Juleverksteda; A Norwegian Christmas workshop

A Juleverksted is a Norwegian tradition, where people get together to make things for Christmas. It has become a big custom for families to host a Christmas Workshop, sometimes one night each week leading up to Christmas. They invite friends and family members to work together to make handmade gifts, cards, decorations, cookies, and finish up preparations for Christmas.


Ideas:
1. Plan a Juleverksted
2. Make Norwegian gløgg
3. Make a gingerbread house
4. Christmas Novena, day 3

1. Plan a Juleverksted:
Being an art teacher, I have kids over for Christmas workshops every year. We make gifts, cookies, and gingerbread houses, and it's lots of fun.

I had a Juleverkstad last week for my family, but it didn't go as I planned: I forgot that not EVERYONE likes projects as much as I do, and some people would rather watch a giant robot movie!

2. Make Norwegian gløgg:
Part of the tradition at a Christmas Workshop (for adults) is to play Christmas music and drink a cup or two of gløgg!

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle of red wine
• 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger
• 3-4 whole cardamom pods
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 large cinnamon stick
• 1/4-c. white sugar
• 1/2 c. aquavit (or substitute vodka or Cognac)
• 1/2 c. sweet vermouth
• 2 tsp. Angostura bitters

Serves 8

1. Chop the ginger into small pieces and crush the cardamom pods a little, then combine with the whole cloves and tie together in a piece of cheesecloth. 

2. Pour the wine into a pot. Add the spice bag and the stick of cinnamon. Let it sit as long as you can (overnight is best, but not necessary).



3. An hour before serving, begin to heat the wine on medium heat. As it warms, stir in the aquavit (I used vodka), vermouth, and bitters. Slowly add the sugar and stir to dissolve. 

4. Continue to heat until just before boiling (use a thermometer and keep below 173°F).


5. Transfer to a punchbowl or serve straight from the pot in small mugs.

3. Make a gingerbread house:

Gingerbread shaping is a tradition in many parts of the world, but the people of Bergen, Norway, build an entire city of gingerbread houses each year before Christmas!

I have a Christmas Workshop almost every year for the purpose of making gingerbread houses. It takes a few hours, and we make up to 4 houses.

Supplies: Parchment paper, large pastry board, rolling pin, card stock for house patterns, pizza cutter, small boards for bases, foil, frosting bags, candy, marshmallows, ice cream cones

Ingredients: 

• 1 c. shortening
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. molasses
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 5 c. flour
• 4 Tbsp. water

(for royal icing)

• 4 pasteurized egg whites or 8 tsp. meringue powder + 8 Tbsp. water
• 2 lbs. powdered sugar 

Makes 2 small houses- 

1. Cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger. Blend well, then gradually add flour, alternating with water. Spread the dough out on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Make the patterns: You need 3 pieces-  a side (4 x 6-1/2 inches), an end (4 x 4-1/4, with a 1-3/4 inch peak), and a roof (3-1/4 x 3-1/4 inches).

3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Divide the dough in half for each house, then in half again. (You will cut 6 pieces per house, so this first chunk needs to make the first 3 pieces.)

4. Set out a sheet of parchment paper on your pastry board and pat it then roll to 1/4” thick. Use a pizza cutter and knife to cut around pattern for 2 side pieces and 1 end piece. Remove excess dough, cut around the parchment and place onto a pan.

You might also want a pattern for the window- not too large, and a door. Cut these out with a knife.

5. Repeat with other end piece and 2 roof pieces.

6. Crush some hard candies such as Jolly Ranchers or butterscotch in a plastic baggie, with a hammer.

7. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove to fill the windows with crushed candies- this melts to create a stained glass effect. Put the pans back in to melt, and cook the houses until crisp, for 3-5 minutes. When baking is finished, spread out and leave to cool.

8.  Cover the base board with foil. Make royal icing: Beat together 4 egg whites with 2 lbs. powdered sugar. Put some into a pastry bag.

9. Decorate all the walls flat first, by piping on the frosting and adding candies.

10. Spread royal icing onto the foil-covered board. Glue two walls together on the board, and let dry, then add 2 more walls. Let that set for awhile before adding the roof.


11. Extras: Marshmallow snowman, Ice cream cone trees, Jelly bean stone wall.

4. Christmas Novena, day 3:
From WorldSSPS site:

In Communion with Refugees and Migrants:

O Adonai and Ruler of the house of Israel, You appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and on Mount Sinai gave him Your Law. * Come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free. 

Every minute eight people leave their homes – fleeing from war, persecution and terror. Current figures from UNHCR calculate more than 65 million forcibly displaced persons. The UN Refugee Commission estimates that four out of five refugees take refuge in their own or a neighbouring country, where they often have to survive in difficult circumstances. The degree of willingness of the industrial countries to accept and integrate refugees is as disappointingly low as ever. People are losing their lives daily in the attempt to flee. 

We are called to be brothers and sisters to one another. The struggles and joys of refugees and migrants are also ours. We pray for them and with them as a sign of our solidarity.