Today is the shortest day of the year and the Christians in Norway are busy following traditions that they learned in their childhood. Many of the traditions are good ones, including getting the family together for several days, enjoying a short holiday from work and eating special foods reserved for this time of the year. In addition many families have their favourite activities together, including baking and decorating the house.
For those of you who read this and are not familiar with Norwegian Christmas traditions, it is almost as if there is a separate month after December which lasts until New Year’s Eve. The first day of this month “JUL” is the 23rd of December. This is called “Lillejuleaften” in Norwegian and translates as the “little Christmas Eve” or the evening before Christmas Eve. This is the traditional start of the Christmas “month” where the Christmas tree is brought into the house and is decorated.
The next day is Christmas Eve, or “Juleaften” in Norwegian. The shops close early and everyone heads home to get dressed in their finery. For those who are religious, there is a visit to the church and perhaps lighting a candle on family graves beside the church. Dinner may have been in the oven while the family is out, but on the return to the house, it is time for serious celebration to begin. Visitors may arrive. Children get very excited. First there is a meal to consume and then there are presents to be opened. A very special tradition in many families is to sing Christmas carols while walking around the Christmas tree which has been pulled into the centre of the room to enable everyone to encircle it. With each verse of the carols, the direction of walking changes from clockwise to counterclockwise and back again. Children are allowed to stay up as long as they wish, finally falling asleep from exhaustion.
As a Canadian in Norway, I have always felt that the Norwegians celebrate Christmas a day early, having a large meal and presents on Christmas Eve. Santa Claus, as he is experienced in North America as someone who comes in the middle of the night with gifts, is unfamiliar here. “Julenissen”, the Norwegian equivalent, may come to families with children but he comes while they are awake bringing them small gifts. He wears a red and white outfit, often has an artificial looking white beard and has a red cap with a white band on it.
Christmas Day is less hectic, even for families with children. They have opened their presents the evening before and now have things to play with. Many will visit other members of the family and eat dinner with them. Another large meal is consumed. If the weather is nice enough, a walk can be a pleasant way to pass part of the afternoon, before it gets dark. This is considered the First Day of Christmas.
The days following this First Day of Christmas are usually numbered and many communities have their special activities for each day. For example the Fourth Day of Christmas may be a children’s party at the local community centre with music, games, food and perhaps a visit from “Julenisse” again. Another day during this week may be set aside for the adults in the community to have their party in the evening. Amateur theatre groups often present their plays at this time and the advertisements for them will not be a day in December but on, for example, the Sixth Day of Christmas.
For those who have work outside their home, the workdays may be considerably shorter than normal, though stores are starting to stay open much longer than they used to. Offices may be only open between 10 am and 2 pm. Stores will usually be closed by 5 pm instead of staying open until 8pm. Schools are closed for the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.
This “month” of Christmas ends with New Year’s Eve where fireworks are the highlight of the evening, preferably at midnight. Those who live in towns and cities will often be able to see public displays. Those who live in smaller areas will go outside and, often in neighbourhood groups, shoot up millions of crowns worth of fireworks. I live with a view over a Norwegian fjord. We go outside (usually having to dress quite warmly) and watch others send off their fireworks. We can usually see fireworks being sent off from between 5 and 10 locations. Many of the displays are quite spectacular, though I often wonder what the wildlife in the forest thinks of all the noises.
New Year’s Day becomes a day to rest after all the activities. This is always a holiday, but those who have travelled away from home may spend the time getting back to their own home or to their place of work. Many will have spent time with loved ones and enjoyed the more relaxing days. Some will be looking forward to getting back to work and the regular workweek routines.
By the time everyone goes back to work in the New Year, the days have become just a little bit longer. The knowledge that the sun is above the horizon a bit more each day helps (though those in Northern Norway may still have to wait for the sun to actually get above the horizon) me get through the dark, cold days of January. Though it is officially winter from the winter solstice to the spring equinox, the promise of spring is around the corner bringing hope of new life in nature and more light and knowledge to mankind.