What is lille Lørdag? 

Lille lørdag is an expression rather than a compound consisting of an adjective + noun. The expression means ‘little Saturday’ and is another word for Wednesday. 

The word’s origins date back to feudal times when lords had servants and maids. The lord or lady’s staff would typically have time off on Wednesday evenings, meaning they could go out to dances and socialise. 

Lille lørdag is also the title of a popular comedy show that aired on public broadcaster NRK in the mid-90s. 

The Sweidsh equivalent is lillördag, while in Denmark they use lille fredag as an alternative for Thursday.

What does this tell us about Norway? 

Unlike the aristocracy, the expression has stood the test of time and remains in regular use to this day. 

These days lille lørdag signals the mid-way point of the working week rather than a break from serving lords and ladies. Although depending on your boss, it may essentially feel like the same thing. 

People will normally go out for a beer or a bite to eat to celebrate making it to the midway point of the week and give themselves a taste of the weekend to come.  

The tradition can also teach us a little bit about Norway in the current day, rather than way back when. 

Generally speaking, Norwegians don’t drink much throughout the week. People may have a glass of wine or beer with a meal, but they typically won’t drink much more than that. 

Instead, they’ll save the bulk of their boozing for the weekends. Wednesdays are typically the exception to this social norm.

Use it like this

Skal du drikke øl i dag, det er tross alt lille lørdag!

 (Are you going to have a beer today, it is little Saturday after all!)

Siden det er lille lørdag skal jeg unne meg en øl etter jobb.

(Since it’s little Saturday, I am going to reward myself with a beer after work.)