God Påske!

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Since this is my first Norwegian Easter, I think it's fitting to mention some of the customs here in Norway.
Easter is usually celebrated with a long break. Starting from the Wednesday before Good Friday to the Tuesday after Easter when people usually go back to work. Many Norwegians flee from home and go up in the mountains for more snow or they travel elsewhere. If there's one thing I've learned from just being married to one, Norwegians LOVE time off from work and they LOVE traveling. Basically the entire society shuts down. Stores are closed during these times, very few restaurants are open, but gas stations and convenient stores manage to stay open. Since many people are away, the cities are more or less vacant.

One thing I've noticed this Easter at least is that many people here read crime novels during Påskeferien or Easter break in Norway. There are also many crime shows on TV. I'm not sure how crime fits into Easter, but alright then, to each their own. :-)  As for children, it's common for them to receive a large hollowed egg filled with candy, such as marzipan filled chocolate eggs, instead of a basket of candy which is common in America. Easter egg hunts for children are the same concept in both countries.

Anyways, Happy Easter or God Påske! :-)




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