Hurray for 17 May!

(Updated 2021) Whether in Norway or abroad, Norway’s Constitution Day (grunnlovsdag) is always a celebration full of lively parades and gatherings. This year, while we can’t celebrate in the usual way, we can still commemorate this day at home with as much cheer as usual. Here, I’ve listed 17 ways to celebrate Norway’s Constitution Day at home.

A little background: Norway became an independent nation in 1814 after the Constitution of Norway was agreed unanimously by the Eidsvoll Assembly on May 16. It was signed and came into force the next day on the 17^th. Celebrations were sporadic, but as Norway was in a union with Sweden all festivities on the day were banned for almost a decade from 1820. It wasn’t until 1833 that celebrations returned with the first official 17 May speech by the poet Henrik Wergeland. In 1870, the first children’s parade took place in Oslo under the initiative of writer Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson and continues to this day. All throughout Norway, children’s parades are the center of the day’s celebrations. In Oslo, tens of thousands usually fill the streets to watch the parades and observe the Royal Family waving to all the children as they march past – a tradition since 1906.

17 Ways to Celebrate Norway’s Constitution Day (17 May) at Home

1. Wake up bright and early and get the celebrations going with a salute. Cannons are fired as early as 7:00am in certain places in Norway to salute the day. So, you can either silently reflect on the start of the day or welcome it in with some light banging of pans or whistling (careful though not to disturb your neighbors!).
2. Fly your Norwegian flag(s) and decorate with red, white and blue. Make ribbons, paper flags, banners and the like. Serve foods that reflect the color palette and decorate desserts with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.
3. Dress your best. It doesn’t matter that you’re at home, put on your best attire or traditional bunad (Norway’s national costume).
4. Pull out the linens and china. You’re not the only thing that needs to dress your best, make sure your table is set and adorned with flags, candles and flowers.
5. Prepare a full breakfast spread. Breakfast becomes a big affair, so go all out. It’s customary to serve a buffet and typically this includes scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, fresh loaves of bread and rolls and an array of other edibles to match, such as cheeses, spreads and cold cuts. Many will also toast with a glass of bubbly.
6. Have your own in-home parade and/or watch earlier ones: The parades are an integral part of the day’s celebrations and usually begin mid-morning. Here’s a video of Oslo’s parade from 2019.
7. Shout “Hipp Hipp Hurra!” It’s the official chant of the day and you’re welcome to shout it as you please.
8. Listen to the drums. Bergen is famous for its buekorps. You can watch clips of them from last year’s parade here. If you have some drums on hand, you might want to join in the fun.
9. Congratulate your friends and family. “Gratulerer med dagen” is the greeting of the day. Spread the greeting via phone, text, email, or social media.
10. Indulge in ice cream. Lots of ice cream! With more time at home, you might want to try making your own like Rømmegrøt Ice Cream, No-Churn Brunost & Raspberry Swirl or Roasted Strawberry and Lemon Ice Cream.
11. Eat pølser “hot dogs”. More hot dogs are consumed on this day in Norway than on any other. Wrap them in lomper (soft potato flatbreads) or place in buns. Don’t forget the ketchup, mustard and sprøstekt løk “fried onions”.
12. Bake a cake or two or three… May is the month of cakes and 17 May is the highlight. They don’t call it kakebordet “the cake table” for nothing. For some recipe inspiration head here.
13. Fill your afternoon full of games. The day is all about having fun, especially for the kids. Games can include sack races, ring toss, limbo, darts, go fishing, and other indoor/outdoor games.
14. Sing along. At 12:00pm (GMT +2) on 17 May, 2021 all of Norway will sing the national anthem and people are encouraged to open windows and sing along from their homes.
15. Watch the Hans Majestet Kongens 3. Gardekkompani (HMKG) perform. They are a renowned military band and drill unit of the Norwegian Armed Forces who participate in parades, ceremonies and international military tattoos. See them perform here.
16. BBQ for dinner. Light up the grill and cook your favorites! A bbq is always a nice way to round off the evening.  
17. Kos deg. After a long, fun-filled day it’s important to kick off your shoes, get cozy and relax as we look forward to the next year’s celebrations.

Although this year is different again, let’s enjoy ourselves as much as possible and ensure the freezer is full of ice cream! I’d love to hear how you are celebrating this year, so write me a note in the comment section below.

*For a listing of the day’s NRK programs for 2021 (in Norsk), see here.

*For a fun upbeat kid’s explanation of the history of 17 mai (in Norsk), check out this video.

The post 17 Ways to Celebrate Norway’s Constitution Day (17 May) at Home appeared first on North Wild Kitchen.

Christmas, known as jul in Norway, is a special time of celebration filled with traditions galore. Lights and candles thwart the darkness from inside while the stars and moon reflect off the white snow illuminating the landscape. Decorations adorn, scents of baked goods and warm spices fill the air, fires are lit, and pepperkaker can be found almost everywhere.  

Many of the jul traditions celebrated today have developed and evolved throughout the centuries as Norway itself has developed and evolved. Its early celebrations predate Christianization and were centered around pagan beliefs when yuletide involved drinking and sacrificing animals in honor of Norse gods. With Christianity and other influences, new traditions entered and lines were blurred along the way.

With that said, here’s how to celebrate Christmas like a Norwegian:

Count down the days with Advent   

Advent begins on the first Sunday of Advent with a tree lighting (tenning av julegrana) in towns across Norway and is seen as way to kick off the holiday season. Advent stars or Christmas stars are hung in the windows to symbolize the Bethlehem star. Advent candles adorn windowsills and tables.  

Advent calendars – or more appropriately Christmas calendars as they begin on 1 December – are incredibly popular and range from the simplest to the most elaborate. There are the basic ones with a piece of chocolate imprinted with a holiday image and others with gifts to fit anyone’s fancy. You’ll find businesses and personalities using the theme of advent calendars for competitions, games, products sales, or other things.

Another cultural aspect of Advent in Norway are the TV shows. Most channels will produce their own Advent Calendar in the form of a Christmas-themed show with 24 episodes that air every night leading to Christmas Eve.  

Feed the birds

There is an old, countryside tradition of hanging a sheaf of grain “julenek” for the birds during Christmas. The sheaves were to be large and of typically of the best grain. The tradition has survived to this day with many people selling the sheaves ready to be hung.  The julenek is a picturesque image of Christmas in Norway.

Eat a lussekatter on St Lucia Day

St. Lucia Day, luciadagen, falls on 13 December and is celebrated throughout Scandinavia. In Norway, the day is celebrated with a candle procession in the kindergartens and schools, which is led by one of the children dressed up as Lucia in a white dress with a wreath and candle on their head. The other children follow behind, dressed also in white robes and singing the song, “Santa Lucia”.

As the procession carries forward, the children hand out saffron buns to symbolize the light of Christianity throughout the darkness of the world. These saffron buns are a Swedish custom that have become a permanent baked-good tradition during the holiday season and lead up to Christmas. Get the recipe here.

Drink a Christmas beer and a Christmas soda

Ah, ‘tis the season for juleøl “Christmas beer” and julebrus “Christmas soda”.  

Brewing beer for jul in Norway has been a tradition since ancient times and was meant to be the best brew of the whole year. It was even mandatory for large farms to brew beer at this time and share with the neighbors or they could lose their land. In the last hundred years, however, the tradition of home and farm brewing has largely been taken over by commercial breweries. The traditional Christmas beer from the breweries was typically stronger with a higher alcohol content than the others. However, in the early 1900s, this strength of beer was banned from store and breweries began selling ones with lower-alcohol content. Today, you’ll find breweries all over Norway putting out their Christmas beer of the season.

For those not of the age to drink juleøl, many breweries began making julebrus, or Christmas soda. The sodas differ across the regions, but typically have a redish, golden or brownish color and a festive label to help them standout.

Fill your cookie tins with julekaker

What holiday season would be complete without an incredible variety of Christmas cookies and baked goods.  In the 18^th century, baked goods were made in bakeries and large farms since they had access to large ovens. There were no baked goods at that time that were being defined for the Christmas.

Later, in the 19^th century, after the introduction of the household oven, baking became widespread. Following the Second World War, it appears there was an increase in baking specifically for the Christmas holiday season in Norway.  

There are so many types of julekake, but some of the most popular are: pepperkaker, fattigman, krumkaker, sirupsnipper, goro, sandkaker, serinakaker, smultringer, berlinerskranser, brune pinne, rosettbakkels, hjortetakk.  

Don’t forget the fjøsnissen

Fjøsnissen or nissen is a mythological being from Nordic folklore. It’s strong and described as a small man, “no bigger than a horse’s head,” with a long beard wearing gray clothes and a red hat as most peasants wore in the old days. According to tradition, they always live near people and stay in farmhouses in which they act as guardians of those living there. A nisse could be useful on the farm, such as caring for the animals, especially if he received good food and drinks on Christmas Eve, such as a bowl of porridge. He could also be erratic and hurt or harm people and animals if he was not treated well. Today, nisser appear in Christmas tales, decorations, and cards. Santa Claus, known in Norwegian as julenisse, is himself a sort of nisse.

Decorate the house and put up the tree on the 23^rd, lille julaften

The 23rd is the last day to get everything finished and ready by before Christmas Eve. While more and more Norwegians are decorating and setting up the tree earlier, there has been a long tradition to wash the house during the day and decorate/put up the tree in the evening of lille julaften. There might even be some hand holding as people walk around the tree singing Christmas songs.

Watch Dinner for One / Grevinnen og Hovmesteren

The British comedy, Dinner for One (known in Norwegian as Grevinnen og Hovmesteren), is a popular sketch that has been airing on Norwegian television every year in the evening of the 23^rd since 1980. The sketch depicts the 90th birthday of Miss Sophie, who hosts a yearly dinner for her friends. She has outlived all of her friends, so her butler James impersonates and drinks on behalf of the guests. As he goes around the table, James gets noticeably drunk, and repeatedly asks Miss Sophie: “The same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?” to which she responds: “The same procedure as every year, James!” Watch it here.

Remember loved ones

For many, it’s tradition to remember loved ones by visiting the graves in the middle of the day on Christmas Eve. Compared with the hustle and bustle of the other activities, lighting the candles on the graves is one of the most solemn and beautiful Christmas traditions. Whole families may join to lay wreaths and light candles as they pay their respects.  

Find the almond in the porridge

Rice porridge “risengrynsgrøt” is often eaten for lunch on Christmas Eve or, for some, on Little Christmas Eve, the 23^rd. Children affectionally refer to it as julegrøt “Christmas porridge”. Once all the bowls have been filled with porridge, an almond is hidden in one of them. Each person is served a bowl and whoever finds the almond wins and usually received the coveted pig made out of marzipan.  Get the recipe here.

Any leftovers are then used to make riskrem, rice porridge blended together with whipped cream and sugar to make a fluffy pudding. It’s served with an incredibly vibrant red berry sauce.

Listen to the bells ring in Christmas Eve

At 5:00 pm on Christmas Eve, the church bells ring announcing the official start of jul.

Eat traditional Christmas Eve dinner

The two most popular traditional Norwegian Christmas meals today are ribbe (pork belly) and pinnekjøtt (cured and dried lamb ribs).  Ribbe is typically served with gravy, boiled potatoes, rødkål (sweet and soured red cabbage), surkål (sauerkraut), medisterkaker (pork meatballs) and pølser (sausages). Pinnekjøtt is served with kålrabistappe (mashed rutabaga), boiled potatoes, and pølser (sausages).

The longest-standing traditional meal in Norway is lutefisk (dried cod soaked in a solution of lye to rehydrate it). Lutefisk is served with fried bacon, ertestuing (stewed peas) and boiled potatoes.

In southern Norway, juletorsk (Christmas cod) served with sandefjordsmør (butter sauce), carrots and boiled potatoes was a common Christmas Eve dinner. Though ribbe and pinnekjøtt have become more common and replaced juletorsk, many people still serve it during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.  

Others also continue the older tradition of eating mølje, which is flatbread broken into a bowl with warm stock (either from meat or fish) poured over the top.

And one can’t forget to wash it all down with a glass of beer and/or a shot of aquavit.

Go julebukk  

“Å gå julebukk” (similar to trick-or-treating) is an older tradition of going door to door during the period between Christmas and New Year and singing Christmas songs in exchange for candy and cookies. It’s customary to dress up where neighbors try to guess who is under the disguise, and is open to both children and adults. The origins have many roots, and the julebukk (Christmas goat) is also a common decoration that is made of straw and tied with a red ribbon.

Relax and socialize during romjulen

Romjulen is the time between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Shops are usually closed or have limited opening hours, so many people spend their days visiting friends and family and relaxing.

Head outdoors

Winter is an ideal time to enjoy the outdoors. Norwegians will take every opportunity to go skiing or sledding and make the most out of the short days. In typical fashion, pack along some hot chocolate, coffee, mandarin oranges and julekaker or snacks.

god jul!

The post How to Celebrate Christmas like a Norwegian appeared first on North Wild Kitchen.

Folklore and folktales have deep cultural roots in Norway as a popular way of oral storytelling. These tales and myths, along with folksongs, have shaped the identity and cultural landscape of this country and make up the bulk of ancient literature. While the rest of Europe was writing down poetry and prose during the Middle Ages, Norway relied on oral traditions to preserve their history and culture.

The most famous collections of folktales in Norway was by Peter Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. They set across Norway in the 1800s to collect the stories of the people and in doing so, helped create an autonomous Norwegian written language and an internationally recognized collection of folktales.

Below, you’ll find a handful of tales from Asbjørnsen and Jørgen’s collections as well as a story from Men fra havet “Men from the Sea”. There are so many wonderful tales and lore to choose from, but here’s a start to set the mood for these colder months. I’ve included links so you can access the tales as desired. (As these are third party links, I cannot guarantee the correct translations or quality of the storytelling)

If you wish to explore more stories on your own, look for these collections:

• Norske Folkeeventyr by Peter Asbjørnsen & Jørgen Moe:
• The Poetic Edda – Old Norse poems
• Sagn og Huldre Eventyr by Astrid and Olaf Thalberg
• Huldre og annen Trollskap by Eivin Heide
• Norske Huldre-Eventyr og Folkesagn by Peter Asbjørnsen
• Norwegian Folktales of Absjørnsen & Moe translated by Tiina Nunnally

So, grab a blanket and a warm drink and settle by the fire to read or listen to old Norwegian tales of mystery, magic, and mayhem.

10 Norwegian Tales to Read by the Fire

1. Gutten med øldunken “The boy with the beer keg ”

In this tale, a boy requests and is given a keg with beer as payment for the work he does. He goes on his journey, but the keg becomes heavier and heavier and he looks for someone to drink with to relieve him of the weight. Along the way, he meets God then Satan and finally Death. After rejecting to drink with the first two, he decides to drink with Death since Death is neutral and fair, giving everyone the same thing. Death enjoys it so much that he blesses the boy with a keg that never empties and an ale that can heal the sick better than any doctor can.

To read in Norwegian: http://folkeeventyr.no/gutten_med_oldunken/

To read in English: https://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0332.html#norway

To listen in Norwegian: https://podtail.com/en/podcast/eventyrstund/gutten-med-oldunken/

2. En aften i nabogården “An evening at the neighbors”

One neighbor’s yard (tenement) was one of the most loved areas to gather and play. In this tale, we follow the narrator’s story as he looks back on his time playing there and of the tales of nisses, trolls, huldre, and other creatures that he and his friends are told about as they sit by the fire.

To listen in Norwegian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI1BtpqKJ4g

To read in Norwegian: http://runeberg.org/folkeven/138.html

3. Kvernsagn “Legends from the Mill”

In this story, the narrator stops to fish but catches very little until a messenger boy passes by and advises his technique. As the evening turns cold, the two of them withdraw to the warmth of a nearby sawmill and begin conversing with the old man who works there. The narrator, after understanding the old man has some tales to tell, shares a story about the mill-snarl. This leads to the others sharing their tales. The story ends with the final tale of how a group of witches turned themselves into cats and tried to burn down the sawmill.

To watch in Norwegian: https://tv.nrk.no/serie/eventyrstund/1968/FBUA06001467

To listen in Norwegian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9VHsUajtwM

4. Østenfor sol og vestenfor måne “East of the Sun and West of the Moon”

In this well-known tale, a white bear knocks on the door of a poor, but large family. The bear asks the father for his prettiest and youngest daughter in return for riches. It takes a little persuasion, but eventually the daughter goes away with the bear to his enchanted castle. At night, he sheds his bear form to come to her bed as a man.  The story continues as the bear is forced to return to his wicked stepmother at her castle east of the sun and west of the moon to marry her hideous daughter, a troll princess. The youngest daughter heads on a quest to save the bear prince.

To listen in Norwegian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra3ApzHt0j0

To read in Norwegian: http://runeberg.org/folkeven/034.html

To read in English: https://www.pitt.edu/~dash/norway034.html

5. Makrelldorg “Mackerel Trolling”

In this story, the narrator reminisces about one of the trips he had taken to go mackerel trolling. He shares tales from his friend at sea; in particular, the one about the three wives who were bored of their husbands and wished for their demise. Turns out they were witches disguised as ravens. It was the cabin boy who overheard them and was able to trick them so they could not carry out their deeds.

To read in Norwegian: http://runeberg.org/folkeven/029.html

To read in English: http://oaks.nvg.org/ntales19.html#fima

6. Folket på Saltsteinen “The people from Saltsteinen”

I was recommended this story by my friend who produces Norwegian sea salt from the area this story is based on. The story is found in a book called Men fra havet by Odd M. Ljone. In this tale, two lovers row out to Saltsteinen, between Ona and Bjørnsund, to start their lives together. Here, the life is harsh and they must battle the elements as well as heartache as they lose each of their children to the sea. This is a fascinating tale, but not one with a happy ending.

To watch in Norwegian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPzci-0uW8o

7. Askeladden som stjal sølvendene til trollet “Askeladden who stole the Troll’s silver ducks”

Askeladden is the archetypal folk hero of many tales. In this particular story, to impress and follow the King’s orders, Askeladden takes the troll’s seven silver ducks, his bedquilt with silver and golden squares in, and his golden harp. Then he tricks the troll’s daughter into giving him the knife with which he cuts her head off and feeds her to the troll, who thinks he is eating Askeladden.

To read in Norwegian: http://runeberg.org/folkeven/112.html

To listen in Norwegian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-gkCQHH0nQ

To watch in English (kid’s version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI–CTGGLDs

8. Kvernen som står og maler på havsens bunn “Why the sea is salt”

A poor man begged from his brother on Christmas Eve and so the brother promised him meat if he would do anything for him. The poor brother promised and so the rich brother handed over the food and told him to go to Hell. His travels lead him to obtaining a hand-mill that produces whatever is asked of it. As the poor brother gains wealth from it, others don’t succeed, and in the end we come to learn why the sea is salty.   

To listen in Norwegian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtIRj4Y2PEo

To read in Norwegian: http://runeberg.org/folkeven/056.html

To read and listen in English: https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/134/stories-from-around-the-world/5302/why-the-sea-is-salt/

9. Smeden som de ikke torde slippe inn i helvete “The Smith they dared not let into Hell”  

In this short, parable-like tale, we read the complicated interaction between mankind and spiritual beings. A blacksmith makes a bargain with the devil to become the greatest blacksmith on earth for a period of time. He encounters Christ and the Apostles and while boastful, is granted three wishes which he chooses to use to avenge himself on the devil. His actions toward both Christ and the devil may affect his chances in the afterlife and so he travels to both heaven and hell.  

To listen in Norwegian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTEW_ztt4W0

To read in Norwegian: http://runeberg.org/folkeven/020.html

To read in English: http://oaks.nvg.org/ntales13.html#smith

10. Graverens fortellinger “The Gravedigger’s Tales”

Here, the narrator seeks out to meet with Per Gravedigger. He eventually finds him digging a grave and Per proceeds to share various tales of witches.

To listen in Norwegian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boq3lvkRefc

To read in Norwegian: http://runeberg.org/folkeven/136.html

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