In Norway, the Christmas season — Jul — is a whole season of light, warmth, and tradition. Snowy streets glow with lanterns, laughter echoes from ice rinks and mountain cabins, and the scent of gingerbread and pine fills the air. The Norwegian word jul traces back to the Old Norse jól, the ancient midwinter festival celebrating the winter solstice before Christianity reached Norway. The word still survives as Yule in English, Joulu in Finnish, Jõulud in Estonian, and Julfest in German.
A Season of Preparations
In Norway, the first Advent Sunday marks the unofficial start of the season: families bake biscuits, shop for gifts, and attend Christmas concerts. Many visit julemarkeder — Christmas markets that transform town squares into wonderlands of candles, woollen goods, and handmade crafts. Drøbak, south of Oslo, is home to Tregaarden’s Christmas House, Scandinavia’s only permanent Christmas shop. Bergen boasts the world’s largest gingerbread town (Pepperkakebyen), built annually since 1991. UNESCO-listed Røros looks like a postcard when blanketed in snow and decorated for Christmas. At Hadeland Glassverk, visitors can watch artisans blow glass ornaments while enjoying spiced gløgg and waffles.
Food and Festive Tables
Food remains at the heart of modern jul in Norway: families take pride in serving regional dishes that reflect local heritage and climate as:
Ribbe – roasted pork belly with sauerkraut, boiled potatoes, Christmas sausages, meatballs, and rich gravy.
Pinnekjøtt – salted, dried, and sometimes smoked lamb ribs, often steamed over birch sticks.
Lutefisk – air-dried cod rehydrated in lye and baked in the oven, served with peas and bacon.
Småkaker – seven kinds of Christmas biscuits or cookies are traditionally baked, such as krumkaker, goro, and berlinerkrans.
Akevitt (Aquavit) – a spiced spirit made from potatoes and infused with herbs like caraway, anise, dill, fennel, and coriander.
Restaurants across Norway offer julebord menus — traditional Christmas buffets — featuring these dishes alongside cod in coastal regions or reindeer in the north.
Little Christmas Eve and Christmas Eve
The day before Christmas Eve, Lille Julaften (23 Dec), is devoted to final preparations: decorating the tree, tidying the house, and assembling gingerbread houses. The main celebration is on Julaften (24 Dec), rather than Christmas Day. Families gather for a lavish dinner, exchange gifts, and sing carols. Many enjoy visits from Julenissen, the Norwegian Father Christmas, who delivers presents. The lights of jul continue to shine across Norway well into January, even after New Year’s Eve.
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