Arora Borealis in Storuman, Sweden
Petra Bergarp was recently appointed Country Manager for Apple Sweden. Prior to joining the UO in 2016, she had already held key sales leadership roles in Sweden with multinational telecom company Telia and European telecom company Tele2. While completing the Oregon Executive MBA program in Portland she leading Hewlett Packard company’s Aruba North America Sales team. Upon returning to Sweden, Petra was Head of Capture for Amazon Web Services and eventually became part of the core team launching Amazon.se. She says that her time in the U.S. made her appreciate the convenience of shopping on Amazon and she loved bringing this experience to Sweden. Petra has also served for nearly ten years as Vice Chairman of the Board at Barnfonden, the oldest non-profit child support organization in Sweden.
Jan Frydman, BBA ’80
Diplomat, lawyer, executive, die-hard Duck, and food critic
My top gifts: Trends and traditions
Portable Stove
Each year, Sweden’s National Trade Organization names a “Christmas Gift of the Year”. Last year, the pandemic spurred record-breaking numbers of visitors to Sweden’s 30 beautiful national parks and other nature areas. Therefore, the Christmas Gift of the Year was a stormköket (storm kitchen), a portable cooking stove for the outdoors.
Event ticket
As people return to more social experiences, the National Trade Organization has named an event ticket 2021’s the Christmas Gift of the Year. Not only;y are people able and eager to attend events, there is also concern that the opportunity may not last long as new restrictions could come into place.
Travel and dining out
I love travel and I love great restaurants and I know many others so as well. My suggestions are available on FrydmanGuides, my site dedicated to reviews of restaurants around the world. Available in nearly fifty languages, FrydmanGuides is of the world and for the world. It includes my favorite dining spots in Eugene, too.
My top gifts: Personal picks
Kenneth S. Ghent Scholarship Fund
The Kenneth Ghent Scholarship fund helps high-achieving international graduate and undergraduate students in need complete their final year of study.
The Students in Crisis Fund
The Students in Crisis Fund played an important role in supporting both domestic and international students in the initial stages of the pandemic. While thankfully there is improvement and U.S. CARES Act has become available for students, the Students in Crisis Fund continues to play an important role in helping students facing unexpected hardship.
Lundquist College of Business Business Administration Scholarship Fund
I know the value of LCB programs. I credit my business administration studies at the UO with launching my journey of lifelong learning. Therefore, I consider support for LCB scholarships one of the best possible gifts.
Ramsing Family Endowed Scholarship Fund
The Ramsings played important roles at the UO when I attended when Ken taught in the business school and his wife Margo was an international student advisor. The merit and need-based scholarship they established helps new and continuing international undergraduate students pursue their studies at the UO.
Petra Bergarp, MBA ’18
Country Manager at Apple Sweden, skiier, and children’s advocate
My top gifts: Trends and traditions
Sous Vide
Of the many trends that have come as a result of pandemic-induced restrictions, sous vide is one of the most popular. Sous vide involves airtight packaging at home and cooking with an immersion method, so the popular gifts are vacuum sealers and sous vide cookers and cookbooks.
Sweaters and clothes from a store like H&M
Sweaters and nice clothes are always a much-appreciated gift – and where better to get them than at Swedish-headquartered department store H&M? There is one in Valley River Center in Eugene as well!
Flowers
Flowers are a time honored favorite for sharing warm sentiments and bringing cheer. Cut roses, gerberas, and orchids are popular gifting choices, as are potted plants like hydrangeas, poinsettias, and potted orchids. Roses and orchids are more romantic choices, while others are more appropriate for birthdays or gifting when invited to someone’s home.
My top gifts: Personal picks
Goat for needy families
A goat is actually a “greatest of all-time” gift for families around the world who are living in poverty. You can learn more about why and support a bright future for children around the world by reviewing the information and giving at ChildFund.
Book: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni
I plan to give this book as a Christmas gift to my team this year. It is my favorite leadership book on the topic of what to avoid and what to DO instead. Perhaps readers of this blog can get it and join in the conversation in the review section for the book on Amazon.
Book: Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
This was my big book suggestion last year and it is still very much worth a read. Perhaps readers of this blog can get it and join in the conversation in the review section for the book on Amazon.
Airpods
Airpods come in handy for so many things: tasks, meetings, walks and workouts and staying informed and inspired on the go with audio books and podcasts. How did we get along without them?
Skis with skins
With 256 ski resorts, you can imagine that many of us in Sweden enjoy skiing! A great pair of skis with skins would be a much-prized gift. For those who are not familiar, ski skins are attachments for the bottom of the skis to help ascend slopes.
Gifting in Sweden
Germany’s primary gifting season is the Christmas season, known there as Jul (celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ), with the primary gifting day on Julafton (Christmas Eve, December 24th). Chartiable giving also takes place around Jul. Petra shares that she personally thinks Swedes give less than Americans to charity since Swedes pay considerably higher taxes, with much of the funds aimed toward funds and services for those in need. She adds that, just as only 1% of Sweden’s GDP goes towards military spending, an equal amount of 1% goes to economic assistance to developing countries.
In regards to Christmas giving traditions, Jans shares that, “Christmas gifts are given by and to anybody, just like in the US, but traditionally handed over by Jultomten (Santa Claus) on December 24. It is believed that generosity at Christmas time has existed since at least the Middle Ages. Our current Christmas gift tradition is said to have
originated in the 18th century when the Christmas gift should have taken over the baton from the older tradition of giving each other a New Year’s gift. In the 19th century, it was common in
Sweden for the Christmas goat to hand out Christmas presents. But at the beginning of the 20th
century, the Christmas goat was replaced by Santa Claus.
The Santa Claus we have in Sweden is a figure that has its origins in several different traditions, including our own Santa Claus and the American Santa Claus.Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas and Father Christmas, is named after the Dutch Sinterklaas, who in turn comes from the bishop Sankt Nicolaus, who lived in the 4th century and was canonized for being generous and doing good.
The answer to the question: “Why does Santa Claus hand out the Christmas presents?” may simply be that it is nicer to get up-close with a generous, canonized, bearded, round-bellied, and happy bishop as opposed to a scary Christmas goat!”
As for other holidays and for gifting, Petra notes the holidays of Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Midsummer’s Day, as well as occasions when one is invited to someone else’s home.
Regarding Midsummer’s Day she says, “Swedes celebrate a solstice holiday known as Midsummer’s Day. It’s an ancient day that many people still enjoy because summer calls for celebration! In mid-June, school is out and nature has burst into life. It seems like the Sun never sets. In fact, in the north of Sweden, it doesn’t, and in the south, only for an hour or two.
Historically, this day marks the midpoint of the growing season, halfway between planting and harvest. It is traditionally known as one of four “quarter days” in some cultures. Folks celebrated by feasting, dancing, singing, and preparing for the hot summer days ahead.
Though June 24 is the traditional date of Midsummer Day, it’s often celebrated on the
closest weekend to June 24. The Friday night is Midsummer Eve (the big party day) and the
Saturday is Midsummer Day.”
