Since this year's autumn and winter collection "Nordic Aesthetics" is all about the Scandinavian countries, we would like to spread the Nordic Christmas spirit during Advent. In our content series "Nordic Christmas" we will introduce you to the Advent and Christmas traditions of the various Scandinavian countries and share our favorite recipes so that you can celebrate your Christmas in a very hyggelig Scandi style!
Advent in Norway - Cozy and Natural
After we told you about the traditional festival of lights and the Christmas season in Sweden in our first post, we will take a closer look at the Christmas season in Norway in this blog post. Winter in Norway is very cold and dark. When the country slowly finds itself under a thick, white layer of snow, it is all the more important for the residents to make themselves comfortable in front of their stoves, resort to pre-Christmas customs, eat traditional delicacies and decorate their villages and houses. And this is done with lots of light and love, but little kitsch! In Norway, Christmas decorations are heavily influenced by natural materials and simple decorations made of wood, pieces of bark and fir branches, perfectly reflecting the Scandinavian neutral style.
A classic Christmas village – Rorøs
The Christmas spirit can be felt throughout the country in November and December. In the big cities like the capital Oslo, but also in smaller towns. For example, in Røros, a small town southeast of Trondheim. This harmonious village is not only on the UNESCO World Heritage list, but also offers the complete Norwegian Christmas package: brightly painted and decorated wooden houses, reindeer sleighs, Christmas markets, and delicious traditional food.
Are you now longing for that Scandinavian Christmas atmosphere? Then we have a small series recommendation: The series “Christmas at Home” (on Netflix) is set in the town of Rorøs and shows all the beautiful Christmas traditions and festivities. The series is about Johanna, a Norwegian nurse. She tells her family about her supposed new boyfriend over dinner on the first Sunday of Advent and now has 24 days to actually find a partner for Christmas Eve. The series is incredibly funny and touching at the same time and perfect for escaping the Christmas stress on the couch in the evening. But be careful! You will probably want to book a flight to Norway and spend Christmas there immediately after watching it. So be warned and we take no responsibility for acute wanderlust! 😊
Christmas
Similar to us, many Norwegians go to church for a service before Christmas dinner. This is announced by the church bells that start ringing at 5 p.m. across the country.
And Christmas Eve, which is then spent with the family, is also very similar to our traditions. Families usually decorate their Christmas tree on December 23rd or on Christmas morning with fairy lights, tinsel and Christmas balls. Similar to Sweden, the “Julbord” (festive meal) is served with various delicacies, such as: Ribbe (pork ribs), Pinnekjøtt (lamb ribs) and cod. And as a sweet finale, there is rice pudding or cloudberry cream with a hot cup of mulled wine. Another rather unexpected but very tasty combination that can be eaten both as an appetizer and as a dessert is: gingerbread with blue cheese! An interesting combination of sweet and tart that we have tried out for you and present to you in the recipe below!
After dinner, the presents are hidden under the Christmas tree and then distributed during the so-called “walk around the Christmas tree”. People form a circle around the Christmas tree, hold hands and sing Christmas carols while walking in a circle around the tree. After the presents have been given, the evening ends with the family enjoying being together.
Recipe idea: gingerbread cookies with blue cheese
This unexpected but very tasty combination is ideal as a small appetizer before your Christmas dinner, or just as a snack during Advent, and if you don't want to bake the gingerbread yourself, it's super quick to prepare!
If the blue cheese is a bit too intense for you, you can also make this recipe with a mild Camembert!
You need:
- a pack of thin gingerbread cookies or speculaas
- a pack of blue cheese (or Camembert)
- a jar of fig jam
- optional: figs for decoration or instead of jam, thyme for decoration
And here's how it works:
Step 1: Cut the blue cheese into thin slices to match the gingerbread coins and place them on the gingerbread.
Step 2: Spread a small dollop of jam on the cheese and optionally top with a piece of fig. Garnish with fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme if desired. Done!
Author: Annika Seibel