Norwegian children always remember a little gnome Nisse
at Christmastime. He guards all the farm animals, and he plays tricks on the
children if they forget to place a bowl of special porridge for him.
Norway has its gift-bearing little gnome or elf. Known as
Julebukk or "Christmas buck," he appears as a goat-like creature.
Julebukk harkens back to Viking times when pagans worshipped Thor and
his goat. During pagan celebrations a person dressed in a goatskin, carrying a
goat head, would burst in upon the party and during the course of evening
would "die" and return to life.
During the early Christian era, the goat began to take the
form of the devil, and would appear during times of wild merry-making and
jubilation. By the end of the Middle Ages, the game was forbidden by the
Church and the state. In more recent times the goat has emerged in the tamer
form of Julebukk.
A favorite holiday cookie is called a sand kager is
made by mixing 2 cups of butter and sugar, 4 cups of flour, and 1 cup of
chopped almonds. This pressed into a tin, baked until golden brown, and cut
into squares.
In the dark afternoons, in the Viking tradition, children go
from house to house asking for goodies.
Norwegians eat lye-treated codfish, and wash it down with
boiled potatoes, rice porridge, gingerbread, and punch.
Mari Langholm
Norwegians are very close to the North Pole, and they
strongly hope for the magic of snow for the holydays! Christmas in Norway
begins with the Saint Lucia ceremony on the 13 December. At the crack of dawn,
the youngest daughter from each family puts on a white robe with a sash, a
crown with evergreens and tall-lighted candles, accompanied by the other
children, the boys dressed as star boys in long white shirts and pointed hats.
They wake their parents, and serve them coffee and Lucia buns, lussekatter.
The custom goes back to a Christian virgin, Lucia, martyred for her beliefs at
Syracuse in the fourth century. The Saint Lucia ceremony is fairly recent, but
it represents the traditional thanksgiving for the return of the sun.
The Christmas tree, juletre, spruce or pine tree usually,
are often decorated with candles, apples, red harts, cornets, straw ornaments,
balls of glass and tinsels, all depending on what you like. The homes have a
scent of resin, hyacinths, red tulips, spices and tangerines.
Some children, especially in the country still believe in
and remember a little gnome or elf, fjøsnissen at Christmas time. He is told
to guard all the farm animals, and he plays tricks if the children forget to
place a bowl of special rice porridge, risengrynsgrøt, in the barn or outside
for him. This is old superstition. Norwegians also love to eat this porridge
on the 23 December, lillejulaften, and then it holds a magic almond inside.
The one who finds it gets a prize. Some eat the rice porridge for lunch on the
24th. Perhaps in the evening they have some gløgg, it is a spicy drink (you
can add some red wine if you like), with raisins and chopped almonds. Julaften,
on the 24 December, a lot of people go to church service before they gather at
home around the table for a nice Christmas Eve dinner. The dinner can consist
of a rib with a good crackling, ribbe, (served with "cabbage à la norvégienne",
surkaal, potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, sprouts, prunes and brown sauce),
salted and dried ribs of mutton, pinnekjoett, (served with potatoes, carrots
and mashed swedes), or lye-treated codfish, lutefisk (served with potatoes,
bacon and pea stew). For dessert: rice blended with whipped cream served with
a red sauce, riskrem, caramel pudding, cherry mousse, or whipped cream blended
with multer (orange, wonderful berries found on the mountain - looks like
rasberries).
In the evening Santa Claus, julenissen, arrives with gifts.
Often it is snowing. In the days between Christmas and New Years Eve, romjulen,
the children sometimes go from house to house in the afternoon asking for
sweets, this tradition is called "Christmas buck", julebukk. The tradition
harkens back to the Viking times when pagans worshipped Thor and his goat, but
just a few children keep up the tradition today.
On Christmas Day a lot of people have a big brunch at noon
or dinner in the afternoon for friends and family. It is done the Italian way
and can last for several wonderful hours!
Traditional cakes and cookies made at Christmas can be
julekake (with raisins), kryddekake, delfiakake, rosettbakels, fattigmann,
smultringer, goro, silkekaker, pepperkaker, kokosmakroner. Different nuts,
fruits, figs, dates and sweets also belong to the celebration. God Jul! (Merry
Christmas!)
