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NORWEGIAN TRADITIONS

Five Norwegian Christmas traditions foreigners find strange 

Whether it's the food, games, approach to advent calendars or the weird dub of a Czech retelling of Cinderella, Norwegians have several traditions that seem strange from the outside looking in. 

Published: 8 December 2023 15:57 CET
Updated: 24 December 2023 08:30 CET
Pictured is a close up of a reindeer.
Norway has a number of Christmas traditions that many might consider strange. Pictured is a close up of a reindeer. Photo by Juliane Liebermann on Unsplash

Every country has its traditions, and Christmas in Norway is guaranteed to be different to what you might be used to. 

Having grown up with many of the same Norwegian Christmas traditions, the locals tend not to think much about them or how much sense they do or do not make. 

However, if you’ve grown up elsewhere, many things will seem a little out of the ordinary. You may want to adopt some of them into your own traditions, others you may learn about from the sidelines instead. 

Tre nøtter til Askepott

Everyone has the films and TV shows they watch to get into the Christmas spirit or something they’ll watch on the day. For UK readers, this might be Bond or Wallace and Gromit (hopefully not Mrs Browns Boys).

Our American audience might prefer a classic like Miracle on 34th Street or something modern like The Grinch or Home Alone. 

Norwegians choose to watch a Czech retelling of Cinderella from the 1970s. As if that wasn’t strange enough, the dubbing is done by one male performer. 

The dubbing performer, Knut Risan, could even be considered the voice of Christmas in Norway, as more than 1 million people typically tune in to watch the Christmas classic. 

The interesting spin on this version of Cinderella sees her given three nuts that contain a special outfit. 

The movie has received the Hollywood treatment in recent years, with a modern remake featuring Norwegian actors. But for many, nothing comes close to the original. 

Soda wars

There could be a separate list on the food traditions. For starters, there are the annual light-hearted debates among friends, families and colleagues over which Christmas soda is best. 

Many pick one colour, red or brown, and stick to it for the rest of their lives. Other parts of the country may see other colour variations, and in Telemark, there’s a choice between “clear” and “murky”. 

Red Christmas soda is usually sweet and fruity, while the brown variant is often more full-bodied and very sweet. 

The partisan approach to food doesn’t just end at soda; there are also three Christmas dinner options. 

These are cured mutton ribs (pinnekjøtt), ribbe (roasted pork belly), and lutefisk. Lutefisk is a fish that has been cured in lye. 

For those unaware of what lye is, the Oxford English Dictionary defines the substance as “a strongly alkaline solution, especially of potassium hydroxide, used for washing or cleansing”.

This gives the fish a gelatinous texture. This and the smell put many off trying the dish. 

Do play with your food 

Once the annual arguments over food are settled, it is typically time to sit down for your Christmas meal. 

Good manners dictate that playing with one’s food is impolite. In Norway, you are specifically encouraged to play with your food when eating a rice porridge/pudding. 

This is because there will be an almond in there somewhere. The person who finds the almond wins a marzipan pig. 

You are also supposed to leave some porridge out for the nisse. These are gnome-like guardian spirits who live in barns. If you don’t leave the porridge out, the nisse will wreak havoc in the coming year. 

Advent calendars 

Many grow up with the tradition of Advent calendars. Norwegian do too, they typically have one of the more traditional type and one that takes the form of a TV show. 

The majority in Norway grew up watching serialised episodes of Advent calendars. The episodes are released daily and are normally around 20 minutes long. 

They normally carry an overall message about what Christmas means in the modern age or the importance of family and friendship. 

Julebord

Meaning Christmas table, a julebord is the traditional Christmas party. These can be put on by both your work and any clubs and societies you are signed up for. 

Typically, they involve an equal amount of alcohol and speeches. Given how reserved Norwegians can come across, it may be the only time of the year you really see your colleagues let loose. 

Such is the popularity of julebord, the weeks leading up to Christmas could be considered a fifth season of the year – julebord season.

While a Christmas party might not sound too strange, it needs to be experienced to be appreciated. 

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NORWEGIAN TRADITIONS

The things foreigners in Norway find confusing about May 17th 

Constitution Day, or May 17th, is a fantastic occasion in Norway. Foreigners living in the country also love getting in on the celebrations – but a few things about the day can be confusing. 

Published: 15 May 2024 16:06 CEST
The things foreigners in Norway find confusing about May 17th 

Often referred to as Norway’s national day, May 17th is much beloved in Norway. The parades and festivities are a must-see (and also pretty hard to miss) for anyone in Norway on the day. 

There are plenty of traditions that can seem strange from the outside looking in, including bunads, parades, singing the national anthem, and waving flags. Even after you’ve experienced them a few times, they can still feel puzzling. 

How to celebrate 

One aspect that can confuse foreigners, even those with a few May 17ths under the belt, is how exactly the date should be celebrated. 

While the parades are an obvious starting point, traditions can vary across families, cities and regions. 

Many will start May 17th with a combination of a typical Norwegian breakfast, with or without champagne, and then go to watch the parades. 

After that, things become more unclear. Some choose to celebrate the rest of the day with family, grilling or playing garden games. 

Others choose to party hard, whether at parties, bars, or special May 17th events. 

Meanwhile, some cities have large gatherings after the parades, torch processions, or fireworks in the evening. 

Our tip would be to choose what you like most about May 17th and go with the flow. 

Thankfully, as long as you don’t do something stupid like desecrate the Norwegian flag or spend the day antagonising people, there doesn’t appear to be a “right or wrong” way to celebrate the occasion. 

What to wear 

Outfit choice can be tricky on May 17th. People normally dress their best, be it in a traditional bunad, a suit, or other smart clothes. 

For foreigners, this can be tough. For starters, most probably do not feel Norwegian enough to wear a bunad but want to dress nicely for the occasion as a show of respect. 

Therefore, finding something that makes you feel comfortable, doesn’t feel underdressed, and is also appropriate for whatever the weather is can be a tricky balance. 

Some people wear folk costumes from where they are from, which for the most part goes down well as very few Norwegians hold an attitude of “this is our day and not yours”.

What other people are wearing

This is perhaps more the case for newcomers to Norway, but seeing a bunad for the first time can be strange. Seeing thousands of people decked out in “national costumes” (as they are sometimes referred to) can be overwhelming. 

Given that the costumes date back centuries, seeing the old mixed with the modern can also be surreal—for example, seeing someone in a bunad whizz by on an e-scooter. 

Even as you become more accustomed to seeing national costumes and learning more about them, you could confuse yourself trying to work out the origin of the bunad given the designs, colours and embroidery unique to different regions of Norway. 

The national pride

As the day marks the signing of the Norwegian constitution, it’s no surprise that its themes centre on national pride and identity and feature plenty of flag waving and singing of the national anthem. 

This can be puzzling for foreigners, as in some places, patriotism and national pride have been hijacked by populist and far-right movements and used as a tool to cause division.

Other foreigners may also be critical of the idea of a monarchy and how heavily they feature in the day’s proceedings. 

However, in Norway, no one really questions these things. This is just as well because, for the most part, May 17th demonstrates how you can celebrate a country’s essence without hijacking it for the wrong reasons. 

The locals in Norway generally choose to include those who also wish to celebrate May 17th rather than exclude them. 

It’s the fact that Norway is able to maintain a strong sense of national pride on May 17th while remaining inclusive that some may find confusing. 

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