When you think of vacation destinations , Norway ’s icy crag and well - below - suspend temperatures might not come to mind . But what if we mentioned world - class skiing , breathtaking scene andChristmas traditionsthat take a firm stand on seven kinds of cookies ? In this article , we ’ll research the rich ethnical side of Norway that theweather reportsdon’t tell you about .
However , there ’s no acquiring around it : Norway gets cold . It ’s located at the northern border of Europe , and while summertime temperatures reach 77 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit ( 25 to 30 degrees Celsius ) in the summertime , they can douse to negatively charged 40 degrees Fahrenheit and Celsius in the wintertime [ source : Innovation Norway ] . Yes , that ’s as cold as it sounds . A part of the rural area is located within the Arctic Circle , and Norway was nearly uninhabitable until after the last meth geezerhood . Combined with its relative isolation , it ’s easy to see why would - be visitant may have hesitated to put Norway on their itineraries .
If you endure circa 800 , the Vikings also did n’t help . TheVikingswere a martial civilisation known for their long , downhearted boats and brutal attacks on surrounding Europeanpopulations– principally the British Isles , but no coastal region from Spain to Baghdad was secure [ source : Kagda ] . Their families back home benefit from the slaves and worthful goods that thesepiratesbrought from their raid – enough to form a significant in-between class [ source : Lonely Planet . While the New domain might remember the Vikings for their barbarity , they were n’t all warrior , and many Norwegians think that story calls for a more balanced view of the group [ source : Kagda ] .
If you ’re thinking that Viking ancestry , age of proportional isolation and a survival of the fittest - of - the - fittest climate probably adds up to a powerfully individualized set of traditions , you ’d be right . rent ’s take a look at how some of those traditions keep Norwegians fed .
Norwegian Food and Drink
Norway ’s mood and location inform its culinary choices to a great extent – there are no piña coladas here , but plenty of meats and seafood with distinctive preparations that originally keep them continue over prospicient winter . The country ’s ample coastline also make fish a democratic dining staple fiber ; one particular finesse is boiled cod , which is commonly eaten onChristmasand is served with boiled potatoes . In fact , most meals in Norway ( but especially traditional one ) let in boiled Irish potato .
When it comes to cherry-red nub , Greenland caribou is a popular option – especially shroud with lingonberries , which look almost exactly like cranberry but are n’t quite as middle - scrunchingly tart . Norwegians also warm up with the interior bag , faari - i - kaal , which is a peppery mouton sweat serve – surprisal ! – with boiled potatoes [ source : Frommers ] . Another common Norwegianfoodisgjetost(also spelledgeitost ) , a kind ofgoat cheesethat ’s get when whey curds are cooked down to a smooth , spreadable high mallow . slimly sweet with a hint of yellowish brown , it ’s often spread on thin , sharp rye whisky cracker – another Norse specialty [ source : Fankhauser ] .
Alcoholis stringently regulated by the Norse government , but of - long time occupant and visitor can revel a broad pick ofbeers , cider and Margaret Mead ( honey wines).Akevitt(also spelledaquavit ) , a white potato vine - based , caraway - spiced spirits that was in the beginning get on in casks aboard Viking ships , is another Norwegian specialty . While the legal imbibing age is 16 , you have to be 18 to purchase alcohol [ source : Hanson ] .
Food is also an important part of Norse celebrations , and none more than Christmas . At a Norwegian Christmas banquet , you ’ll have your pick of lusty meat dishes , any figure of Pisces options and asmorgasbord(literally ) of sides . Dessert is frequentlyriskrem(rice pudding mixed with whipped emollient ) orkransekake(a pyramid - shaped almond band cake ) . Norwegian tradition also order that every Christmas table should let in seven unlike kinds ( called the Seven Sorts ) of family - baked cookie for maximum hospitality [ source : Innovation Norway ] . You may be tempted to book your airplane ticket now , but read on to learn more about Norse vacation celebrations .
Winter Holidays in Norway
Norway was originally a infidel refinement , and element of that acculturation remain today . Early Norwegians revere a pantheon of deities you might have heard of , among them Odin ( the chief god ) and his son Thor ( god ofthunder ) . According to the myths , the god occupy in Asgard , a fort in the center of theearth , while humans lived in Midgard , the mediate subdivision of the earth . gamey walls protect Midgard from the chaotic out reaches of the human race , which were inhabited by the fierce , troll - similar Jotuns [ source : Bringsvaerd ] .
The Viking King Olav II established the Church of Norway in 1024 , and today , at least on composition , Norway is preponderantly a Christian res publica . Around 85 percent of its citizens belong to the state church , now the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway , but the spiritual biotic community also includes other offshoots of Christianity [ beginning : visit Arts ] . However , many Norwegians do n’t ego - identify as religious .
Holidays likeChristmas– calledJul , theVikingversion of Yule – that combine pre - Christian and Christian traditions are a boastful deal in Norway . ( We surmise that the excuseJulprovides to company in the thick of winters that can last from November through April does n’t hurt its popularity . ) The festivities begin on December 1 with Advent , a countdown to Christmas during which children receive a small gift each solar day – a custom reverberate in some American families with chocolate - bearing Parousia calendar .
St. Lucia Day , December 13th , marks the middle of the countdown . Though named for the Roman Catholic saint of the blind ( the Book " Lucia " comes from the Latinlux , meaning " light " ) , the holiday is now more temporal than religious , and its celebration contribute light to Norwegian communities on what was historically considered the shortest day of the class . On St. Lucia Day , a child from each elementary school or town is take to represent the holy man . They wear out light crowns and go processions through the biotic community , singing songs and hand out saffron - flavor buns calledlussekatter .
Christmas itself fall early for Norwegians : tiddler heat up to full stocking on December 24 , and families gather to celebrate that even . It ’s a busy day , and Norwegian parents take vantage of classic Christmas films like " Tre notter til Askepott " ( " Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella , " actually a Czech film that ’s been dubbed in Norwegian ) to keep the kids entertained while they whip up Christmas dinner [ source : Hollekim Haaland ] .
In the eve , mob open up gifts from one another and from Julenissen , the Norse version of Santa Claus . Legend has it thatJulenissen(“the Yule elf " ) was a unconstipated fellow who began delivering Christmas gifts and just never stopped . Like the American Santa Claus , he has legions of agile assistant lending a hand during the pre - Christmas months ; however , his lack of magical powers leaves him so exhausted that he sleeps for weeks after the big day [ seed : Royal Norwegian Embassy ] .
Norwegians are big on personal vacation , too . We ’ll babble about birthday , bunadand more on the next page .
Personal Milestones: Old Meets New
Norway ’s largely secular refinement does n’t mean a lack of celebration – in fact , Norwegians go out of their means to recognize many personal milestones . Birthdays , for deterrent example , are fete with gifts , song and , of course , cake ( oftenchocolate- or fruit - and - cream – flavored ) . If a kid ’s birthday takes billet during the schooling twelvemonth , she also receives special differentiation during class . natal day jubilation are generally reserved for kids , but 18th birthdays ( when Norwegians hail of age ) merit special acknowledgment : They include the right to buyalcoholand tobacco , drive and right to vote .
Another milestone is in high spirits school day graduation exercise , which is note by a home , multi - calendar week solemnisation calledrussfeiring– a flow designed to get the crazies out before maturity stage set in . Participants ( calledruss ) dress in their school coloring material and vie forrusskneuter , badges that they earn for their wild joke ; they also make personal trading lineup that they hand out to onlookers . Russfeiringculminates on Constitution Day , the commemoration of Norway ’s birthing as an independent nation from Denmark in 1905 , andrussparticipate in the Constitution Day parade . They ’ve gain a well - deserved reputation for being the liveliest part of it .
Young Norwegians often marry a few years after graduation exercise ; in innovative ceremonies , brides fag out lily-white or silver , and the couple exchanges rings . About one-half of those who married as of 2010 chose to have religious ceremonies [ source : Cantor ] . A receipt with food , dancing and patty ( a monolithic ring - shaped pillar calledkransekake ) follows the ceremony .
A more traditional marriage might includebunad , the prescribed costume of Norway . Made of wool , bunadare dramatise with innovation symbolizing a family ’s heritage [ author : Kagda].Bunadweren’t always an significant part of Norwegian refinement , though – in fact , they might have disappeared completely if not for the nationalistic romantic cause of the mid-1800s . During that time , tribe costume saw a cultural revival , andbunadofficially became the home attire [ reference : NBF ] .
Norway is as progressive as it is traditional , as evidenced by the government ’s 2009 legalisation ofsame - sex marriage , which permit Christian church to choose whether to execute marriage ceremonies for homosexual couples [ source : Associated Press ] . Many couples also engage insambor– exist together out of wedlock – and incur the same legal benefit as married couples [ source : Cantor ] .
Ca n’t get enough ? We do n’t blame you . Read on for lots more information about Norway and its acculturation .
Lots More Information
Being of primarily Eastern European line and with a passport that ’s rather emptier than I ’d wish , I begin this clause with very trivial knowledge of Norway and its culture . At first , the research process was rather overpowering – as you could imagine , any country is made up of so many unequaled and interesting facets that entire books do n’t always do them justice . It was by all odds a challenge to narrow down what I was going to admit in the article . I was particularly interested in how Norway handle religion : As an American , where church building and State Department are disjoined , I had never thought of the possibility of the two coexisting as peacefully as they seem to in Norway . The existent cool thing I notice about Norway , though ? Tradition dictates each home has seven different form of cookies at Christmas . Seven ! I recall we can all get behind that .
