Celebrate the arrival of summer by making a pajaki with us!
Hosting a fun Midsummer craft mashup! Pajakis are a traditional Polish craft–and here we marry it with a Swedish maypole!
They can be small mobiles hung in your home, massive chandeliers displayed in museums, or anything in between! We will decorate ours with midsummer felted flower and strawberries. Leave with your own charming summer decoration.
All materials will be provided. Make sure to reserve your spot early, as space is limited!
Saturday, May 30th | 10am-12pm | $50 per person, $40 for members | tickets
Join us at Boston City Hall Plaza to commemorate the 201st anniversary of the first organized Norwegian emigration to the United States. On July 4, 1825, the sloop Restauration set sail from Stavanger, Norway, carrying 52 hopeful emigrants seeking a new life in America. This voyage marked the beginning of a significant chapter in Norwegian-American history, leading to nearly 900,000 Norwegians immigrating to North America over the next century.
The flag-raising ceremony will honor this historic journey and celebrate the enduring ties between Norway and the United States. The event will feature the hoisting of the Norwegian flag, remarks, and a performance by children from Eliot K-8 Innovation School, who will sing the American and Norwegian National Anthems.
This event is free and open to the public. All are welcome to attend and celebrate this milestone in our shared history.
Thursday, May 14th | 12pm | free | Boston City Hall Plaza
Saturday, May 16th
17. mai family picnic
Scandinavian Cultural Center – 206 Waltham Street – West Newton, MA 02465
Schedule of Events
12:30pm – Gather for 17. mai parade at the entrance to the SCC
12:45 pm – Step-off time for the parade
1pm – Welcome and tale for dagen
1:30pm – Lunch
2:15pm – Games for the children
Tickets for lunch will be sold as people arrive.
Adults: $15 (smørbrød, beverage, and dessert)
Children: $5 (pølser m/lompe, beverage, and dessert)
(Additional smørbrød may be purchased for $10 each.)
Welcome to celebrate Vappu (Finnish May Day) with Suomi-koulu and Finlandia Foundation Boston Chapter.
We are hosting a Vappu picnic at the Scandinavian Cultural Center on May 2, 2026 from 12.30 to 3 pm! We have traditional Vappu-munkki (donuts) made by Sweet Finnish bakery, Rindge NH. We are also crafting Vappu-masks with children.
You can bring your own picnic blanket and drinks or enjoy Kaffestugan’s baked goods and drinks. (If it rains, we will be inside). This event is free of charge.
We’re pleased to welcome photographer and board member Magnus Snorrason to Nordic Hall with his exhibition Animals Amongst Us, on view through April. Stop by and take a look.
ARTIST STATEMENT: My decade-long daily photographic project has gradually shifted from a traditional exploration of street photography to a study of parallel worlds. 3,359 (so far!) consecutive days of observation have revealed a truth obscured by the city’s noise: We do not inhabit this space alone.
Animals Amongst Us documents the non-human residents of our concrete landscape. From the domestic companions who mirror our routines to the wild opportunists who thrive in our shadows and in the air all around us, these creatures exist in a complex spectrum of symbiosis, apprehension, and indifference.
My images capture moments of unforeseen symbiosis and resilience:
• a swan navigating a flooded parking lot as if it were a natural lake
• a pug mirroring the stoic patience of its owner
• a three-legged cat staring back with uncanny awareness
This visual census of the urban wild invites the viewer to look closer at the other citizens whose lives are woven into the fabric of our cities.
ABOUT: Magnus started photography at an early age. Growing up in Iceland, he bought his first SLR camera at age 12. At 13, one of his photos won him a year’s supply of Ilford black and white photo paper and chemicals. Later in life, he moved on to digital, but his approach has never wavered: Shoot what you see. Focus on composition, wit, and beauty. Treat your subject with honesty and don’t force it into becoming a statement (all art is definitely not political).
He is now on year ten of a photo-a-day project. Carrying a camera everywhere and ending each day by editing the day’s photos has become a way of life, and a unique way to show followers glimpses of daily rhythms of life. The world is endlessly inspiring, if you keep your eyes open and your mind tuned to visual opportunities.
Gather round for a story! Our library volunteer Maya will be reading in the Children’s Library starting at noon on Saturday. One story will be read in Norwegian and another in English. You don’t have to understand Norwegian to attend–the pictures and engaging presentation will be sure to entertain your little ones.
Our children’s library is a cozy space downstairs, decorated with trolls and many picture books in both English and the five Nordic languages. We have signs directing you there, but any of the librarians in our main library (next to the front desk) would be happy to show you the way.
Story time is free to enter, and you’re welcome to check out any books you’d like to take home with a free library membership. Since space is limited, we recommend reserving a spot by pre-registering using the link below.
We are proud to host Analog By Choice for a presentation of their concert Break Away.
All of us have traditions, customs, and values that we’ve grown up with. How do we decide as we grow and change which ones we hold on to and which ones we change? Just like our personal growth, composers must often balance a respect for music traditions of the past while adding their own voice and creating something new. In this concert, we have three composers who have taken different approaches to this balance and managed to come up with really incredible results.
About the music: Florence Price was the first African-American Woman to have her symphony played by a major orchestra in the US, breaking into a tradition that was dominated by white composers without sacrificing her own musical voice. Jessie Montgomery is one of today’s biggest names in the classical music world. Her piece, Break Away pushes combines traditional written notes with improvisational elements. Carl Nielsen was a Danish composer who chose to reject the popular musical waves of his time and focused instead on what he thought were the most important parts of musical tradition.
Come ready to create with your hands, reflect on your own traditions, and create the biggest effect with the fewest tools!
Musicians: Peter Paetkau and Thomson Wang – Violins, Maureen Sheehan – Viola, Nicholas Johnson – Cello
Saturday, April 25th | 1pm – 2:30pm | $25, $15 for members | Tickets
EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders receive free admission. To reserve free tickets, email caroline@scandicenter.org
Crooked Lines of Beauty – My Grandfather the Architect Carl Nyrén April 18 at 1:00 PM | Nordic Hall
Join us for a special screening of this intimate and visually rich documentary by filmmaker Sven Blume. Crooked Lines of Beauty offers a deeply personal portrait of renowned Swedish architect Carl Nyrén, weaving together archival footage, family history, and reflections on a life devoted to design. Through Blume’s lens, the film moves between the private and the professional, revealing both the humanity and complexity behind a celebrated body of work.
Both poetic and quietly moving, this film invites audiences to experience architecture not just as form, but as memory, legacy, and lived experience.
Saturday, April 18 | 1pm | $10; $5 for members of the SCC&L | tickets
EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders receive free admission. To reserve free tickets, email caroline@scandicenter.org
Join us for an inspiring afternoon of Icelandic cinema, featuring Iceland’s first officially certified sustainable film production. The Mountain (Icelandic: Fjallið) is a coming-of-age story of family, fate, and the cosmos.
Teacher and amateur astronomer María (Sólveig Guðmundsdóttir) plans a trip with her family into the highlands to photograph a comet she thinks she’s discovered. On the day, her husband Atli (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson) and daughter Anna (Ísadóra Bjarkardóttir Barney, daughter of Björk) cannot go with her. A twist of fate ensues that upends their lives and leads them in another orbit. We join a father and daughter in a stunning adventure through Iceland’s highlands, in a journey that explores how a family can heal from grief.
Icelandic with English subtitles; runtime 1 hour 30 min.
Saturday, May 9th | 1pm | $10, $5 for members | tickets
Free admission for anyone who qualifies for WIC, EBT, or ConnectorCare. Email caroline@scandicenter.org to reserve a ticket free of charge.
Join us for a festive morning of Nordic Easter crafts and traditions! This event is open to all ages (and egg-painting skill levels) and will invite you to explore a variety of Scandinavian traditions to celebrate one of the region’s most beloved holidays.
Activities will include…
Making påskris (Swedish Easter trees), twigs embellished with colorful ribbons and feathers, that symbolize the end of the cold season and the beginning of spring
Dressing up as Easter witches (påskkärringar/påskhäxor) a tradition where children (or children at heart) dress up as witches and exchange drawings and cards for treats
Creating yellow candles, which decorate Scandinavian homes during the season
Bring your creativity, your friends, and maybe a smock or two—get ready to make some crafts to take home and relish in the påskestemning (a Norwegian word to describe the festive Easter atmosphere)!
Ages: Recommended for ages 6 and up (younger kids welcome with adult help)
Space is limited, so reserve your spot early!
Saturday, April 4th | 10am – 12pm | $20pp; $10 for members | Tickets
