Christmas Party - THIS Saturday - Register TODAY!!!

We still have some tickets available for our annual Christmas party, this coming Saturday 3rd December. Be in quick to grab a seat !


Traditional Swedish Christmas Dinner with all that it entails! Schnaps, Allsång, långdans!!

You need to bring a plate for the Smorgasbord!. But make sure you call or email Cherie(cherie@sweden.org.nz, 04-4756180). She will guide you as to what to bring, this way we won't get too many meatballs or Jansson and it will all balance.

It is vitally important that you pre-register as this totally Popular annual event has NO DOOR SALES!

Registration form in our latest newsletter. Did you know you can also register online? -  visit http://www.swenztaste.co.nz/SENZ-Xmasparty.html to register and pay online.

Member and Non-members welcome! See you there.

1st of Advent today - 27 November

On the 1st of Advent, in Sweden people light the first candle in the Advent candlestick. This is always a special event, eagerly awaited. Each Sunday until Christmas, a new candle is lit (and blown out after a while), until all four candles are alight. The children’s expectations grow with every candle. On TV, there is a special Christmas calendar show for the young with 24 episodes. It, too, serves as a countdown to the big day.

Advent means arrival, or coming, and since the 5th century AD has heralded the Christmas season and the birth of Christ. Since the 1890s, the custom in Sweden has been to light a candle every Sunday during Advent. The Moravian custom of hanging a star made from paper, straw or chipwood in windows also found its way to Sweden in the 1930s, recalling the star that guided the Three Wise Men. The advent calendar dates from around this time as well. Children open a window in the calendar for each passing day until Christmas Eve.

(source: Sweden.se)

Christmas Party, 3rd December !!!

It’s Christmas Party Time!

Held on the 3rd of December!
At Connolly Hall (Guildford Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington)
Time: 7 pm!

Traditional Swedish Christmas Dinner with all that it entails!
Schnaps, Allsång, långdans!!

You need to bring a plate for the Smorgasbord!

Make sure you call or email Cherie (cherie@sweden.org.nz, 04-4756180). She will guide you as to what to bring (this way we won't get too many meatballs or Jansson and it will all balance). Please only typical Swedish food for the Swedish Christmas dinner (ie no sausage rolls)!!

And as always, please don’t forget to put your name on your serving plate - it is easy to forget to take it with you as you leave.

If you have your favourite dance music on an IPOD – bring it - as the IPOD can be connected to the music equipment we are renting.

It is vitally important that you pre-register as this totally popular annual event has NO DOORSALES!!

Please use registration form attached at the end of the newsletter, alternatively you may register and pay online at:
http://www.swenztaste.co.nz/SENZ-Xmasparty.html

Anne Sofie Von Otter - Pre Concert Drinks - This coming Friday 18 Nov

Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie Von Otter is coming to Wellington Town Hall, to give a concert on Friday the 18 Nov 2011 7:30p.m.

 Pre-Concert Drinks

The Sweden-New Zealand Association is organising pre-concert drinks. Pre-Concert drinks will be around 5-ish, (leaving at 6.15 to make sure we can attend the free pre-concert talk one hour prior to the performance). The venue for pre-concert drinks is Felix Café - 128 Wakefield Street (corner Wakefield Street/Cuba Street, opposite Michel Fowler Center)

Please contact Tinni - Phone: (04) 4999895 or email tinni@sweden.org.nz for more information.

Swedish Mondays @ Espresso rescue

We often get requests for a book/dvd exchange forum and now it is here. One of our members has started up Swedish Mondays @ Espresso rescue.
While serving nice ecological, Fair Trade Coffee Johanna will also have her car parked outside the little red Coffee Van, containing Swedish books, magazines and Dvd's for you to borrow.
To use this service you will need to register and there is a small membership fee of $10 per 6months.
There will be a list where you write down which books you are borrowing - we don't want to lose any books - and when you return the books you need to sign the list as returned. There will be a fee for any lost/ruined items (each book/dvd will be marked with it's own "lost fee" as this needs to be decided by the owner of the book/dvd).
Do you have books that you are willing to lend out? Please bring them, marked with your Name/Phone Number and a "lost fee". Johanna will then add them to the list of books available for lending.

Swedish Mondays @ Espresso rescue is starting this coming Monday (6.30 - 12.00) by the Red Coffee Van , 399 Hutt road, (outside laser strike bowling) in Petone.

Any questions? Contact Johanna on books@sweden.org.nz or 0226924883

Happy Fathersday to all Dads in Sweden !!

Sweden Celebrates Father's day (Fars Dag) on the 2nd Sunday of November. If your Dad is living in Sweden - Don't forget to call him this evening as it's Fathers Day in Sweden today!

Facebook pages of interest

For those of you who are on Facebook, we have some great news:
One of our members has just started a Facebook page for Swedes in Wellington – Great initiative – please join [Nu har vi en liten samlingsplats dar vi kan prata, rekommendera, organisera fika traffar, utbyta tankar och roliga anekdoter! Gammal som ung ar valkommen att delta! Hoppas pa manga trevliga inlagg!]:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Swedes-in-Wellington/277539625618615


Did you also know there is a Facebook page for Swedes in New Zealand? Please join:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/5712607202/

10 Nov - St Martin's Day (or "Martin Goose")

10 Nov - St Martin's Day (or "Martin Goose"):St Martin of Tours originally took the goose as his personal symbol, because when trying to avoid being ordained bishop he had hidden in a goose pen, where he was betrayed by the cackling of the geese. He celebrates his nameday in November, when the geese are ready for killing. St Martin’s Day was an important medieval autumn feast, and the custom of eating goose spread to Sweden from France. Black soup is served with entrails of various kinds, as well as goose-liver sausage, stewed prunes and potatoes. The goose is stuffed with apples and prunes and roasted slowly while being constantly basted in its own fat. The carcass is then boiled in water, which is thickened into sauce. The custom is particularly popular in Skåne in southern Sweden, where goose farming has long been practised, but it has gradually spread northwards. (source: Sweden.se)

6 Nov - Gustav Adolfsdagen (Gustavus Adolphus Day):

6 Nov - Gustav Adolfsdagen (Gustavus Adolphus Day):

A general flag day in Sweden, celebrated on November 6 in memory of king Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden (Swedish: Gustav II Adolf), who was killed on this day in 1632 at the Battle of Lützen. This is the day to have a Gustavus Adolphus tart, yum!

All saints day - 5 November 2011

All saints day - November 5, 2011

Not to be mixed up with Halloween. This holiday represents historic traditions in honor of all the saints. The typical custom on All Saints' Day is to visit the graves of loved family members and friends, bringing decorations and candles in remembrance.

Famous actress Sickan Carlsson passed away

One of the most popular Swedish actresses during the last century, Sickan Carlsson, has passed away. Carlsson was born in Stockholm in 1915. She was involved in several Swedish movies; around 50 films altogether. She was also famous for her radio programs.
Received a Honorary Guldbagge, Sweden's equivalent to an Honorary Oscar, at the Guldbaggegala 2005.

Group booking - Anne Sofie von Otter - Fri 18 Nov 2011

As previous mentioned Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie Von Otter is coming to Wellington Town Hall, to give a concert on Friday the 18 Nov 2011 7:30p.m.

The Sweden-New Zealand Association is looking to arrange a group booking. Please contact Tinni - Phone: (04) 4999895 or email tinni@sweden.org.nz by this Friday if you are keen to join us.

If you already have your tickets booked, but would be keen to meet up prior to the concert, please contact Tinni, as we are hoping to meet up for pre-concert drinks. Pre-Concert drinks will be around 5-ish to make sure we can attend the free pre-concert talk one hour prior to the performance. The venue for pre-concert drinks is not yet decided, please feel free to make suggestions.