Lögberg-Heimskringla - 28.07.2000, Síða 5

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Sérútgáfa • Föstudagur 28. júlí 2000 • 5
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Hjemkomst Festival a success
The 23rd Annual Scandinavian
Hjemkomst Festival, June 21-25, 2000
was held in Moorhead, Minnesota and
Fargo, North Dakota.
The festival was again a cultural
success, despite the flooding
which occurred due to very
heavy rains prior to the festival and the
last day of the festival. Some changes
were made, but most activities were
able to go ahead.
This year, Iceland was the honoured
country, titled: “The Icelandic
Millennium Connection Celebrating
Leifur the Lucky’s Discovery of
America.”
This was our Icelandic Expo II or
Islensk Sýning II. Ima Dinusson
chaired this Expo. She is President of
the FM Icelandic Festival. Björg
Bergman, soloist, and Ingibjörg
Thorsteinsdóttir, pianist, spent six days
with us. They performed at the City of
Moorhead’s “Hands Across The Sea
Reception,” at the Festival’s ofBcial
banquet at Concordia College, and
twice each day presented concerts at the
Hjemkomst Center, Moorhead.
An annual success of the Festival is
the authentic National Costume Style
Show of which Ima Dinusson has been
chairperson for ten years. This is always
the best attended activity year after
year.
This ýear: II was the best
A first with guests from Iceland—
Björg Bergman and Ingibjörg modelled
their exquisite upphlutur costumes with
treasured hand-made gold ornamenta-
tion.
Dr. Öm Arnar modelled the newly
designed Icelandic cöstume for men
and his wife Margret her upphlutur cos-
tume.
From Gimli, Elva Simundson wore
her upphlutur and Dilla Narfason her
earth-coloured knit dress of Icelandic
wool. From Winnipeg, Lenore Good
modeled the Fjallkona or Maid of the
Mountain costume (skautbúningur),
Shirley McCreedy wore her upphlutur.
Iola Nicklas her peysuföt, and
Gunnþóra Gisladóttir her upphlutur
costume. Of course there were also cos-
tumes from Denmark, Finland, Norway,
and Sweden.
The appearance of the thirteen
jólasveinar, mother Grýla, and father
Leppaluði were new this year, and pro-
vided enjoyment for all.
Presentations: Nelson Gerrard of
Gimli, Canada, author and researcher,
gave two lectures: “Why They Left
Iceland,” and “The Search For A New
Iceland.” These were enjoyed by so
many. Nelson was available to all who
are researching. Kathy Arnason, author
and presenter, of Gimli, Canada shared
the stories of the small spirit people
from Iceland, the Huldufólk. She
brought the four costumes for children
to model. Chiklrcn from manv states
took part. Kathy’s sessions were a
delighl to all. Manv heard about these
special little people for the first time and
were intrigued. Seeing the children
dressed as Huldufólk was enjoyable to
all.
We were privileged to have 'guests
from Iceland, Canada, and the USA. We
appreciated their contribution to our
celebration.
There were many who learned the
importance of the thöusand-year cele-
bration. Perhaps many were not aware
of the grand assembly of the first parlia-
ment in the world, the Alþingi.
Many displays of Icelandic treas-
ures and keepsakes including many
front Iceland were viewed by thousands
at the Moorhead Library, the Fargo
Library, the Clay Country Historical
Museum, and the Hjemkomst Center
wall displays. The memorabilia was
enjoyed by all Nordic descendants as
well as bus tours of people from other
states and areas.
The Baðstofa
This living area was created to
show how the Icelanders lived in the
early years. The family would gather in
the baðstofa at night, where they would
do handwork such as carding, spinning,
and sewing while oral and written
recitation was shared with all. The
Icelandic people were highly literate
people. This was at a time when only
the richest people in the rest of the
world were literate.
In the baðstofa and in the large
glassed-in wall displays the countless
keepsakes which had been brought over
to America were shared with everyone
attending.
Icelandic Foods
Ima Dinusson chaired the food.
booths at the Hjemkomst Center and at
Trollwood Park. The following deli-
cious foods were available: open-faced
sandwiches of hangikjöt, reyktur lax,
mysuostur, smjörliki, all on home-made
brown bread. Desserts included
vínarterta, kleinur, pönnukökur, and
pönnukökur með rjóma. These mouth-
watering treats were enjoyed by the
crowds.

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