Sunday, April 17, 2011

Easter in Norway

 My daughter when she was so cute and little, a long time ago.

Let me take you on a trip to Easter in Norway.  A typical Easter here is not the same as you might be used to. Here is a list of what you will need to bring with you:

  • Skiis, ( cross country , downhill, snowboard etc...)
  • Wool underware ( long johns) and warm clothing plus plenty of socks
  • Good hiking boots
  • Food for outside grilling in the mountains, such as hotdogs
  • Backpack with standard survival geer and shovel
  • Chocolate and plenty of oranges
  • A good criminal mystery book ( here in Norway Easter crime is all the rage)
  • Thermos and pocket-flask for your choice of alcholic beverage
  • Plenty of beer and wine, soda and what ever else you might drink
So now that you are packed lets go!

Easter here starts on the Friday before palm sunday and lasts until the tuesday after easter Sunday. Thats right, easter lasts a long time here so we need to plan our shopping well. The stores are closed most of easter so be prepared to stand in line, especially at the liqour store. We need to get an early start so we can avoid most of the traffic on our way up to the cabin in the mountains. Of cource we know that will never happen but each year we try anyways.

So you want to know what we will be doing besides eating, drinking and jumping in icecold water after a sauna?  Then you better get out your skiis because thats what norwegians do, and yes kids are born with them on their feet, well almost.




Hope you enjoyed your little trip. Unfortunatly this year we are staying home and I get to spend more time with the saw and renovations. Easter is so late this year that there is not so much snow at the cabin anyways. Oh, and if you expect a visit from the easter bunny you will be disappointed. In norway, we have the easter chicken.


So what is your easter like?

15 comments:

Francine Howarth said...

Hi,

Lovely pic of now not-so-small one!

I live in a tourist area (Pembrokeshire, Wales) so it's lock the main gate and stay at home fortnight: the garden beckons!

Easter bunny? Who invented that damn chocolate intruder with red collar and tinkling bell? Lindt of course. Chocolate eggs and fluffy yellow chicks were - at one time - an Easter treat here in the UK. Blasted foreigners. ;)

Have a great time with hammer and saw. :o

best
F

Talli Roland said...

Interesting! Love the photo of your daughter.

Unknown said...

Hey!! Interesting reading! But I have to admit that I`m not very fond of the snow... hmmm...
About your question...Foldvik familiepark - where "my story lives" is in Brunlanes... close up to Stavern...
And it`s possible to visit the park during the whole summer!
God påske til deg!!! Enjoy!

Bob Scotney said...

When I was working in Stavanger I made the mistake of being there at Easter. I nearly starved with no shops open and only påskelille to keep me company!

Tracy said...

Wow! Easter does last a long time...but this is my favorite holiday so I could handle it lasting that long. But like Bob says, I don't know what we'd do if things were shut down as long as they are in Norway!
thanks for making it regularly to my blog...I love your visits!

Michael Di Gesu said...

Sounds like a fun time... Fireplaces, great food, alcohol, skiing... Of course by Easter/spring that would seem very odd to me.

RIght now I am in sunny Florida with the temps in the upper 80's. Swim suites and surfboards are the norm here.

But at home in NY, growing up, Easter meant we started with Palm Sunday. Make a cross of the palms and place it on the front door... Good Friday we'd have fish for dinner ...no meat all day. Easter Saturday, my favorite, grandma would make all different kinds of homemade pizza's (she was Italian) but not the ordinary kind. One was stuffed with ricotta and dried, hot sausage. the spinach pie, again stuffed. And for us she made mushroom and cheese, and finally onion. Then we'd attack the deserts and Easter baskets.

Easter Sunday we'd dress in our new suits( we were three little boys) and shows, sporting hats too. Church. Then back to eat anti-pasta, homemade ravioli, leg of lamb, fruits, nuts, deserts, and MORE Easter candy.

Man I forgot how much food we used to have as kids.... Nothing like that now. Grandma's gone, Mom's gone, and brothers are in different states. So a quiet Easter is had these days.... sad really.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Siv .. sounds glorious .. though perhaps not this year. Usually a family lunch, Easter egg hunt in the garden ... see how many you can find before the dogs do .. then a walk .. or a read if the weather's awful. Now it is glorious .. and Easter is late .. I love the change ..

Enjoy your break time anyway .. and the better weather .. I love the family pics .. cheers Hilary

Anonymous said...

I miss skiing! I haven't been in so long! Which is completly pitiful since I live in Utah where there are mountains and skiing everywhere. GRRR An Easter Chicken huh? That's interesting but at least chickens lay eggs. Never seen a bunny do that so that tradition makes more sense than the Easter Bunny. Sorry about those saws. Is it almost over?

Bossy Betty said...

Love the idea of the Easter Chicken!! Thanks for all this great info! I am a wimp about weather, so I am bringing an extra BIG flask!!

Crazy Life of a Writing Mom said...

That is so much fun! I haven't been skiing in forever.

Paul Joseph said...

Easter seems to become less and less important each year in the States. All the stores are open; many families have one or more members working. For me, the holiday seemed to vanish when I was in college, as we did not receive any time off for the holiday, and it made traveling home to my parents rushed. As soon as we finished our brunch, I'd be heading back to school to work on assignments for Monday morning. I do wish the holiday got more attention around here.

N. R. Williams said...

Love it, the Easter Chicken. I think I've seen a few of those. Tragic, I've never skied even though I live in Colorado where skiing is huge. My Mom was poor and later in life I was too.
Nancy
N. R. Williams, The Treasures of Carmelidrium.

Author Joshua Hoyt said...

How fun it is so interesting to learn about others traditions. We have always hid eater baskets and let the kids find them. When I was younger we would go out to my Grandpa's fort and have a cook out. If you have ever seen "The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again" the fort that burns down is my Grandpa's.

Sue said...

I want to come and have Easter up there! Loved the video, thankyou. Easter here? Stay off the roads...people seem to drive like lunatics even more than usual. I live in a tourist destination, and it's frenetically busy, bumper to bumper traffic the whole time.

One of our local chocolate suppliers tried to invent an Australian answer to the chocolate bunny (rabbits are a pest and have decimated massive tracts of land) the Easter Bilby - it's a native marsupial, very cute! Sue@JumpingAground (Alliteration & drabbles)
Sue@traverselife(Workplace bullying)

Unknown said...

Hei Siv! God Påske! :-) Have noticed there are a few of us from A-Z writing from Norway..looking forward to reading more form you!
Happy A-Zing