Norsk Christmas Traditions

Some of the best Christmas traditions in Norway are the following:

• Lit stars and candles in the windows. Like the wise men seeking the star, the light of the stars and candles reminds us who the Light of the World really is: Jesus Christ!

• Pinnekjøtt & ribbe. On the west coast, pinnekjøtt is the most popular Christmas food. It is dried and salted lamb ribs that is remoisturized and cooked. So yummy! Ribbe, pork ribs, are more popular in eastern Norway.

• Risgrøt. Yummy warm rice pudding, although it is not sweet. They put butter and cinnamon and sugar on top.

• Riskrem. It is pretty much like risgrøt but it is sweet and served cold. Strawberry sauce poured on top is common and it is so yummy!

• Finding the almond! An almond is cooked into a batch of risgrøt or riskrem. Whoever finds the almond in their bowl gets a prize! Tradition means the prize is a marsipan pig. Søster Livingstone found the almond in her risgrøt on a dinner appointment on 23 Dec and I found one in my riskrem on Christmas Eve!

• Norwegian dinner. Very popular around Christmastime is pinnekjøtt, boiled potatoes with gravy, kålrabi (rootabega), sauerkraut, Julebrus (special Christmas soda), carrots, and Julepølser (Christmas hotdogs or sausage).

• Julekake. Popular Norwegian cinnamon raisin bread, literally translated to be Christmas cake. Brown cheese and jam on top of Julekake is so good!

• Christmas Eve. Santa comes during the evening after dinner on Christmas Eve so everyone gets to see him! That now makes sense that that is why he visits America during the middle of the night, because his rounds take a while in Europe! ;) They open presents on Christmas Eve. I got a beautiful pair of Norsk mittens that the branch president's wife knitted me! The snowflake pattern is called a marius pattern.

1. Norwegian house at night!

2. Julekake, with of course, Christmas oranges!

3. Happy 2018 from us to you!

4. The almond I found in my riskrem and the marsipan pig I won!

5. Traditional Norsk dinner.​