As we near the holiday season, Co-Chair of the Augsburg AssociatesĚýJessica Wahto has a special message to share about an Augsburg favorite tradition:

Remember the days of walking into grandma’s kitchen at the holidays, and the smell of cardamom and sugar wafting through the air. Recall that trip you took to Norway and Sweden. The beauty of the Fjords, the colorful knit sweaters and the delicate embroidery on their bunad’s. Think of your exchange student who visited from Denmark and all the laughs you shared. Enjoy these memories and make new ones at Velkommen Jul!

Please join us and kick off your holiday season at Velkommen Jul on Friday, Nov. 30! Augsburg University’s annual Christmas celebration is open to all. Attend chapel and worship featuring Scandinavian Christmas music at 10:40 a.m. in the HoverstenĚýChapel. Then head to the Christensen Center at 11 a.m. Here you will find our Velkommen Jul boutique, offering unique Nordic gifts and treats.

After you have claimed your treasured gifts, join us for a festive celebration in Augsburg’s commons with music and traditional costumes and sweaters! Reminisce with friends and make new introductions while enjoying a smorgasbord of Scandinavian treats. Don’t worry; there will be plenty of coffee as well! You can add to the celebration by wearing your Norwegian sweater or Bunad! Velkommen means Welcome, and here at Augsburg you always are! We hope to see you there!

*All proceeds from the boutique as well as donations gathered at the smorgasbord go to help fund student scholarships.

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Velkommen Jul is an annual celebration at Augsburg, presented by the Augsburg Associates, to welcome the Advent and Christmas seasons.

Join us in the chapel for our annual Velkommen Jul service –Ěý A Scandinavian Christmas Celebration –Ěýon Friday, December 2, at 10:40am, in Hoversten Chapel.ĚýWe welcome Nordic musiciansĚýErik Rydvall and Olav LuksengĂĄrd Mjelva, who play traditionalĚýScandinavianĚýinstruments in new ways. We will also sing Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian carols together.ĚýWear your Norwegian sweater and join the fun!

At 11 a.m., join a festive celebration in the Commons with Scandinavian treats, including lefse, krumkake, and coffee, prepared by the Augsburg Associates. Shop the boutique in the Christensen Center lobby for unique gifts and goodies. All proceeds benefit student scholarships, and donations are accepted at the buffet by Augsburg Associates holding gift baskets.

Continue the celebration by attending the Advent Vespers worship service on Friday evening at 5 p.m. or 8 p.m., or one of three services on Saturday, December 3. .

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Furman fondly remembers the beautiful singing and enthusiasm of chapel, and the fellow alums she has known through the years. She has been a part of the Augsburg Associates for approximately 12 years, since she moved back to Minneapolis for the first time since college. She still remembers going to Velkommen Jul when she was a student. “It was quite splendid. I was very much in awe,” she says.

She is inspired by other Associates’ volunteers, among them Barbara Larson and Joyce Gustafson. “I admire them immensely. These women work so hard. It’s a privilege working with them,” she says.

One of the most special Christmases Furman remembers happened when she was teaching in the social work department of a school close to Oslo, on behalf of the University of North Dakota. It was 1998, and Furman, whose family is Norwegian on both sides, was able to stay with relatives and experience all the old Norwegian Christmas traditions to the fullest: enjoying all the special celebrations each day leading up to Christmas, going to church at 4 p.m., visiting relatives on Christmas Day. She stays in touch with her Norwegian roots beyond Velkommen Jul, and studies Norwegian at the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church in Minneapolis.

She has wonderful memories of her own time at Augsburg, too. She especially enjoyed hearing President Christensen speak in the chapel with evident emotion on the theme of “unto whom much has been given, much is expected.” She came back from chapel overwhelmed with positive feelings. These early talks on the importance of service were inspirational for Furman, and helped motivate her toward a future in social work. She went on to receive her PhD, has written on the role of religion and spirituality in social work, and recognizes that these early memories left a lifelong impression. She is still grateful for the experience.

Donations made at Velkommen Jul help fund student scholarships, including the Christensen Scholars, a scholarship program supported by the Augsburg Associates’ gifts to The Augsburg Fund. Current Christensen Scholars Katherine Brafford ’17 and Boo Segersin ’15 will be helping the Associates make waffles on Friday.

“I always tell people,” Furman says, “tuition is high. We must give as much as we can to help as many students as possible.” Look for Lee and her basket this Friday!

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We love gathering together each year for this event that welcomes students from all backgrounds and faiths into long-cherished Augsburg traditions. But as we all know, these beautiful, long-wearing sweaters are not inexpensive.

Here is where you can help! Please consider donating any older or unworn Norwegian sweaters for our students to wear for this wonderful event and throughout the Christmas season. Sweaters must be clean and in reasonably good condition. ĚýNo matter who you are or your background, let’s share the wealth of Norwegian sweaters that is so proudly displayed here in Minnesota winters.

Please make your sweater donations by Wednesday, November 26 at noon. Please call 612-330-1085 with any questions. Sweater donations may be mailed or delivered to the Alumni and Advancement office at:

Oren Gateway Center
Suite 300
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis MN 55454

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