How to Learn About Norwegian American Heritage

There are many people of Norwegian American heritage who would like a stronger connection to their roots. Fortunately, Norwegian American immigrants were highly organized when it came to preserving and celebrating their culture. Choose one or several of a myriad of different ways of celebrating your Norwegian American roots and passing on this cultural inheritance to the next generation.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Celebrate Syttende Mai with gusto. Every Norwegian American interested in celebrating and exploring their heritage should take note of May 17th and recognize what Constitution Day means for the Norwegian people. This is also the day when Norway's citizens bring out their traditional regional bunads and parade through the streets in folk dress. There are many Syttende Mai celebrations across the United States for Norwegian Americans to enjoy. Attend a Norwegian language church service at Mindekirken in Minneapolis but make sure to get there early to get a seat.

2. Research the area of Norway that your family emigrated from to learn about the landscape, traditions, local heroes, and what your regional bunad looks like. Many who enjoy attending Norwegian American celebrations or wearing traditional dress for holidays like to find out what their local bunad looks like and have them made for themselves and their children.

3. Join the Sons of Norway. This Norwegian American organization has chapters throughout the United States and members have a multitude of opportunities to celebrate their Norwegian American heritage. Different lodges hold cultural and educational opportunities throughout the year and host speakers and guests from partner organizations from Norway.

4. Visit the Vesterheim Museum in Decorah, Iowa to learn more about the early Norwegian American experience and browse their collection of Noregian imports.

5. Read such books as "Giants in the Earth" by O. E. Rolvaag and "Hunger" by Knut Hamsun to gain a better understanding of the struggles your ancestors faced in Norway and the lives they lived in the early years after immigrating. Books such as these often hit close to home for the average Norwegian American as they relate the tales in the books to stories passed down from grandparents as they truly tell the common experience of their time.

6. Fill in the blanks on your family tree by researching your Norwegian American heritage in Norway's digital national archives. There are shipping records for emigrants and baptism, confirmation and marriage records going back two hundred years. If you know the name of your relative who immigrated to the United States, an approximate birth or marriage date, and the region they were from, you may be able to discover your entire family tree in the national archives. This can be done entirely online or with the help of a historian at the National Library in Oslo who is dedicated entirely to helping Norwegian American visitors track their roots.

7. Visit Norway. Experiencing Norway is the trip of a lifetime for many a Norwegian American. Some are able to visit relatives but others who no longer have those connections will also enjoy seeing their homeland in all its natural splendor, eating the local foods, and seeing so many blondes in one place. Norwegian Americans are able to communicate solely in English while visiting the country and many Norsk are interested to speak with those coming back for a visit and learn more about the United States.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are planning a trip to Norway and are on a tight budget, flights are generally half the price during October and March-April.