One of my favourite coffee bakeries in Oslo city is Open Bakery Fryenlund. It has that old 19th Century style with bread hanging on the wall, dark wooden panels and even a spiral staircase to a top balcony. And the coffee? Some of the best I have had in the city – dark, rich and flavoursome.
Trolls in Norway are small, magical creatures that live in hiding. There are some in the barn, some in the trees and some in the mountains. They are tricksters and like to play games on the humans that live close by. On Christmas Day it is custom to leave out a bowl of grøt and some beer for the barn elf so he will continue to keep an eye on the animals and not play tricks on you, such as hiding your slippers.
In early November the afternoon sun is low in the sky in Oslo. It is a beautiful time to walk around the city and see all the statues in a new light. This one has always drawn me in… I can’t help but stop to admire the work every time I’m walking along the docks.
Wandering the streets in Oslo, sometimes you come across a store front that is right out of a story book. This high street bric-a-brac store was all dressed for Autumn in November.
Juletid (Christmas time) is a celebration of traditions and family in Norway. With the fall of winter snow and the wonderful displays of Northern Lights, Norwegians sit round their fire places, dance around the Christmas tree, enjoy rich food and share julefryd (Christmas cheer) with family, friends and in their communities. At this special time of year we are happy to share the Norwegian Christmas with you. We hope you will celebrate with us by having a little bit of Norway in your Christmas.
Below is a link list of over 100 Christmas posts – recipes, activities and stories on this blog. Most of them are from the legacy website started in 2008, and more are added every season.
St Lucia buns, or lussekatter in Norwegian, are the traditional sweet breads of St Lucia Day, 13th of December. The literal translation of lussekatter is ‘Lucia cats’; this is because of the characteristic winding tail design. They are also called saffron buns because of the traditional use of saffron.
During the cold, dark winter, hot chocolate in Norway is the drink you have when you are not having coffee. Here is a typical homemade recipe:
Pork rib is one of the traditional meals at Christmas time in Norway. It is often eaten by Norwegians on Christmas day, but also throughout the dark season too. Norwegian rib is one of my favourite meals – it’s so good that I make it even when I’m dining by myself.
Kokomakroner are one of the typical Norwegian Christmas cookies. They originated in Italy and somehow found their way into the Seven Sorts tradition. This recipe is like most others – quick and simple.
One of my favourite coffee bakeries in Oslo city is Open Bakery Fryenlund. It has that old 19th Century style with bread hanging on the wall, dark wooden panels and even a spiral staircase to a top balcony. And the coffee? Some of the best I have had in the city – dark, rich and flavoursome.
