Archive for 'Traditions'
Exotic Easter In Norway Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Mar 31, 2013
Do you celebrate påske (”PAWskeh”, Easter) in your country? A lot of people around the world look forward to påsken (or påska) – even if they’re not Christian. They enjoy decorating their homes with påskekyllinger (Easter chickens) and eating delicious påskeegg (Easter eggs) of chocolate. These things are the same in Norway. But most other…
Happy Sami Day Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Feb 6, 2013
Gratulerer med dagen! (Congratulations [with the day]!) Today is samefolkets dag – the day of the Sami people. Did you know Norway had an indigenous minority? ”We feel like Native Americans,” two Sami girls told a Norwegian reporter. Like many Native Americans, samene (the Sami) are fully integrated in the mainstream society. They go i barnehage (to kindergarten), på skole (to school) and work…
God Norwegian Jul! Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Dec 24, 2012
Hurra (hooray), it’s jul [yule] again! In Norway, julefeiringa (the Christmas celebration) reaches its zenith on December 24th. People leave their jobs early this day (around 12 o’ clock), and schools and kindergartens are closed. Everybody is getting prepared for the Great Evening, the julaften [YOOLaftn] or julekveld [YOOL-eh-kvel] (Christmas Eve). The whole day people are busy with the last forberedelser (preparations). The Christmas dinner has…
A Glimpse of Light Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Dec 13, 2012
Svart senker natten seg I stall og stuer. Solen har gått sin vei, Skyggene truer. Inn i vårt mørke hus Stiger med tente lys Sancta Lucia, Sancta Lucia … Black the night descends in stables and rooms. The sun has gone away, the shadows menace. Into our dark house Rises with lighted candles Sait Lucia…
Sauesanking Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on Sep 14, 2012
In many ways, Vestlandet (Western Norway) is like Scotland or New Zealand (the South Island). You’ve got steep fjell (mountain/s – the singular and plural is the same), deep dal/er (valley/s, dale/s), fjord/er (fjord/s), lush, green vegetation in the warm months, and plenty of regn (rain)… And – you guessed it – lots of sau/er(sheep)…
Norway in red, white and blue Posted by Bjørn A. Bojesen on May 17, 2012
Today is syttende mai, the day when people all over Norway put on their best clothes (and smil 🙂 ), pick a hand-held flagg and gather in the streets to celebrate the Norwegian constitution, which was signed on May 17th, 1814 (and formally ended the union with Denmark). As Kari wrote, ”the whole country of…
Forlovelse-Norwegian for Engagement Posted by kari on Dec 25, 2011
I did not become engaged when I resided in Norway, nor am I engaged to a Norwegian. Better yet, I just recently got engaged to a super great man from my hometown a few years older than me who is half Brazilian (mother is Brazilian) and half Norwegian (father comes from Norwegian descent). So there’s…