I decided to make two posts about last night since the last one is kind of a downer and more about what didn't happen, this one is going to be about what actually did happen and to try to explain what a gasque is.
In general, a gasque is a party consisting of a fancy 3-course meal with songs and toasts and speeches, followed by släpp or an after-party. The most causal gasques require knee-length cocktail dresses for the girls and suits with ties for the guys. Sometimes they have themed gasques. The most formal, like the Spring Ball coming up, requires a floor-length gown with gloves for the ladies and a coat with tails for the men. Last night's gasque was strictly for the international students and since they know we didn't bring all of our finery, it was of the more causal variety. Everyone looked so nice regardless!
Dinner consisted of 1) cheese pie made with some kind of Swedish cheese that I can't remember the name of, 2) roast reindeer with port wine sauce and root vegetable gratin, and 3) cloudberry cheesecake (which I missed). Dinner was okay, the meat was kind of cold but the vegetables were really yummy. Before, during, and after each course there are songs that are sung and speeches each which is followed by toasting all of your neighbors with either schnapps, beer, or wine depending on the song. Some of the songs are in Swedish and very traditional while others are in English. Some of them are quite silly because they are parodies of popular songs like "Let it Be" asking for more drinks to be served. Others have motions that you do. The very last song of the night is sung while standing on your chair and you can't sit after the song is over because that's the end of the gasque and if you sit, the superstition is that you won't graduate. My favorite was "My Liver":
In middle school they were so mean
They fed us liver and something green
Let's get revenge for that liver smell
And put our own through a liver hell
Or something like that. Unfortunately there were only enough programs for every other person at the table (which was actually a long table with about 30 people at each) and since I was leaving early I didn't want to take one because the other people needed it to sing the songs.
Like I said you do a lot of toasting, usually with schnapps which is foul and bitter and I think better used to help people recover from head colds and fainting. You get a shot glass full at the beginning of the meal and it is supposed to last through 3 schnapps songs. I was maybe half done with mine by the time I left (6 or 7 songs in) because just touching it to my lips burned. The proper way to toast someone is to look them directly in the eye while saying "skål". Gentlemen start on their right then to their left then to the person across from them at the table. Ladies do the opposite. We were supposed to be seated male-female-male but there were too many women at my table so I had to play a guy for the night.
The highlight of the evening was definitely the main course entertainment which was the V-Dala Nation Men's Choir (V-Dala hosted the gasque). They all wore formal Swedish dress suits but were so much fun! I would put them on par with Straight No Chaser at IU and definitely better than the Glee Club at Purdue. Their finale was a medley of Backstreet Boys songs sung a cappella. I tried to make a movie of it, but apparently my camera wasn't recording :( I did get them singing a song in German though so you can kind of see what they were like.
I also have a few pictures (the lighting was poor) uploaded under "Events" and I fixed the movie on the San Sebastian post (bad upload?) so now there should be picture to go with the sound.
In general, a gasque is a party consisting of a fancy 3-course meal with songs and toasts and speeches, followed by släpp or an after-party. The most causal gasques require knee-length cocktail dresses for the girls and suits with ties for the guys. Sometimes they have themed gasques. The most formal, like the Spring Ball coming up, requires a floor-length gown with gloves for the ladies and a coat with tails for the men. Last night's gasque was strictly for the international students and since they know we didn't bring all of our finery, it was of the more causal variety. Everyone looked so nice regardless!
Dinner consisted of 1) cheese pie made with some kind of Swedish cheese that I can't remember the name of, 2) roast reindeer with port wine sauce and root vegetable gratin, and 3) cloudberry cheesecake (which I missed). Dinner was okay, the meat was kind of cold but the vegetables were really yummy. Before, during, and after each course there are songs that are sung and speeches each which is followed by toasting all of your neighbors with either schnapps, beer, or wine depending on the song. Some of the songs are in Swedish and very traditional while others are in English. Some of them are quite silly because they are parodies of popular songs like "Let it Be" asking for more drinks to be served. Others have motions that you do. The very last song of the night is sung while standing on your chair and you can't sit after the song is over because that's the end of the gasque and if you sit, the superstition is that you won't graduate. My favorite was "My Liver":
In middle school they were so mean
They fed us liver and something green
Let's get revenge for that liver smell
And put our own through a liver hell
Or something like that. Unfortunately there were only enough programs for every other person at the table (which was actually a long table with about 30 people at each) and since I was leaving early I didn't want to take one because the other people needed it to sing the songs.
Like I said you do a lot of toasting, usually with schnapps which is foul and bitter and I think better used to help people recover from head colds and fainting. You get a shot glass full at the beginning of the meal and it is supposed to last through 3 schnapps songs. I was maybe half done with mine by the time I left (6 or 7 songs in) because just touching it to my lips burned. The proper way to toast someone is to look them directly in the eye while saying "skål". Gentlemen start on their right then to their left then to the person across from them at the table. Ladies do the opposite. We were supposed to be seated male-female-male but there were too many women at my table so I had to play a guy for the night.
The highlight of the evening was definitely the main course entertainment which was the V-Dala Nation Men's Choir (V-Dala hosted the gasque). They all wore formal Swedish dress suits but were so much fun! I would put them on par with Straight No Chaser at IU and definitely better than the Glee Club at Purdue. Their finale was a medley of Backstreet Boys songs sung a cappella. I tried to make a movie of it, but apparently my camera wasn't recording :( I did get them singing a song in German though so you can kind of see what they were like.
I also have a few pictures (the lighting was poor) uploaded under "Events" and I fixed the movie on the San Sebastian post (bad upload?) so now there should be picture to go with the sound.
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