Ethnic church suppers are not as popular as they once were. The annual Norwegian Kumla and Ham supper at the Ullensvang Lutheran Church died-out sometime well before Convid 19, but two years ago it came back. Last year, the by-ticket-only feed required 200 pounds of processed potatoes to satisfy almost 200 guests. That’s a quite a crowd for a town of 181 residents. The feed this year is Thursday, March 12.
Thor is the perfect place for a Norwegian heritage meal. Almost 150 years ago, it like much of north central Iowa was settled by wave after wave of immigrants from Norway. Thor is located in Norway Township and is named after a Viking deity who presided at the Valhalla feasting hall, according to Norse mythology. Indeed the Thor church is named after an historic, stone church in in the fjord country of western Norway, which dates back to Viking times. Before the coming of the Christian religion, the Ullensvang site was a center of Viking worship and culture.
It is curious to note that most Kumla suppers are held in the month of March. They occur around the time of the spring equinox. Imagine how important the end of winter and the coming of spring was in a land so far north. It was certainly a time of celebration for Scandinavians a thousand years ago. It is also noteworthy that many Kumla Feeds, here and in Norway, are held on Thursdays. Thursday is the day of the week named after the earlier mentioned Norse god Thor. This is a further coincidence.
Any Vikings attending the supper are reminded to leave their axes, hammers and swords at the door before they enter the church. Attendees are welcome to wear their Icelandic or Norwegian sweaters. Ladies with Nordic folk costumes are encouraged to wear them as this is a heritage event. Norwegian-themed T-shirts are welcome for the same reason. Just as at the Winter Olympics, red sweaters, red jackets and red T-shirts are, also, appropriate for Norwegian celebrations.
Take-out orders are welcome. There will be a live, church benefit auction at 6:30. Funds raised will help pay the cost of repairs for the roof of the church hall. Everyone is welcome. For more information, call Marion Denklau at 515-378-3231 or Lois Nerem 515-378-3144.
This article is written by Rodger Tveiten of Kanawha. He is a member of Sons of Norway and enjoys Kumla in moderation.
