December 2019:Yule
The Viking influence upon Ireland cannot be overstated – so much to the fact that Hiberno-Norse nearly becomes a redundant statement. From the iconic red hair to the founding of Ireland’s three largest cities (Dublin, Cork, and Limerick), many things that we think of ironically Irish have heavy Scandinavian origins. It is no small thing then that the American Swedish Institute here in Minneapolis chose to feature Ireland in their Christmas display this year. Every year they show a living room and its settings from a particular decade for each of the five Nordic Countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Finland) as well as a rotating European country. This year, it just happens to be Ireland. This has been a huge blending of backgrounds for me. The obvious is my Irish and Finish heritage. But also, when Mary and I lived in Chicago, we lived in...