Christmas in Norway Page | 1
By Erik
Dedication Page
I would like to dedicate this report to both of my grandmothers who I only had the privilege to know for a short while. My maternal grandmother Mrs. Janice Britt Pate, who died of cancer in 2002, my paternal grandmother, Mrs. Laverne Ford Gibson, who died of kidney disease in 2006.
December 14, 2012 Social Studies Mrs. Carter Covington Street School 5th grade
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The fireplace is often the center of attention for any Christmas picture. We use the fireplace to hang stockings for Santa or Julenisse as the Norwegians call him, to leave goodies in on Christmas Eve. The tradition of the fireplace dates back to the Norse Yule Log which originated in Norway. The Yule Log was used in celebrations of the return of the sun at winter solstice. The reason for this was they believed that the log shared the same symbol as the sun, a great wheel of fire. The Yule Log may also play a part in the shapes of some traditional holiday foods. Today we best know the Yule Log as a Christmas tree but Norwegians would use these Christmas trees that we know as a burning wheel of fire for the fire place. It would stick out well into the living room floor and was pushed farther in the fireplace as it burned away. Most of the time a Yule Log would last for the entire Christmas season. After 4pm on Christmas Eve, everyone in Norway stops working. They go home to bathe and change into new clothes to welcome in the Christmas Holiday. As a tradition, a large sheath of grain is put out for the birds to eat, a bowl of rice pudding is set out at the barn for the elf to feed his hungry tummy as he maintains the animals and stays out of trouble. When
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these things are done, the Norwegian Christmas dinner begins. The traditional Christmas food for us is turkey but for the Norwegians, a pig is the main meat source and as mentioned before, rice pudding for a side dish. After Christmas Day is over, children gather in costumes, mostly masks to hide their identities, and go from house to house singing Christmas carols, giving gifts, and receiving them also. This is known as Julebukk. In Norway, Julebukk is also represented in an ornament made of straw banded together on one end with red ribbon. The ornament is placed under the Christmas tree or smuggled into a neighbor’s house and placed in an obvious area for a nice surprise. Once the ornament is found, the neighbor must do the same to the next family. Rather it be a tradition similar to trick or treat or a simple game of hide and seek with an ornament, Julebukk means only this, “bringing the community together at Jultide.�
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Rice Pudding Recipe 3 cups cooked rice, (the directions on rice bag for 1 cup of rice should make this exact amount.) 2 cups milk 1 and 1/4 cups sugar 3 tablespoons vanilla extract 3 eggs lightly beaten 1/4 teaspoon salt Cinnamon as garnish to taste (optional) 1 Add all ingredients except the cinnamon to a pan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. 2 After it begins to boil, start timer for 3 minutes, stirring CONSTANTLY. 3 Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes. 4 Add to serving dish and LIGHTLY dust the top with cinnamon, and a pinch of sugar. 5 Serve warm, or chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours to serve cold. When attempting to chill the pudding, DO NOT cover completely. Allow steam to escape the dish until it reaches room temperature, then you can cover lightly for the remainder of the time.
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Continent Map Page | 7
Norway is located in Europe. It is bordered by the Arctic Sea, the North Sea, the Atlantic Sea, Russia, Asia, Central Asia, Middle East, and Africa. Europe is located above the equator and is in the Northern Hemisphere. Europe has a population 704,686,000.
Country Map Page | 8
Norway is a country in Europe that is bordered by Sweden, Finland, Russia, Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, Arctic Ocean, and Norwegian Sea. Norway’s official languages are Bokmal, Nynorsk, and Sami. Norway is known for having a well developed economy. The capital of Norway is Oslo, a small province located close to the border of Sweden. The Norwegians are closely related to the Dane’s and the Swede’s.
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