Norway has embraced the coming holidays with a vigor that makes me smile. The entire city is coated in Christmas lights, which makes walking through the streets positively romantic.
Norwegians seem to take the holidays very seriously. There was a big tree lighting ceremony in the middle of the square, and I swear hundreds of people showed up to see it happen. Every night, musicians gather and play music as well, despite the not so lovely weather. There's also Christmas markets popping up all over, and I went to one the other weekend that was full of people eating hot rice porridge and waffles and selling handy crafts in small wooden booths. I tried some pickled herring, smoked salmon, and reindeer salami. There was even a choir of monks singing.
The best things? The lights everyone is putting in their windows. There are paper star lanterns everywhere, and candles shining in little holders. There has also been a constant stash of ginger cookies at work that get refilled every day!
The food is pretty amazing as well: if you are from the east, you eat pork (svineribbe), from the west, it's fish, and from the north or south it's lamb (pinnekjøtt, a dehydrated salted lamb). All of the side dishes, such as rødkål (red cabbage) and pureed rutabaga, are loaded with butter and bacon and is designed to give you a little extra layer for warmth, or that's at least what I assume. Everyone has been throwing Julebørds, which are Christmas parties, which feature all of these dishes, gløgg (a spiced warm wine), and akevitt (a liquor made out of potatoes).
This evening as I was walking home it started to snow, big fat fluffy flakes. Simply magical.
Photo: Wreathe by With Grace & Guts, Pepperkake by Ocado
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