christmas in norway traditions
Many Norwegian will actually call Christmas Day “their Christmas Eve” when talking about how they celebrate Christmas on Christmas day in other countries, but this is technically incorrect, as we also call the 25th of December Christmas Day. Stalls typically offer a selection of products from local craftspeople and artists. Well, here’s a pretty neat rundown of my Christmas Eve if I get my way (meaning I convince my sisters to both bring the kids home to the fjords for Christmas and make sure nobody leaves until after New Year). Words of Norway tells the stories of Norway to the world, and helps Norwegian companies do the same. Julenisse means the gift-bearing nisse at Christmas time. Many of us will also take it to the next level, by arranging Christmas Parties with our friends, in addition to the mandatory one with work. Thanks for your support! The most delicately delicious krum kakke, Fattig man, hazelnut cookies, sand kakke and various other delicacies were baked the whole week preceding Julaften. My absolute favourite part about the food for Christmas is the dessert. Psst! First up folks, sorry to say but, there's no such thing as Santa Claus! I am so happy to read your post! Ribbe, is pretty much what it sounds like; ribs of pork. This is primarily a Scandinavian thing as far as I know (do tell me in the comments if you celebrate on Christmas Eve as well, and tell me where you’re from!). Google translate told me that this strong Norwegian alcohol is a kind of gin, which I strongly disagree with. In fact whenever we did spend Christmas in the US I would always be sad, because Christmas never felt truly like Christmas if I wasn’t in Norway! This is a very special day when many families will decorate the Christmas tree and make their final preparations before Christmas ‘officially’ starts. thank you for your post. Unfortunately no lutefisk or aquavit but we did have gloog, from Ikea store. Sorry for the double post, but just some trivia for those interested: The “nisse” tradition in Norway goes back centuries and centuries. It is incredibly strong, and naturally, an important part of drinking culture in Norway. My sisters, brother, nieces and nephew relax, read, eat their sweets and simply enjoy the spirit of Christmas. Sit back and watch the fireworks. We then proceed to pour strawberry sauce over it, and it is absolute heaven. Christian Høkaas. Large amounts of alcohol are consumed and normally followed up with a late-night party (with the exception of school julebords of course!). Traditions such as snowy landscapes, Santa’s appearance in his sleigh, who leaves gifts under the Christmas tree and kissing under the mistletoe. goes around the table, starts to slur his words, trips over the rug a few times, it was funny! Because of this tradition a lot of Norwegians put out Christmas porridge on the porch at Christmas Eve for the nisse families to eat. Do you see why the translation is a little tricky? The ribs are roasted to perfection, and ideally, the top layer of it is so crunchy you can hardly chew it. Starting with the most important one, of course. Norwegians are known for being a happy people, and we surely celebrate Christmas in the most diverse ways. There are many ways to celebrate Christmas in Norway, but let us introduce you to some traditions and activities that most Norwegians are likely to be familiar with. The porridge itself is quite simple, and there is no special recipe for it at all. etc. 10 Facts & Traditions About Christmas in Norway. In many ways it is connected to old beliefs of elves, gnomes etc. I suppose you mean “we left a saucer of milk for the Nisse”. The Norwegian Julebord (literally translated to Christmas Table) is heavily focused on food, in addition to the international tradition of getting drunk with your colleagues. This ranges from opportunities to buy local produce from farmers (meats, cheeses and gifts) to tucking into a reindeer burger in a tent by an open fire. Gifted by Hordaland County, for Scots support for the over 7000 exiled Norwegians during World War 2. The tree is then sent to London to stand proudly in Trafalgar Square as a vital part of London's festive makeover. From what's on the dinner table to the work party, let's take a closer look at the Norwegian take on the festive season. But what's on the dinner table does vary. 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No a at the end and one k. My grandparents were also first gen. Norwegian Americans in Bay Ridge! Or as they say around these parts: God jul! As a token of appreciation for this, it is expected that the farmer leaves a bowl of Julegrød (Christmas porridge) on the steps of his house for the elf to enjoy for Christmas. The meat is cured and salted over time and has quite a strong and salty taste. We eat lyefish christmas eve, so Does many people in the farming communities in innland norway were fish from the sea, was a rare treat. Look no further because you will find whatever you are looking for in here. When I am in. It was dubbed into Norwegian by a male actor, and his voice is the only (!) There are many Norwegian traditions I never would have guessed how got started, and this was no exception. While the English eat turkey and Americans tend towards ham, roast beef, or goose, Norwegian Christmas food is based around totally different traditions. Based in Trondheim, we are Norway's English language publishing company. Autoplay is paused. Of course, we have Advent calendars where you get a piece of chocolate every day. But it also varies. But nothing beats a proper Norwegian Christmas. But we have, and so Julebukk is a verb used to describe an important Christmas tradition in Norway. I may have forgotten to mention it, but ‘Jul’ is Norwegian for Christmas. Merry Christmas from Las Vegas ! Some may give bonus days to reduce the amount of vacation days an employee needs to take from their annual allowance. Their parents, grandparent or great grandparents are from Norway. People in Norway normally celebrate Christmas Eve with their close family, gathering for the Christmas dinner meal. Usually this cabins are about two hours or so far from their homes, so they can go easily during weekends or winter break. I hadn’t even had my coffee and found it quite hard to share the excitement within 5 minutes of waking up. I just missed all of my Norwegian Christmas traditions so much. Personally, it’s the highlight of my Christmas traditions, and every year on the 24th of December you’ll find me in my pyjamas in front of the TV at 11 am. Another tradition is the movies on Christmas eve morning/afternoon (the same movies EVERY year – they tried to change it one year and basically got death threats), and the Christmas calendar on TV with one new episode every day. Read more funny Norwegian customs here. comedy skit on t.v. Norwegian culture demands to start celebrating Christmas 4 weeks before the big day. connected to the farms. Enjoy! Christmas in Norway . So the nisse is much older than Santa Claus! Walk around the Christmas tree after dinner is an old tradition in Norway. This is as a thank you for the support Norway was given by Britain during World War II. Norwegian Christmas is just so reliable – there are some things that are guaranteed to happen here every holiday season. However, new traditions frequently appears. I will go home for Christmas and I am looking tremendously forward to it. Traditionally, in Scandinavia, a new day starts at sundown, and not at midnight, which is the general rule today. Every night you’d sit down in front of the TV to catch the next episode, and regardless of your preference in TV shows, you’ll find the right one for you. Norway Christmas traditions. Today Christmas in Norway is mostly a time to connect with family and friends, eating delicious food, exchanging presents, and spending time together. And now you know. Thanks for this site David and for the time you put in to it. Here are some of my favourite Scandinavian sweaters.eval(ez_write_tag([[468,60],'fjordsandbeaches_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_1',125,'0','0'])); I’m really excited to share this list of Norwegian Christmas traditions with you and have found myself chuckling at quite a few of these. The movie is based off a Bohemian version of the Cinderella fairy tale. JOIN HERE! Most people outside of Norway think Christmas time here must be really magical, winter markets, snow everywhere, colourful lights, reindeer strolling along the streets, and of course, Lapland is the home of Santa Claus, right? Christmas, or ‘jul’, is a special time in Norway, characterised by a rich history of traditions and unique cultural customs both ancient and modern. This doesn't cost you anything, but makes a huge difference for me! The tradition requires not having electircity or water in these cabins, so they have to make the water by melting the snow. Or at least this is what was decided around year 300. I kid you not. As a part of traditional customs, before opening the presents on Christmas morning, people would hold hands and dance around the Christmas trees and sing Norwegian carols. The church of Norway is Lutheran, in case anyone wondered. Yep, as in on TV. Ah, the good old fashioned Christmas party! Here are just some of the Norwegian Christmas traditions I've learned about over the last years. Christmas season in Norway is a five-week-long celebration that is divided in to five stages viz., Advent, Julaften, Romjul, Nyttar, and Epiphany. I enjoyed your posts. Overview of the role and celebration of Christmas in Norway. I was born and raised by the beautiful fjords of Norway, and am passionate about wine, diving and sharing my adventures with you! My daughters grew up in this wonderful place. The best I've seen were at the Røros Christmas market, although I'm told Bergen's pepperkakebyen (gingerbread city!) Curiously enough, while Norwegians normally dress fairly casually, the julebord is one of the rare occasions when they dress up in formal attire. Just to let you know ,here in Scotland, Edinburgh receives an annual Christmas tree from Norway too. That means that most Norwegians will attend two or more of these events during December, or possibly even in late November. This is a good beginning, but there is so much more. The day usually ends at around 1 am, with everyone too exhausted to keep going. I’ve never been to Tromsø at Christmas so can’t pass on specific advice, but I would suggest contacting hotels to see if they are offering a Christmas dinner/event (which will be on Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day). If you're wondering what lutefisk is, head on over here for the full details. Have more questions about Norway? One of my fondest memories of the Christmas season as a child was heading out to ‘gå Julebukk’. If you want to amuse yourself at this time of year, just tell a Norwegian from Bergen that Lillehammer's juleøl is the best you've ever tasted. Welcome to our website for all Hiding the ___ Christmas tradition in Norway. People become more reflective and caring. I lived in Norway for over 3 years and have a daughter and son-in-law and 3 grandchildren that live in Trondheim. Norwegians used to believe nisse families lived in barns etc. Like many Scandinavians, Norway starts Christmas celebrations early. Every company, school, sports club and social group hold their own julebord (literally ‘Christmas table'). Our staff has managed to solve all the game packs and we are daily updating the site with each days answers and solutions. Old and young, friends and family draw close together through several weeks of festivities. Here’s everything you need to know about Christmas in #Norway and our hilarious traditions!” theme=”style3″]. But the Trafalgar Square tree is actually just one of several that Norway gifts to the UK at this time of year. Good yule! We enjoy dinner and a few shots of Aquavit, and the kids quickly start nagging about opening their presents. And drink beer. You’ll also see the streets of Oslo lined with decoration and Christmas trees in November too. With the exception that we actually get to meet him. It was a celebration of the harvest gone and a way of looking forward to the spring. | 3 mins read |. Lutefisk, eggbutter, potatoes and lefse. Has brought many mothers to nervous breakdowns as they have failed the crackling test. That being said, most people use jul to refer to the week stretching from Christmas Eve to New Year's Eve. We will be int Tromso for Christmas this year (with a 12 yo and a 10 yo who both still believe in Santa Claus) and expect it to be a very, very different type of Christmas than we have here in tropical Queensland (in Australia). 0 comments. Gary Burns. Ribbe is served with potatoes, sausage, sourkraut, sauce and lingonberries. Coronavirus in Norway: The Latest News on the COVID-19 Outbreak, Norway’s Alcohol Sales Record Smashed in 2020, Top Tips on Parenting as a Foreigner in Norway. Read more about me here! If you are visiting Norway in December, you might be hoping to see the Northern Lights. It is served in a shot glass, yet is sipped slowly, and many believe it helps the food sink after a big meal. ‘Bukk’ means ‘buck’ (as in the male goat), and I have no idea why we have put these two together to create a verb. But yes, you can expect shops and restaurants to be closed. We had non-alcoholic gløgg at work last week (a couple of hours north of Trondheim) and fresh lefse with lots of fillings (cheese/local salmon/jam/rømme). When the porridge is all done and ready to be served, an almond is hidden in it. When celebrating a traditional Norwegian Christmas, you’ll quickly find that the season is all about family, and food. When I have celebrated Christmas abroad it has been quite strange for me to not participate in any Christmas traditions on Christmas Eve, and spend the day waiting for the next day. To my Dad’s shagrin, she strung lines of tiny Norwegian flags hanging on lines of red thread spiraling down around the Xmas tree. It's available now in all Amazon stores including Amazon.com and Amazon UK. You can find Norwegian Spruces in Edinburgh and even the Orkney Islands, among many other locations. We start devouring these while waiting for everyone to wake up, and wait excitedly for the Czech Cinderella to start at 11. Thanks. I am enjoying your articles. Each year, Norway fells a tree in the forests outside Oslo. I know some of you reading this will have done so, too. Christmas dinner in Norway is actually quite the heated topic, with over half the nation swearing to a dish called ‘Ribbe’ on Christmas Eve, and the rest having grown up with ‘Pinnekjøtt’. Norway has many food related traditions when it comes to Christmas- and each vary by the region, the most popular being Ribbe and Pinnekjøtt. As mentioned, we care about the time leading up to Christmas. Christmas is my absolute favourite holiday, and throughout all my travels and stints of living abroad, I have shared Norwegian Christmas traditions with my friends. met in Bayridge, too. Traditional food (more on that later!) Find out how Norwegians celebrate Jul in this short Kindle book, designed to inform and inspire your own Christmas celebrations, wherever you are in the world. Other peculiar Christmas traditions in Norway include decorating your home with the statues of nisser, a Scandinavian equivalent of a goblin, dancing around … Well as far as I can see, lutefisk is eaten in the couple months prior to Christmas, but not necessarily at the main dinner. The whole of December is spent counting down the days using Advent Calendars, which have quite a special place in the hearts of Norwegians celebrating Christmas. White snow and decorations add to the magic. Jul is, as we’ve covered above, Christmas, and ‘God’ isn’t the man upstairs, but ‘Good’. He guards all the farm animals, and he plays tricks on the children if they forget to place a bowl of special porridge for him. I’m an 82 year old first generation Norwegian/American born in Bayridge Brooklyn (more Norwegians lived there than in Bergen, Norway’s second largest city) in 1932. The main one of these would be the practice of leaving out a sheath of wheat for the birds to eat over the Christmas holidays. Never addition is bacon bits. Classy, too, for Christmas Eve. Jan 6, 2017 - We love studying holiday traditions around the world. Christmas is a Christian holiday that is celebrated by billions of people around the world. On Christmas Eve, he knocks on the door and enters the house with a sack full of presents. Festive food traditions in Norway. Merry Christmas Everyone. Every Sunday of Advent (you know, the four Sundays leading up to Christmas), we light candles – one for each Sunday. And new traditions are added every year. Usually, the winner gets a pig made out of marzipan, and the question can be heard throughout the village as people meet in the days to come; “who got the marzipan pig in your house?”. I’m that person who will literally ask you to tell me about your Christmas and how you celebrate, so that I, in turn, can go into extreme detail about how my family and I celebrate, and what fun Norwegian Christmas traditions we uphold (and which ones we don’t). This is to mark that another week has passed and that we are waiting for Jesus presents. How about the tradition of baking seven types of cookies for Christmas? The main thing that makes Christmas in Norway special is that our main celebration is on Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day as in most other countries. Christmas Traditions in Norway – How Xmas is Celebrated 1. My mom, Solveig, held fast to the holiday traditions as did our neighbors. So some of the most common Norwegian Christmas decorations you’ll see in December are sheaves of wheat (or oats) that are hung out in the trees for birds to feast on. And, of course, handmade gifts at numerous small and big Christmas fairs and markets. In short, you don’t mess with my Christmas. This is one of my favourite fun facts about Christmas in Norway, and I love sharing it with people who didn’t know. I remember some neighbours would even give us ice cream, which I find rather odd now that I realise how cold it actually is to walk around in a costume in December. Christmas Traditions Around the World. I understand most restaurants will be closed….. thanks! I have made lussekatter for the first time and discovered that it’s traditional to make about 7 different types of biscuits (but apparently people make less in recent years). Her older sister Anne was already here. I know, I ruin it for everyone. [click_to_tweet tweet=”Curious about why Christmas is celebrated on the 24th of December in Scandinavia? However, traditions are slow to change so there should still be plenty of relevant information inside. The only exception is that in the background you can hear a bit of the original Czech voices of the actual actors. Thank you for bringing my grandparents and our Juls back to me! It’s Christmas time, and with that comes traditions we see all the time. However, I have tried to stick to the ones that actually stand out and are quite unique for Christmas in Norway, and so I have excluded traditions such as Christmas Markets and Christmas decorations. For those who don't drink alcohol, most breweries also produce julebrus, It's a sweet soda loved by Norwegians young and old, and a great alternative for designated drivers or those who don't drink alcohol. Which is probably also one of the reasons Christmas Eve became the most important day here, as the 24th is closer to the solstice than the 25th. https://www.lifeinnorway.net/christmas-traditions-in-norway In addition to the 23rd, which we call Little Christmas Eve, the following days are dubbed the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Day of Christmas, and so on. voice you hear throughout the movie. According to the legends, it is the Fjøsnisse (fjøs = barn) that takes care of the animals on the farm, ensuring that they do not get ill in the winter. You're signed out. For collaborations, reviews, sponsored posts, and business inquiries please reach out to hi(at)fjordsandbeaches(dot)com. The sound of giggling children playing in the snow. My first Christmas abroad was in Wales, and I couldn’t believe my eyes when we were given presents to open at 7 am. It sounds like a stupid question, right? We have recipes, crafts, activities and more. I enjoy your stories. Whether this is your first or fiftieth Christmas in Norway or you're looking to incorporate a touch of Scandinavia into your own festive celebrations, I hope this article inspires you to do something a little different this year. But that doesn't mean we can't keep some of the best traditions alive! We all head to the living room, where Santa has visited over night and left us stockings filled with sweets and a cartoon (as in a magazine). As mentioned, rice porridge is often eaten for lunch on Christmas Eve or on Little Christmas Eve. Alternatively, you can head this way to read my guide to the best times to visit Norway. Ribbe is a sort of pork ribs or pork belly with the bone still in. L.A. visiting my son I attend jul festivities at the Sjømannskirken. Sounds like fun. I had it better than other Americans who celebrated on the 25th in that after the depression we had big Xmas Day roasts as well and went visiting our relatives for “coffee & cake” and leftover turkey and such. In short, Norwegian uses the same terminology when it comes to Christmas, with the exception of the added Little Christmas Eve. Whoever gets the almond, wins the game, and this is probably the strangest of all Norwegian Christmas games (not that there are that many). Don’t forget to join my Norway Travel Tips Facebook group to connect with others who are currently planning their trips, discover new Norway travel hacks and share inspiration to make the most of your travel plans! Our Advent Calendars have 24 days in them and can be quite different from what you might be used to in any English speaking countries. Here’s the guide you need! Norwegian magazine Klikk rated Trondheim's own Dahls Juleøl the best of 2014, closely followed by Tuborgs, Grans and Ringnes. The Norwegian Santa Claus is called Julenissen, and he is pretty much similar to most other Santas around the world. But here in Norway, the focal point of the celebration is very much the evening of the 24th December. Sooo interesting, thank you! Depending on where you are, here’s a guide to the best times to visit in order to experience them. My tante solveig and uncle vincent (grandfather’s bro.) No time to feel blue about the lack of sunlight when there are Christmas decorations to hang, gifts to be bought, and Christmas parties to attend. You’ve inspired us to make some of these old favorites this year. Mom had anold hah ‘hexe’ woman riding a broom hanging over the fire place opening and if she faced in it was to be bad weather and vice versa if facing out. The food Norwegians eat at Christmas is largely defined along regional lines. Well, I grew up with 25th December as the focal point of Christmas. At our Sons of Norway Lodge 3-515 we had a major Julefest celebration which included salmon, ham, fruit soup, rice soup, cucumbers, beets, lefse, krumkakke, sunbakkels, and lots of other cookies and cakes. We make them wait a little, before we cave and all gather around the tree. Your questions about Christmas in Norway – answered! Merry Christmas in Norway is ‘God Jul’. Etc. It’s not a guarantee that every Norwegian city is covered in snow at Christmastime, so if... 2. A lot of Norwegians believe the “Nisse” is busy keeping watch of the farm animals, so many of them will leave out a bowl of porridge to keep them from going hungry. Known as Julebukk or "Christmas buck," he appears as a goat-like creature. But what about lutefisk, I hear all the Norwegian Americans ask! etc. Celebrations?! Another tradition in parts of Norway is that families light a candle every night from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day. My husband & I are both descendants of Norwegians (I was an Olson, he is a Sande). Holiday Traditions of Norway "Lystig Jul" "God Jul". My mum and I are the only ones who go to church on Christmas Eve, which is at 4 pm every year. Having a second home or a cabin closser to nature is one of the most famous Norway holiday traditions. We literally grew up getting a new pencil, eraser or piece of clothing for our Barbie dolls every single morning for almost the whole duration of December. The post Christmas Traditions in Norway appeared first on Life in Norway. This is a post that I could have (and should have) written years ago.