The Scandinavian countries are commonly grouped together by their close historic, linguistic, and cultural ties. These age-old bonds continued to flourish both during and after the period of mass immigration to the United States in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Today, a strong Scandinavian presence remains in town names like Amble in Montcalm County and Skandia in Marquette County and in loca culinary delicacies like aebleskiver in Greenville and lutefisk found in select grocery stores throughout the state at Christmastime.