Archive for 'Holidays'
Easter and crime? What a combo. Posted by kari on Apr 5, 2009
The sale of crime novels in Norway increases 500% in the week leading up to Easter. Norwegians simply love to read crime novels around Eastertime. When I first heard this, my first question was why Easter? Halloween seemed like the most reasonable holiday to be accompanied by a crime theme if I were to choose…
Godt nyttår! Posted by kari on Jan 1, 2009
Godt nyttår alle sammen! Did any of you dodge fyrverkeri (fireworks) last night? If you did not, I know that you were not in Norway. Most countries outside of the U.S. seem to celebrate the new year in much better fashion than we do. I know Brazil, in particular has an insane new year celebration. …
Rømmegrøt Posted by kari on Dec 30, 2008
Last night I returned from a weekend jul getaway to Florida where the sun shone every day and the mercury well surpassed freezing. There were just a couple things I missed about jul this year. You might think that as a born and bred Minnesotan, I would have missed having a white jul. Nei nei! Slett ikke…
God jul! Posted by kari on Dec 24, 2008
Once again the Christmas season is upon us. Doesn’t it seem like it comes faster and faster every year? “Christmas” in Norwegian is jul. Merry Christmas-god jul. We give gaver (gifts) at Christmastime, which sit under juletreet (the Christmas tree). Vi pynter juletreet (We decorate the Christmas tree). There is ofte a stjerne at the top…
Not so homogeneous a population after all Posted by kari on Dec 2, 2008
As I mentioned in several earlier blogs, the Norwegian population isn’t as homogeneous as it used to be nor as most people believe it is. Not everyone in Norway has blond hair and blue eyes. A good portion of the northernmost part of the country is inhabited by a minority, indigenous population, the Sami people. Samis inhabit…