Norwegian Christmas Traditions
Many think that December will be this dark, quiet, and depressing month, but it is quite the opposite. In fact, it is one of the most lively and colourful months of the year. This is thanks to Christmas and how excited people get for the holiday seasons. The cities and towns are often decorated for Christmas by the end of November. The trees and buildings are decorated with lights, the churches have regular Christmas concerts, and the larger cities will have a Christmas market.
In this article...
Historic Overview
“Jul” is the Nordic word for Christmas. It comes from the Norse “Jòlnir”, which is an alternative name for Odin. It was celebrated during the second moon of the winter half of the year. The animals for slaughter were the fattest, flour had been processed, all the autumn work was complete, so it was time to celebrate. Traditions varied, but the farmers would have a beer drinking party. The tradition of drinking is symbolised by a drinking horn on the 25th of December on the Runic calendar, with an upside-down drinking horn depicted on the 13th of January, indicating the beer should be finished by then. The nisse is a mythological character associated with the Winter solstice, and it has become a figure of the modern day Santa Claus.
It All Starts with the Julebord
Julebord is the first sign of Christmas. The word directly translates to Christmas table and it is where companies, organisations and groups of friends gather to have a Christmas party. They often book a table at a restaurant, making it very difficult to find a spot for dinner throughout December. If you are visiting in December, book your table very early! We tried to get a table in Bergen in the first week of December and everything was booked out.
The First Sunday of Advent
The beginning of Christmas is typically marked with the first Sunday of Advent. Many houses will have a star-shaped lamp in their window called the “Julestjerne”. The first Sunday of Advent is also the lighting of the first of four purple candles called “Adventslys”. There are songs and poems written for each of the four Sundays of Advent. Traditionally the candles were purple, but now they use any colour. Click here to see the Advent candles on Mt. Floyen in Bergen.
Advent calendars are super popular in Norway and every company imaginable will make an advent calendar. Another popular thing to do is make a gingerbread house, or “pepperkakehus”. Kits are sold in supermarkets, stencils are sold in kitchen shops, or you can make the whole thing from scratch. Bergen has the world’s largest gingerbread village, which is made by kids from all the local schools.
Each Sunday leading up to Christmas is celebrated with lighting of the candles, choirs, and community gatherings.
Lille Julaften (23 December)
Then comes the 23rd of December, which is known as “Lille Julaften” or “Little Christmas Eve”. Many families will have a small tradition together, whether it be decorating the Christmas tree, making a gingerbread house, or reading risengrynsgrøt. That is a hot rice pudding served with sugar, cinnamon, and butter. An almond is hidden in the pudding and if you get it in your portion, you win a marzipan pig! For the travellers, you can go to any supermarket and buy a marzipan pig. The 23rd is also when you decorate the Christmas tree. This tradition isn’t as common as it used to be, with many opting to decorate earlier like in other countries, but traditionally in Norway the tree was decorated on the 23rd.
A common show to watch in Norway on Little Christmas Eve is Grevinnen og Hovmesteren, Dinner for One. It’s a British sketch comedy. The German television station Norddeutscher Rundfunk recorded an 18-minute performance of the show in 1953 and it eventually became the most repeated TV program of all time. The sketch depicts the 90th birthday of Miss Sophie, who hosts a yearly dinner for her friends. Due to her old age, she has outlived them all, so her butler James impersonates and drinks instead of each 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!”.
The Norwegian TV station NRK has been broadcasting the 11-minute Swiss version every 23rd of December since 1980.
Julaften (Christmas Eve)
Christmas Eve, or the 24th of December, is the main day for Christmas in Norway. It is known as “Julaften” or “Christmas Eve”. In the morning some may attend church service while others will be out shopping for last minute Christmas presents. At around 5pm families gather for their traditional Christmas dinner, and the presents are opened afterwards. This is marked by church bells ringing around the country.
Presents are delivered by the “Julenisse”, which is the Norwegian version of Santa. Before that, though, they must dance around the Christmas tree and sing traditional carols. The “Sølvguttene” or “Silver Boys Choir” appear on television for their annual concert, and at 5pm the church bells ring throughout the cities to announce the official start of the holiday. The most famous song to sing while dancing around the tree is Så går vi rundt om en enebaerbusk meaning “here we go round a mulberry bush”.
On television, NRK shows Three Gifts for Cinderella. It has been shown every year since 1975. It has become a holiday classic in Norway even if it isn’t a typical Christmas movie. The movie is based on Bozena Nemcova’s version of Cinderella, with a feminist approach in which the prince actively pursues the skilled hunter Cinderella before she falls under his charm.
In almost every store in Norway you’ll see a julenisse in some form. They are a common thing to buy in December. They are also used to decorate the milk cartons for the month of December.
If you are in Norway on the 24th of December, expect it to be dead quiet with many restaurants, pubs and shops closing.
Christmas Day
The 25th of December is a quiet day to spend with your family. Kids will typically watch the Norwegian movie “The Journey to the Christmas Star” or one of the American Christmas movies. Rice porridge is served at midday.
Romjul
The days between Christmas Eve and New Years Eve are also very quiet, and some shops will remain closed until the 27th of December. Norwegians typically use this time to hike, ski, or visit family and friends. There is more activity in the city centre with locals choosing to go out to dinner. The Norwegians have a word for this period – romjul. There’s no English translation, but it basically means “that time between Christmas and New Year when no one is really sure what they should be doing”.
The Julebukk or “Yule Goat” is a goat made out of straw that is created at the beginning of December to be used as a Christmas ornament. Its oldest representation is that of Thor’s magical goats, which would lead him through the night sky. The Julebukk was also a spirit that would protect the house over the Christmas period and it was tradition to sacrifice a goat to the Gods during the time span between the Winter Solstice and the New Year. After the goat was sacrificed, adults then donned guises to personify the Julebukk. Animal masks and skins were donned in an activity called “hoodening”. Participants would parent from house to house, disguising their voices, singing and offering spiritual protection. They would receive small amounts of money, food and drink in exchange for their blessing. This tradition doesn’t exist today, but it is common to see the Julebukk hanging outside doors.
Enjoy Christmas in Norway!
This guide should help you plan your trip to Norway well. Embrace the holiday season and try to take part in as many Christmas activities as possible.
Let me know in the comments if you have been in Norway during Christmas and have any tips!