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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Yellowknife is definitely a cultural melting pot and Danes are one of the many ingredients in this city's makeup.

Niels Konge, left, Renee Lelievre and Lone Sorensen celebrate Danish culture with a traditional Christmas luncheon late last November. - photo courtesy of Lone Sorenson

Lone Sorenson is calling all residents with an association to the Danish culture - whether they be first-, second- or third-generation Danes or have any connection to the country - to join in on the festivities planned every two months. The first event is set for the evening of Feb. 23 and will be held at Sorenson's residence.

The most recent celebration of the Danish culture was on Nov. 30, when close to 20 people came together for a luncheon with all the fixings from the Scandinavian country.

"Christmas is the big one. Each year for Christmas, we hold a traditional Julefrokost, which is a nine-course luncheon and we eat for up to five hours," said Sorenson.

"Danes don't eat to live, they live to eat. The food is the glue which keeps the community together and that's why we take our time with food. Food is not just something you go and have a big heap up your plate and gobble it down. Food is something you sit with, you make it a real beautiful experience because it's just one important part of sitting together and having conversation and saying cheers and acknowledging each other."

Sorenson said at the Christmas luncheon there is pork roast, roasted potatoes, special Danish cold cuts, warm liver pate, pickled cabbage, mulled wine and frikadeller, which is a popular Danish meatball dish. For dessert? Rice pudding with cherry sauce and a whole almond in the middle.

Sorenson, who was born in central Denmark and moved to Yellowknife in the late 1980s, said those who come to the potluck dinners can expect to swap Danish recipes, eat lots of food, speak some Danish and "educate each other on ways to keep the Viking spirit alive and well."

While Sorenson is a big organizer of Danish events in Yellowknife, she also recently travelled to Maryland to help out with a Danish Christmas bazaar.

There are hardly any similarities between Denmark and Yellowknife. Denmark has a coastal climate with a lot of wind, rain and grey weather while Yellowknife boasts desert-like though freezing conditions. Denmark also lacks the rocky landscape of the Canadian North, instead having very fertile land.

"The connection to Canada is that the Vikings came to Canada in the year 1,000," she said.

Niels Konge is another Danish Yellowknifer who attends the Danish events as often as he can. His first introduction to the community's culture in the North was at the Folk on the Rocks music festival in the summer of 2002.

"I was just standing eating some food and I hear this guy and this gal speak in Danish and I started speaking in Danish to them. She's like, 'You're a Dane!' And I'm like, 'I'm a Dane!' And she invited me to the parties and we've been going ever since," said Konge.

Konge, who was born in British Columbia but whose father is Danish, went to Aarhus, Denmark, to take his carpentry apprenticeship. Since he's been attending the Danish events, he's seen up to 30 people attend the celebrations.

"As a proud Viking, it's part of our heritage and it's good to pass on to the kids, too," said Konge.

"My daughter, she's walked around all winter with her tuque that has Viking horns on it."

Sorenson is hoping new Danes to the city will attend the potluck later this month and share their stories.

"What the idea is here, because we had lost quite a few of our Danish people who have moved on, I wanted us to find out if there are any more Danish people out there," she said.

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