Smörgåsbord

Smörgåsbord is a Swedish word which refers to a type of Scandinavian meal served buffet-style with multiple dishes of various foods on a table. In Norway it is called koldtbord and in Denmark it is called kolde bord. Smörgåsbord became internationally known as Smorgasbord at the 1939 New York World's Fair when the Swedish Pavilion offered Smörgåsbord at the Swedish Pavilion’s "Three Crowns Restaurant". "Smörgåsbord" consists of smörgås ("open faced sandwich") and bord ("table"). The word open faced sandwich, "smörgås" in turn consists of the words "butter" and "goose", (smör and gås). Gås literally means goose, but also refers to the small pieces of butter that form and float to the surface of cream while it ischurned. These pieces reminded the old Swedish peasants of fat geese swimming to the surface [naturally]. The small butter pieces were just the right size to be placed and flattened out on bread. Smörgås came to mean buttered bread. In Sweden, the term buttered open-faced-sandwiches (bredda smörgåsar) has been used since at least the 16th century. In English and also in Scandinavian languages, the word smörgåsbord (or in English, more usually without diacritics as smorgasbord) refers loosely to any buffet with a variety of dishes — not necessarily with any connection to Swedish Christmas traditions. In an extended sense, the word is used to refer to any situation which invites patrons to select whatever they wish among several pleasant things, such as the smorgasbord of university courses, books in a bookstore, etc.

For a more in-depth discussion of the term smorgasbord, and an explanation of a Julbord that is just as engrossing, check out the rest of the Wiki here...