White beard. Floppy hat. Plump figure. While this might sound like jolly Mr. Claus, there’s another holiday figure who exhibits these features with its own charm: the nisse.
Nisser, Norwegian for “gnomes,” sat on tables and shelves all around the Norway House in Minneapolis for their 10th Annual Nordic Julemarket pop-up Tuesday. These charming characters were among many other traditional Nordic goods for sale.
The pop-up, free to the public, featured over 20 Nordic-inspired artisans and small businesses. They vended home items, including seasonally scented candles, woodblock prints and felted ornaments.
There were also novelty items available for purchase, like heart-shaped Norwegian waffles and Celtic baby rattles inspired by those from the 4th century B.C.E.
And of course, there were Nisser galore.
Some came disassembled in plastic bags, ready to be put together like an Ikea nightstand. Others were 3D printed, propelling the nisse into the 21st century in brightly colored plastic. Many retained the folkloric image from Scandinavian history.
“We’re always looking for artists, and we always want to have that Nordic connection,” Carstens Smith, one of the market’s organizers, said.
Jennifer Newburg, who makes needle-felted creations for her small business Traveling Tomten, was one of many selling these gnomes at the market. She makes her gnomes by hand using loose wool from the Upper Midwest. A five-inch gnome takes her roughly 12,000 needle pokes to be completed.
Newberg has been coming to the Julemarket for five years, appreciative of how it allows local artists a chance to sell directly to the public.
“I like the community here at the Nordic Julemarket,” Newberg said. “We all make our stuff, and so it allows that artist-to-purchaser connection as opposed to just sitting on a shelf in a store.”
In addition to bringing audiences and artists together, the Julemarket also helps artisans find other creatives.
“Whether you sell something or not, it’s a way to engage in the creative community,” Eva Pranis, a vendor selling her metalwork creations, said. Her forged pieces ranged from foot-long pizza cutters to intricate feather-shaped coat hooks.
The pop-up is one of many events marking the Julemarket’s 10th anniversary, and it’s as much a labor of love as it was during its first run in 2016.
The Nordic Julemarket was born out of the collaboration between three Norwegian groups: the Norwegian Consulate, the Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce and their first venue, Sons of Norway.
They decided to open the market up to groups from all the Nordic countries, because many didn’t have the facilities or network to showcase their community and goods, founder Anja Kroll said.
“We want to reach a broader audience of people, whether they have Scandinavian heritage or not,” Kroll said. “But it really is a celebration of Minnesota’s predominant Nordic heritage.”
Their first market was a one-day event in the Sons of Norway parking lot in 2016, where 2,000 people attended.
“It was imperfect but so charming,” Kroll said. The large turnout is what inspired the market to return for the next year.
Since its founding, the Julemarket has had well over 100 vendors participate in its different festivities, according to Kroll. Previous Julemarkets have seen up to 6,000 people showing up across various events every year.
“It’s a fun chance to bring everyone together and showcase heritage, but also just support local small businesses,” Kroll said.
Kroll said she hopes the market will continue to embrace its cultural components, possibly bringing in businesses from Scandinavia one day.
Norway House will continue to host events throughout December, including the Winter Solstice Weekend from Dec. 19 to 21, which leans into the history of old Nordic holiday celebrations.
This weekend, the festivities will move to Utepils Brewing in what Smith said is the Julemarket’s most attended event of the year. There, attendees can experience seasonal crafts, chats and beer.
At the Julemarket, Nordic heritage is for everyone.
