fungi in the forest. All good Danes know how to appreciate Nature’s bounty, and we have much to be grateful for in the Pacific Northwest.

We are fortunate to count among our membership many fine coos, including Kathleen, pastry chef for the former Gunderson’s Cannery Cafe for those who remember that esteemed eatery. Here is another sample of her culinary creativity - you can almost smell the sweet-and-tart aroma as it cools on the rack!