God Jul!

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While my last post was about homesickness, it's very exciting and interesting to experience different traditions during the holiday season. It's mine and my husband's first Christmas together as a married couple and without Skype and though I'm a little saddened by not getting to be with my own family, I think it's very exciting to be here in Norway with my husband and my in-laws. I think Christmas here will be quite cozy because well, it already looks Christmas-y here and we're already basically at the north pole! 

Welcome to the North Pole! 

Since my husband has lived a bachelor life for so long, he hasn't really had too many Christmas decorations. That has changed thanks to me! :-) Within the past month or so I've taken notice to many interesting Christmas decorations and have tried to find the most Norwegian looking decorations as possible. :-) 

The first thing I began to notice was pigs. Really, pigs are everywhere. In Norwegian they're called a julegris  or translated "Christmas pig." My husband had no Christmas decorations, so I bought one to put our advent candles in.

Our Sunday morning breakfast with our julegris in the form of an advent candle holder alongside our chocolate advent calendars for us, and a cat treat advent calendar for Stella. 
Another thing that has come to my attention here is Santa or Julenissen as he's called in Norwegian. He's not as popular here as in America. You won't see him hanging out in malls for kids to get their picture taken with him and give him their Christmas lists. I've seen just a few Santa Christmas decorations.

This is a nisse. There is  also the other version of Santa with the red suit and long beard.
Overall, Christmas in Norway is extremely similar to Christmas in America. There are only minor differences. Like instead of saying Merry Christmas, they say God Jul! Another interesting quirk is Norwegians celebrate Christmas throughout the day and night of Christmas Eve or julaften.


Norwegians typically put up their Christmas trees on December 23rd. In Norwegian this day is called lillejulaften (little Christmas Eve). I'm accustomed to putting up a Christmas tree either the night of American Thanksgiving (the 4th Thursday in November) or shortly after. Because of the month difference in between the two countries putting up trees, we had to compromise. I told Arild if we met in the middle it would be December 1st. He didn't agree with my bad math, so December 8th  is the day we put up our Christmas tree.  In Norway almost everyone uses a real tree. I prefer the convenience of a plastic tree as you only have to pay for it once and you just use it over and over again. We had to go out and buy our first Christmas tree. 

I had some help from Stella putting up our tree! 

Our Christmas tree! 

And I made some salt dough ornaments. This one is Stella's. 

This past week was my last week with language classes until I start again in January. As these classes not only teach the language, but also integrate students into the Norwegian society, we went to the large church in Skien. I've been curious to see what the inside of it looked like. And like the usual Christmas church programs, we listened to Christmas songs and watched a nativity scene. At one point a gentleman was standing up and talking about USA and asked if anyone in the audience was American, I was the only one to raise my hand and he said something in Norwegian to me, then kept talking about America. He was talking about the recent school shooting and then sang an American gospel song, Go Tell It On The Mountain. I assumed the man was American also, so after the church program I went up and asked him, "Hvor i USA kommer du fra?" (Where in USA do you come from?) and he told me he's Norwegian and lived in Skien all his life. I was embarrassed, but oh well, it gave me a chance to speak Norwegian.


Anyways, I hope everyone has a very safe and Merry Christmas and God Jul! Thanks to each and everyone of you who enjoy reading my blog and sending me e-mails! And just in case I can't get on my blog and write between now and the new year, have a safe and happy new year or godtnytt år as well!  I am soon off to my mother and father in laws' home to experience some of their own family traditions. We will be decorating their Christmas tree as my husband and his younger brother always do on Dec. 23 and I think later tonight he and I will cuddle on the couch with hot chocolate and watch Home Alone. Såååå koselig! (Sooo cozy!)

Comments

H. Bratset said…
God Jul, og Godt Nytt År! Sounds like you had a koselig Jul.
December 25, 2012 at 6:09 PM
Evelyn Sand said…
Thank you!Christmas was very laid back and relaxed here in Norway with my husband and in-laws. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas as well! God Jul of Godt Nytt År! :-)
January 1, 2013 at 8:15 PM
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