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Happy New Year from the King Posted by on Dec 31, 2016 in Traditions

Unlike jula (Christmas), the Norwegian nyttårsfeiring (New Year Celebration) hasn’t got a lot of tradisjoner (traditioner). People get together, eat, drink (remember to say skål!) and watch fyrverkeri. (Fun fact: In Norway, after some recendt accidents, people aren’t allowed to use their own raketter – rockets – anymore, but many towns have their own official fireworks show). One fixed tradition, however, is the televised nyttårstale (New Year’s speech) by King Harald. Here are a few typical cuts from last year’s speech, to give you an idea… Godt nyttår!

By Sámediggi Sametinget (H.M. Kong Harald taler Uploaded by Arsenikk) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Det er i hverdagene livet leves. Og for de fleste i Norge er det gode liv. (It’s in the ”everydays” that we live our lives. And for most people in Norway that means good lives…)

Noen ganger kan man likevel føle seg alene. Kanskje har man mistet noen, kanskje står man foran et viktig valg. (Yet sometimes you can feel alone. Maybe you’ve lost somebody, maybe you’re facing an important choice…) Om du ser deg tilbake, kan du lettere få balanse. Slik kan fortiden – og de som gikk opp løypene – hjelpe oss å finne frem. (If you look back, you can keep your balance more easily. In that way the past – and those who went ahead in the ski runs – help us find our way…) Norge regnes av mange som verdens beste land å bo i. Vi skårer høyt på internasjonale kåringer over levestandard i verden. Vi har en god velferdsstat – og de aller fleste har et arbeid å gå til og trygghet i hverdagen. Slik har det ikke alltid vært. (Norway is seen by many as the world’s best country to live in. We get high rankings in international reports of global living standards. We have a good ”welfare state” – and most people have a job as well as safety in their everyday lives. It hasn’t always been like that…) Mange mennesker er i dag bekymret for hvordan fremtiden vil se ut. I den senere tid har vi på flere områder opplevd å bli prøvet – som nasjon og som enkeltpersoner. Det er lov å være urolig, og gi uttrykk for det. (Many people today worry about how the future will look. Lately, we’ve been tested in a lot of fields – as a nation and as individuals. It’s okay to be worried, to express our worry…) Jeg vil i kveld rette en spesiell takk til nordmenn som er i andre land for å hjelpe mennesker i nød, og som bidrar i arbeidet for fred og stabilitet. Kvinner og menn i forsvaret, politiet, diplomatiet og humanitære operasjoner og organisasjoner gjør en viktig innsats vi alle kan være stolte av. (This evening I want to direct a special ”thank you” to Norwegians who are in other countries to help people in need, and who are contributing to the creation of peace and stability. Women and men in our army, police, diplomacy and humanitarian organisations are making a huge effort we can all be proud of…)

Når vi i Kongefamilien er på besøk rundt om i landet, blir vi slått av folks pågangsmot og engasjement. Fellesskap bygges i et land befolket av mennesker med visjoner og tanker om at Norge en dag skal overlates til våre barnebarn. (When we in the Royal Family are visiting different parts of the country, we are struck by people’s drive and commitment. A sense of community is being built in a land inhabited by people with visions and thoughts of a day when Norway shall be handed over to our grandchildren…)

La oss ta vare på hverandre og sammen gjøre det beste ut av hvert øyeblikk. Vi finner nok frem. Jeg ønsker hver og en av dere et riktig godt nytt år! (Let us take care of one another and make the best of each moment together. I’m sure we’ll eventually find our way. I wish each and everyone of you a really Happy New Year!)

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About the Author: Bjørn A. Bojesen

I was born in Denmark, but spent large parts of my childhood and study years in Norway. I later returned to Denmark, where I finished my MA in Scandinavian Studies. Having relatives in Sweden as well, I feel very Scandinavian! I enjoy reading and travelling, and sharing stories with you! You’re always welcome to share your thoughts with me and the other readers.