It’s that time of year again – when Norway is at its darkest, but also its most magical! I love Christmas in Norway, and I love how perfectly Norwegian Christmas here is. Even before I moved to Norway my family usually spent most of our Christmases in Norway, because my mother’s family lives here.
In fact whenever we did spend Christmas in the US I would always be sad, because Christmas never felt truly like Christmas if I wasn’t in Norway! I missed all of my Norwegian Christmas traditions so much.
Norwegian Christmas is so reliable – there are some things that are guaranteed to happen here every holiday season.
The mountains are covered in sparkly snow
Christmas isn’t always snowy in the cities, but the mountains in Norway are pretty much guaranteed a white Christmas. So if you’re longing for a white Christmas, you know where to head! Living up in Rauland I enjoyed one of the most beautiful Christmases in the world.
Though if you really want to learn about Norwegian culture, my previous home of Mosjøen is one of the best places in the country to experience a Norwegian Christmas. And I’m not just saying that! Mosjøen has claimed the title of Northern Norway’s “Christmas town,” and if you visit during Christmastime you’ll see why. There’s even a song about it.
It’s particularly worth visiting at the start of December when they celebrate with the world’s longest porridge table.
Or if you want to experience Christmas in the Arctic with reindeer and northern lights, head up to my former home of Tromsø! Christmas in Tromsø is also magical, and there are so many activities on offer like whale watching, dog sledding, reindeer sledding, and chasing the northern lights.
Another great place to spend Christmas in Norway is Røros, which is a cute town very inland, so it gets lots of snow in December. You can get the train here from Oslo or Trondheim. I’ve written more about Røros here.
There’s an entire section in the supermarket dedicated to Christmas marzipan
Christmas marzipan is serious business here! Personally I’m not a fan, but there’s almost no avoiding it.
I’m sure you’ve heard of our tradition of hiding an almond in the Christmas rice porridge that we eat on Christmas Eve – and whoever finds the almond wins a marzipan pig. I have no idea why, but it’s a very big deal. I’ve shared more about the tradition along with my Norwegian rice porridge recipe here.
The sweet smell of lutefisk is in the air
Maybe sweet isn’t the word I was looking for there…
Actually, I’m a huge fan of lutefisk. It might sound gross – it’s essentially fish “cooked” in lye – but it’s very tasty. I guess it does get most of its flavor from the bacon bits added on top, but I also really enjoy the texture of lutefisk. I would say it’s at least worth trying if you’re spending Christmas in Norway.
All your friends are stressing over buying outfits for their julebord, or “Christmas table” dinner parties
You’ll have one with your work colleagues, you’ll have one with your friends, you’ll have a special girls one with those same friends, and you’ll even have one with the people you watch football with.
All the Christmas parties make for a very busy few weekends leading up to Christmas, but I love how festive it is, essentially extending the Norwegian Christmas celebrations into the entire month of December. And of course I love all the opportunities to dress in sequins.
Your fingers are swollen from rolling so many piping hot krumkaker
Ugh seriously though, they’re so beautiful and so tasty, but so painful to make. Krumkaker are one of the most traditional Norwegian Christmas cookies that I make, though I’ve started to make my own modern versions of Christmas cookies as well (these Sarah Bernhardt cookies with yellow cream are my current favorite).
Traditionally Norwegians make seven kinds of Christmas cookies each year (7 slag til jul), many of which they give away to their friends and neighbors.
I’ve shared recipes in English for my seven favorite Norwegian Christmas cookies here, and my krumkake recipe here.
The insides of houses are so brightly lit you’re a tiny bit worried they’ve caught on fire
Norwegians always use a lot of lights, but during Christmas the love of lighting goes to an extreme – and good thing too, since this is also the darkest time of the year. However foreigners might be surprised to find that not many people here decorate the outside of their homes with lights – it’s all about the cozy interiors!
READ ALSO: 18 Ridiculously Helpful Norwegian Habits You Should Adopt
Everyone has deserted the cities for cabins in the mountains
As someone who used to live in one of those mountain cabins year-round, Christmastime in the mountains is crazy – there are so many people.
And even though a lot of Norwegian cabins are quite simple, with outhouses instead of indoor toilets, and sometimes no showers, we still love to spend Christmas up there. There’s just something so special about Christmas in the mountains, especially when it’s super snowy.
Your cross-country skis are waxed and ready for a busy week in the snow
My family goes skiing at least once a day during Christmas week. We usually stick to cross-country skiing, but downhill skiing is also very popular where I live, and around Christmas the slopes will be covered in people. So festive!
Plus it’s good to have an excuse to get outside during the darkest time of the year, because it can be seriously tempting to stay inside with all the Christmas treats all day. Norwegians are so good at continuing to make the most of the beautiful outdoors, regardless of weather, and I swear that’s why elderly people here seem so healthy and energetic for the most part.
Everyone is buying tubs of a mysterious pink goop called medisterfarse
This one is still a mystery to me – I’m not even sure if it’s meant to be eaten or if people are using it to glue Christmas decorations together.
Update: I’ve figured it out! Medisterfarse is used to make medisterkaker, which taste a lot like Swedish meatballs.
You’re drinking bright red julebrus, or “Christmas soda,” with every meal
And you’re probably enjoying that julebrus with a nice Christmas sausage, or a Christmas apple if you’re trying to be healthy.
Seriously, it seems like every kind of food suddenly becomes Christmas food in December. You can buy Christmas potatoes, Christmas liverwurst, Christmas juice, and even Christmas milk. Like, what?
But somehow I swear Christmas milk tastes better than normal milk.
Everything is red
The color of pretty much every Norwegian Christmas ornament ever made.
All your neighbors have tied bundles of Christmas wheat outside their homes for the birdies to snack on
Edit: A reader just informed me that it’s actually oats!
Edit #2: A reader just informed me that sometimes it is wheat!
Milk cartons are suddenly covered with little Christmas elves
Remember what I said about Christmas milk in Norway? I get excited each year to see what the new Christmas designs will be on the milk cartons.
All that ever seems to be on TV these days is those Christmas calendar talk shows
Seriously, how do they manage to be on every single channel all the time?! They usually feature Norwegian celebrities doing random Christmas activities, like making Christmas ornaments or talking about their favorite Norwegian Christmas story.
In fact, if you’re interested in Norwegian pop culture these Christmas calendar shows are the best way to catch up on what’s going on with Norwegian celebrities. Try and see if you can find them to watch online!
Norwegian cities have set up their Christmas markets
No, Norwegian Christmas markets can’t rival those in Germany and France. My parents live in Strasbourg and wow their Christmas markets (yes, plural) are incredible. But I still think our Norwegian Christmas markets are awfully charming!
I’ve written about visiting the Oslo Christmas markets here, Christmas in Trondheim here, and Christmas in Tromsø here. And I suppose now that I’m living in Bergen I should write about Christmas in Bergen as well. Maybe I’ll go downtown and get some photos this week, because the Bergen Christmas market might be the most beautiful in all of Norway.
God jul!
Megan says
Mmmmmmm…. Julebrussss. I was very picky with my Julebrus actually. And I hated Marzipan, but every once in a while I could tolerate some of the sticks covered in chocolate with coconut ‘snowflakes’. When I lived in Bergen, Christmas didn’t start until Pepperkakebyen opened. I loved the work up of Christmas in Norway. Then I always traveled on the actual day and week after 😛
Silvia says
I don’t like marzipan either! It’s really sad. And my grandmother always buys the orange julebrus when I really love the red one, aaaah the frustrations of Christmas! Haha
Nynke says
but now you work where they sell the julebrus, right? this year, you get to take it into your won hands!
Arielle says
Oooh, I had the julebrus when I was in Norway in October! That stuff is really good, and I don’t even like soda.
Silvia says
I’m exactly the same! Julebrus is the only soda I drink, ha.
Sandi says
I adore the orange!!! I waa pregnant with my youngest son when we lived there and I existed on it!! And salt og pepper chips.. oh I deool just remembering!! The first snow and that peaceful quiet…. thw sweetness of heaven on earth!! And thw Norwegian people are the most polite on thw planet! I love you one amd all Norwegian peoples!!
Kevin says
Fresh made lefse!!
Carol Tangen says
Yes! Lefse!
Silvia says
It’s funny, so many people have added lefse to this list! I always thought of lefse as a year-round thing, but now I’m thinking I need to added it to my Christmas baking list!
Debi says
You’ve made a heaping batch of fattigman.
Silvia says
Ooooh yes, excellent addition! And so Norwegian.
pam oman says
The last picture looks a lot like my small home in Hudson, Wisconsin–the ground is white, my juleneg is hung outside, the tree is decorated with red and straw, and a couple of jule nisse are hiding out! Glade Jul alle sammen!
Silvia says
Oh wow that sounds so koselig! Christmas in Wisconsin must be beautiful (I have family in Madison but have only visited in the summer).
Geir says
Lille Juleaften (The day before Christmas eve) was when the house was a total mess (on purpose) then they cleaned it all up for Juleaften (Christmas eve) the tree was lit, and then it was Juleaften. Not before. My sad memory of Canada is that they start already in late november. It all for the merchants. Christmas is not Xmas. It is a day to celebrate the birth of Christ. God Jul. Geir
Silvia says
Haha I hadn’t heard of having a messy house on lille juleaften! My family usually waits to put up our tree until then, instead of late November like a lot of people. Then again, we tend to leave our tree up way later than most people!
Matthew says
Christmas in Norway is a bit more than that. First off, there is no such thing as bundles of wheat being set out for the birds, but of oats. It is a big difference.
Second off, the Christmas foods. Traditional Christmas dinners vary from where you come from in Norway. On the coastal islands freshly caught cod, some times salted over night is the tradition. In Voss they serve mutton heads that are smoked. All along the west coast they serve salted and dried sheep’s ribs that later are soaked in water over night, then steamed, In some areas the sheep’s ribs are also smoked.
In the North the Lutefish is the big tradition, and in the south and east they either have spare ribs, or a Christmas ham, depending on how close you are to former Danish trading ports, or the border of Sweden.
Of course the traditions have spread all around the country as people have moved around, but they haven’t taken over for the local dishes in the new places where they are served.
Silvia says
Another reader actually already pointed out that it’s wheat, not oats, which is why I added the comment that it’s oats in the article. It’s really interesting to hear about the different regions! My family in Telemark always has lutefisk a little before Christmas, and then either pinnekjøtt or spare ribs on Christmas. Never heard of having smoked mutton heads though!
Linda says
It’s oats that is sold in Bergen, hence why we can’t find it here in the states. Wheat is available but no oats. All the pictures depict oats.
Karen says
I love the milk cartons. I wish they did that here.
Victoria @The British Berliner says
Such a cute post Silvia!
I love the fact that everyone in Norway really gets involved. That’s also the reason that I prefer to celebrate Christmas in Germany (where I live) in comparison to Christmas in the UK (where I’m from), ‘cos Christmas in Northern Europe is just so much more wintry, colder, merrier and authentic! 😀
I’m allergic to marzipan so can’t usually have all the Christmas goodies on offer, but that certainly hasn’t stopped me from having wonderful Christmasses!
Silvia says
I totally agree – and next to Norway, Germany is my favorite place during Christmas. So magical!
Erika says
The candles, candles EVERYWHERE. Tea lights are in every store, every cafe, even at my hair salon! Candles everywhere are a huge sign that Christmas is here!!
Glennda says
The Alf Prøysen songs!
Kristine says
Don’t forget that we celebrate on christmas eve(24th ). The day before we put up the christmas tree, and watch the same old ”grevinnen og hovmesteren». It’s an old film it black and white. But we don’t have a messy house. Hehe.
The julebrus comes in two different colors, and every one has their own favourite. Mine is the red one.
I can’t wait until desember 1, so that I can start dekorating my house, bake christmas cookies and listen to christmas music! And make homemade presents.
Mairen says
Christmas is all the things you listed, with variations on the food, i have eaten ribbe all my life for the christmas meal, with the crispy svor. Yum, but now i have switched to pinnekjøtt. Also yum! 😀 i especially love the lightly smoked kind 🙂 but what really makes the christmas spirit come along for me, is the shows on TV on the morning of christmas eve.. eating klementiner and watching «tre nøtter til askepott», ahh, suddenly ITS christmas.. a wierd b-class movie from east germany/Tsjekkoslovakia, horribily dubbed by only one voice. Thea trues to dubb IT better, but Therese was a nation Eide uproar.. petitions were signed, and christmas wouldent be the same if they had changed it. Last year one channel even made slow TV, «ribbe, grad for grad» (spare ribbs, degree by degree). IT was litterally a video of a slow cooking ribbe in the oven with comentators discussing the cooking.. Norwegians are weird 😀 cant wait for christmas..
Silvia says
My family also eats pinnekjøtt for Christmas – I much prefer it to ribbe.
Britt says
You’ve maybe forget all the christmas TV shows around christmas eve. Kvelden før kvelden and Grevinnen og hovmesteren the 23rd Disney christmasmovies, Sonjas reise til julestjernen and cinderella on christmas morning the 24th.
And Flåklypa grand prix both the 23rd and the 31th.
And the usuall fight about christmas dinner and who’s the best. Is IT going to be pinnekjøtt (sheeps ribs) og ribbe (pork ribs).
(Norwegian with bad english spelling)
Mette says
Fun fact: The words «med ister» translates to «with fat».
Medisterfarse is ground pork meat mixed with fat.
No wonder it’s delicious and should not be consumed all year round
Vibeke says
People have to watch “Grevinnen og Hovmersteren ” on the day before Christmas and “tre nøtter til askepott ” on Christmas eve morning 😂🎅
Hannah says
You have lived in Mosjøen? I went to school there recently!! I even went to that long porridge table, it was beautiful!
And please don’t ask why I read this article in mid-July.
Silvia says
Oh nice! I really love Mosjøen – in fact it might be my favorite place I’ve lived in Norway.