Holidays and Festivals to Celebrate on Your Holiday in Norway

Holidays and festivals are a part of every culture and when you get to experience one on your holidays, it’s a great way to immerse yourself in the local traditions. Norway is no exception!

Christmas, also known as jul in Norwegian, is a festive time of year filled with many traditions. Gingerbread cookies, pepperkaker, open fires and much more await you during this holiday season!

Christmas (Jul)

Christmas, or jul (the word comes from the Norwegian word for jol), is one of the most important celebrations in Norway. It is a time when people celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and is celebrated in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Greenland, Scotland and the Faroe Islands.

Traditionally, the first day of the festive season is Christmas Eve or julaften in Norwegian, and this is when most people go to church services and exchange gifts. In many families, it is also customary to have a pre-Christmas dinner, called julebord, which is typically a huge family meal.

The next day, Christmas Day, or juledag in Norwegian, is a bit more laid back and less intense than Christmas Eve. It is a day for relaxing and spending time with loved ones.

There are a number of foods that are traditional at jul, including pinnekjott (ribs of mutton), ribbe (pork belly) and lutefisk, which is dried whitefish pickled in lye. Aquavit, which is made from fish, is also often served with the food.

It is a common tradition for Norwegians to decorate their homes and gardens with Christmas lights and garlands before the holiday. They also make paper decorations, and they will sometimes bake gingerbread men or other cookies to put on display in their windows.

Some of these activities are very reminiscent of the American Christmas celebration, but there are some that are very unique to Norway. For example, it is a common tradition to have an advent calendar in Norway, called a julekalender, which has four candles and opens on each of the four Sundays before Christmas.

It is impossible to get acquainted with the sights of Norway in one day, as well as in a week, but you can see the maximum number of new places with the help of a rented car at one of the country's airports. For example, in Oslo you can rent a car from 17 euros per day, in Alesund - from 18 euros per day.

New Year’s Eve (Julenissen)

On the final day of Yuletide, New Year’s Eve (Julenissen), Norwegians celebrate like many around the world. Parties are common and people toast the start of a new year with fireworks.

It’s a day for family and friends to gather together and enjoy a feast. A julbord is eaten, filled with dishes of smoked and preserved fish, Christmas ham, sausages and other meats. A traditional dessert is riskrem, rice porridge made with whipped cream and lingonberry sauce.

While there are several variations of the dinner, pinnekjott and ribbe is most common. Ribbe is salted, steamed pork ribs that are cross cut and served almost like a cake. The ribs are soaked in salt overnight to ease the salt, leaving them fall-off-the-bone delicious.

During the julebord, folks often make Swedish saffron buns called lussekatt and pepparkakor (gingerbread cookies in star and goat shapes). Then they wash it all down with glogg, a type of Swedish mulled wine.

Another tradition is a ga julebukk, or door-to-door singing of Christmas songs to collect food and gifts. A ga julebukk is similar to trick-or-treating and is open to children and adults alike.

The exact date of Tyvendedagen varies, but the last day of Yuletide is usually the 23rd. During this time the greeting “Glaedelig Jul” is used, and the decorations are carefully packed away until next year.

Christmas Day (Jul)

Christmas, or jul as it is known in Norway, is a national holiday on December 24. The day is a time for families and friends to gather together for an evening of food, drinking, music and fellowship.

Norwegians celebrate Christmas with a variety of traditions, which can range from ancient, pagan celebrations to modern, Christian observances. One of the most well-known traditions is a julebord, or Christmas dinner. The meal is often a heavy, fatty affair, and Norwegians traditionally serve dishes like pinnekjott (ribs of mutton) and lutefisk.

During jul, many Norwegians also enjoy a traditional rice porridge, called risengrynsgrot. This dish is a sweet and satisfying end to the meal, and includes a single almond scalded of its skin.

In addition, many people bake a gingerbread house, which is a popular tradition in Norway and Sweden. This festive treat is made with a dough filled with raisins and almonds.

Another popular tradition during jul is ski jumping. This is a sport that has a long history in Norway and is very popular with young and old alike.

In addition to eating a traditional julbord, it is common in Norway for people to hang out a juleenek, or sheaf of oats, outside for the birds to feast on. This is done to help the animals eat more during winter and to ensure that the oats do not dry out too much in the cold weather.

New Year’s Day (Julenissen)

New Year’s Day (Julenissen) is a popular holiday celebrated around the world. It is a time for families and friends to gather together, celebrate the end of the old year and to welcome the new.

Norwegians ring in the New Year with a traditional turkey dinner, fireworks, and a toast to the year gone by. They also listen to a speech from Norway’s King.

In Denmark, people break dishes on the doorsteps of their friends and neighbors on New Year’s Eve. It’s a way to show how much they love their friends and it is supposed to bring good luck in the new year.

Another tradition is to jump off a chair when midnight strikes and this is said to keep bad spirits away. The tradition can be found in many Scandinavian countries and is thought to bring good luck to everyone.

The Norwegians also like to eat rice pudding with an almond in it, which is believed to bring good luck and prosperity into the new year. They also often hide the almond in the pudding and whoever finds it is supposed to have good fortune for the rest of the year.

New Year’s Day is a relatively low-key holiday in Norway, and most people spend the night resting up from the previous night’s festivities. However, if you are feeling energetic you can spend the evening in Romsdalen and go skiing, airboarding or try an introduction to Randonee skiing!

May 17 (Syttende Mai)

May 17 (Syttende Mai) is Norway’s national day of celebration, marking the anniversary of the country’s constitution in 1814. The Norwegian Constitution, inspired by the United States Declaration of Independence and France’s constitutions, officially declared Norway an independent kingdom.

The day is celebrated across the country, with children’s parades led by marching bands taking place in communities throughout the nation. The largest of the traditional parades attract tens of thousands of people, who wave flags and cheer. In Oslo, the crowds are greeted by the royal family, who wave to them from the balcony of the Royal Palace.

While the day is a nationalistic affair, it has a very positive and joyful atmosphere. It is more of a party for children than a military parade, and the focus is on eating huge amounts of ice cream and hot dogs, listening to speeches and playing games at local schools.

Many Norwegians also wear a traditional costume, called a bunad. These colorful, beautifully embroidered costumes vary from region to region and have colours that reflect the owner’s ancestry or geographical origins.

Before heading out for the celebrations, Norwegians often gather together for a big breakfast, usually including scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and creamy pudding. Junk food such as hotdogs and ice cream are also common on the menu, as well as a traditional dish of rommegrot og spekkemat, which is porridge and cured meat.

Midsummer

During the summer solstice (June 20-22), many European countries celebrate Midsummer, a festival that originated in pagan pre-Christian times. It honors the sun’s power to bring life and a successful harvest and has many customs that have persisted since ancient times.

The best way to celebrate Midsummer is by spending it outside, experiencing nature in a new way. You can go on a hike to see new plants and flowers that you haven’t seen before, or you can simply take a walk in the park or on a beach and really notice everything around you.

Another popular tradition is to pick wildflowers and weave them into wreaths or crowns. This is a way to harness the magic of nature and to ensure your health all year long.

For unmarried girls, it is also believed that if you pick seven or nine different kinds of flowers and place them under your pillow at night, you will have a dream about your future husband. Afterwards, you can sit down to enjoy a traditional Swedish meal of herring and fresh new potatoes cooked with dill or chives, and a shot of schnapps for good measure!

To get the most out of your holiday in Norway, plan a visit at midsummer. The country is known for its incredibly beautiful scenery and has the longest summers in the world, giving you more than enough time to experience nature in a whole new way.