you don't have to be in Norway to celebrate, there was celebrations in Australia, Singapore, America and even Brasil!
Showing posts with label celebrations in norway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label celebrations in norway. Show all posts
Jun 6, 2011
Follow up: May 17th
It's a little late (nearly a month) but I thought i'd quickly post up some pictures of 17th may around the world :)
you don't have to be in Norway to celebrate, there was celebrations in Australia, Singapore, America and even Brasil!
you don't have to be in Norway to celebrate, there was celebrations in Australia, Singapore, America and even Brasil!
May 16, 2011
May 17 - Norwegian National Day
Syttende mai (17th of May) is nearly upon us, in other words, Norwegian National Day!
This is probably one of (if not the) biggest days in Norway, filled with parades and alcohol, flags and food. It celebrates the signing of the Constitution of Norway on May 17, 1814. It is the second oldest single-document constitution in the world (and first in Europe). In Oslo, the parades go past the Royal Palace where Norwegians see the King (Harald V) and the Queen (Sonja) of Norway.
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| Children's parade in front of the Royal Palace in Oslo |
The day is primarily focused by parades, though typically has no military marches, the parades are citizens, dressed in the national outfit (the bunad) and waving Norwegian flags. Marching bands play music and the National and Royal anthems (Ja, vi elsker dette landet and Kongesangen respectively) are usually sung, childrens marches tend to occur in the morning followed by speeches, and so on. There is even a march from the Royal Guard. The celebrations can go all day, with vendors selling food along the street for the hungry Norwegians running around waving flags all day.
The day is commonly ended with family celebrations, sometimes including the extended family, for large dinners and perhaps, drinking. It is a big celebration and some towns have their own changes to the celebrations, but one thing you can be sure of is that Norwegian flags will be present everywhere.
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| I told you it was a big day |
Mar 31, 2011
Norway? More like Snoreway!
(you'll have to forgive me for the spacing of images - I wasn't sure how to make it right, so rather than play with it just left it as is)
The other night I was with a friend who said "Why would anyone want to come to Norway, what's in Norway?"
And I suppose for some people cold dark winters and relatively mild short summers aren't their thing, along with many of the social and cultural aspects of Norway. There are many aspects about Norway some may not like, living here. For example, night life is not as big as it is in other countries, and all alcohol stores are state run, and close on Sundays and after certain times (meaning most people forward think it). To most people, Norway is probably boring. This happens to be an opinion offered by Norwegians themselves (possibly more than foreigners even), especially when it comes to Oslo, which many Norwegians apparently consider one of the most boring cities in Europe.
So, I suppose the point of this is to give some reasons to visit Norway...
1. Geirangerfjorden:
Actually, just fjords in general. They are all around the entire Norwegian coastline, spanning many many kilometers, of dramatic, beautiful, untouched scenery. There is not many other countries where you will see as spectacular a sight as this.
2. Aurora Borealis and the Midnight Sun:
Norway is often called the "land of the midnight sun" though I'm unsure why, since you can experience this in all of the extreme North. Essentially, it is the time when the sun doesn't go below the horizon during the summer. Very beautiful, but I prefer what happens in the winter - Auroras. This is something of which you cannot describe which is amazing to see, and cannot be experienced in many other places.
3. Trondheim:
This is one of the best 'cities' in Norway, with some of the most amazing history, many old buildings and some of the best cultural things to see and do (and eat). Anyone visiting Norway should visit Trondheim.
4. Bryggen:
Bryggen in Bergen is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a part of 'old Bergen' along the wharf, with lots of preserved buildings, and lots of history. The city of Bergen itself is also worth an extended visit, as it has many museums, cafes and so on.
5. Flåmsbana:
The Flåm train line runs through multiple small towns in Norway, and is incredibly scenic, passing through steep mountains, with many breathtaking waterfalls and cliffs. It is a very popular tourist attraction, and for good reason. Such sites cannot be seen elsewhere.
6. Preikestolen:
Near the town of Stavanger, this is also a popular tourist attraction, and a national icon, of sorts. It is also called the pulpit rock in English, and overlooks the Lysefjord. It's a small hike up there, but the view is always worth it.
7. Vega Islands:
This is another UNESCO WHS in Norway. It is about halfway along the western coastline of Norway, North of Trondheim, and is a series of many small Islands, dotted with old fishing towns. Many of the towns in the area are very scenic, and the islands themselves are also very beautiful. There is many pictures of this area around, but I don't think any capture it well enough. My favorite part of the area is Lofoten (not quiet in the same location, but very nearby).
8. Vikings:
...and other viking-related things. Throughout Norway there is a lot of Viking history, many museums, many old stave churches, and remnants of the forefathers of the country. It is something which Norwegians are quiet proud of, and eager to show to visitors, and something which is deeply embedded in society and culture. It is also probably one of the main reasons most people would want to visit Norway, apart from the nature.
I suppose 9 & 10 would be Women and Food, respectively, but i'm too lazy to talk about that. Perhaps another time.
The other night I was with a friend who said "Why would anyone want to come to Norway, what's in Norway?"
And I suppose for some people cold dark winters and relatively mild short summers aren't their thing, along with many of the social and cultural aspects of Norway. There are many aspects about Norway some may not like, living here. For example, night life is not as big as it is in other countries, and all alcohol stores are state run, and close on Sundays and after certain times (meaning most people forward think it). To most people, Norway is probably boring. This happens to be an opinion offered by Norwegians themselves (possibly more than foreigners even), especially when it comes to Oslo, which many Norwegians apparently consider one of the most boring cities in Europe.
So, I suppose the point of this is to give some reasons to visit Norway...
Actually, just fjords in general. They are all around the entire Norwegian coastline, spanning many many kilometers, of dramatic, beautiful, untouched scenery. There is not many other countries where you will see as spectacular a sight as this.
Norway is often called the "land of the midnight sun" though I'm unsure why, since you can experience this in all of the extreme North. Essentially, it is the time when the sun doesn't go below the horizon during the summer. Very beautiful, but I prefer what happens in the winter - Auroras. This is something of which you cannot describe which is amazing to see, and cannot be experienced in many other places.
This is one of the best 'cities' in Norway, with some of the most amazing history, many old buildings and some of the best cultural things to see and do (and eat). Anyone visiting Norway should visit Trondheim.
Bryggen in Bergen is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a part of 'old Bergen' along the wharf, with lots of preserved buildings, and lots of history. The city of Bergen itself is also worth an extended visit, as it has many museums, cafes and so on.
The Flåm train line runs through multiple small towns in Norway, and is incredibly scenic, passing through steep mountains, with many breathtaking waterfalls and cliffs. It is a very popular tourist attraction, and for good reason. Such sites cannot be seen elsewhere.
Near the town of Stavanger, this is also a popular tourist attraction, and a national icon, of sorts. It is also called the pulpit rock in English, and overlooks the Lysefjord. It's a small hike up there, but the view is always worth it.
7. Vega Islands:This is another UNESCO WHS in Norway. It is about halfway along the western coastline of Norway, North of Trondheim, and is a series of many small Islands, dotted with old fishing towns. Many of the towns in the area are very scenic, and the islands themselves are also very beautiful. There is many pictures of this area around, but I don't think any capture it well enough. My favorite part of the area is Lofoten (not quiet in the same location, but very nearby).
...and other viking-related things. Throughout Norway there is a lot of Viking history, many museums, many old stave churches, and remnants of the forefathers of the country. It is something which Norwegians are quiet proud of, and eager to show to visitors, and something which is deeply embedded in society and culture. It is also probably one of the main reasons most people would want to visit Norway, apart from the nature.
I suppose 9 & 10 would be Women and Food, respectively, but i'm too lazy to talk about that. Perhaps another time.
Dec 14, 2010
Norwegian Christmas
Christmas is coming closer, and in Norway, most celebrations traditionally ‘begin’ on the 13th of December.
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| Lussekatter |
The reason celebrations ‘start’ on the 13th of December is because of St. Lucias day, typically a Swedish tradition, it is still celebrated in Norway (and indeed, even in Denmark, Finland and Iceland to a point). There is a lot of ceremony involved in this, and it involves the serving of “lussekatter” (lucia buns) by children to their parents. Each town or even family can vary in the different ways they celebrate this, if they do at all, but the core ideas remain mostly the same, and this generally marks the beginning of the ‘Christmas Season’ in Norway.
The Norwegian word for Christmas is ‘Jul’ (Yoohl). Like most countries, they have a Christmas tree (Juletre) which can be decorated with tinsel, lights, beads and glass balls, pepperkaker (ginger bread) and most importantly, Norwegian flags!
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| Plain Norwegian Pepperkakker |
The real celebrations begin on the 24th, Christmas eve, which most view as the most important part of the season. Most families get together for a traditional meal to celebrate, with some of the more common foods including lutefisk, pinnekjøtt, julepølser and medisterkaker. These Christmas family dinners can continue from December all the way through to new years (Romjulen).
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| Julebrus has many variations |
Julebrus is also something which is associated with Norwegian Christmas, it is a ‘festive’ soft drink likely made so that minors could have something to drink while the older members of the family would drink alcoholic beverages. Now, however, Julebrus is popular among Norwegians of all ages and huge quantities of it are sold throughout Norway during the Christmas season.
I don’t know if you did this wherever you’re reading this from, but when I was a kid we left out cookies and milk for Santa (later to discover it was my father eating them, not Santa) and in Norway, it is not unusual to leave out a traditional porridge dish (lillejulaften) for Julenissen (the equivalent of Santa Claus), though I strongly suspect that the father will be eating that when the children are asleep.
One interesting thing is that Norwegians are taxed half as much during Christmas time as an incentive from the Norwegian government, perhaps to encourage spending and also give their part to the Christmas spirit.
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| Norwegian kids celebrating. The girl with the candles is dressed in the traditional outfit for St. Lucias day. |
So, god jul og godt nyttår! Hopefully you get lots of expensive presents!
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