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Culture is something unique. Many habits in your own country can be completely different in another. The longer you spend time in Norway, the more traditions and habits you get to learn and experience. For example, nobody greets each other on the streets when you are out walking, but don’t forget to say something to another person in nature because that is usual. Also we all know that Dutch people can be very direct in certain situations. Norwegians are really generous, open and they prefer using body language. They don’t use a lot of words to express how the feel, but the are very passionate about the things the believe in and stand for. People in the north are like this and prefer less tourist coming around, because they like to discover the nature surrounding them themselfs. It is different in the south part of Norway, especially in bigger cities like Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim.
About half of Norwegians have access to a summer house of some kind. The first boom in cabin ownership was in the 1960s, when intrepid Norwegians hiked into the mountains to build themselves a little hideaway. There are many things Norwegians are as passionate about, but their cabin might be in the top 5. I mean who does not want a place to relax, a place to take a break from everyday life. Upon entering you always get the feeling of relief and the stress can instantly glide from your shoulders.
Northern Norway is often described as the land of the midnight sun and the Northern Lights. The nature and animals make a big difference in tradition compared to other cultures. Because of the overflow of moose there is a hunting season in Oktober to reduce the numbers of those animals roaming around, to make sure that there are not to many. Also why buy fish when you can catch them yourself in a river close-by? Northern Norwegians are very fit, active and close to nature. Bodø is in itself already very cultural. It is a great place to discover the culture of Northern Norway and still have city life close-by. In 2024 Bodø will actually become Europes cultural capital of the year and during those months a lot of fun activities will be planned.
English and German, have close similarities with Norwegian, but both of them are actually not the same as Norwegian at all. Norwegian is a descendant of Old Norse, the common language of the Germanic people living in Scandinavia during the Viking period. These days there are two official forms of written Norwegian, Bokmål (book tongue) and Nynorsk (new Norwegian). Norwegian is one of the two official languages in Norway. There is also Sámi, a Finno-Ugric language spoken by less than one percent of the population. Like most languages in Europe, the Norwegian language comes from the Proto-Indo-European language. When early Indo-Europeans spread in Europe, they became isolated and new languages were developed. In the northwest of Europe, the West Germanic languages developed, into which would eventually become English, Dutch, German, and the North Germanic languages, of which Norwegian is also one.
There are a lot of Norwegian ‘originals’, you should definitely try! Let’s start with Brunost or also called brown cheese. A collective term for whey cheese which has a brownish color and has whey as its main ingredient. It includes goat cheese, cream cheese and Gudbrandsdal cheese. Brunost is made by boiling a mixture of milk, cream, and whey carefully for several hours until the water evaporates. The heat turns the milk sugars into caramel, which gives the cheese its characteristic brown color and sweetness. It is ready for consumption as soon as it is packed and refrigerated. Low-fat varieties are made by increasing the proportion of whey, milk and cream.
There are also a lot of snacks different compared to the Netherlands. Think about the chocolate for example. There is one brand in Norway which stands our from others and is really popular. We are talking about Freia. Freia is a Norwegian chocolate sweets manufacturing company. The company is famous for Freia Melkesjokolade and Kvikk Lunsj, as well as other candies and dessert products. Let me tell you, when we say it is good, it is good! It is available in so many different shapes, flavours and products. Of course you should also try all different types of fish, such as dried fish, fish as a snack and fresh fish. Are you more of a steak person? Then Moose, reindeer and just deer in general are some good starters. You can also get dried reindeer meat. We recommend just trying may different, original and foreign foods. It makes the experience in Norway even better.
Møsbrømlefse is a warm and sweet Lefse originating from the Salten district in Nordland. In Lefsen you have a sauce called ‘Møsbrøm‘ or ‘Søvvel‘. There are many different recipes, but most consist of the main ingredient brown cheese, milk, sugar and wheat flour for thickening. Some recipes use water, cream or cultured milk, others use a little salt, and some others use sweeteners such as syrup or vanilla sugar. The already fried Lefsa is heated on a rack. The mouse broth is smeared hot or cold on the Lefsa. In addition you can have butter (melted or cold), sugar and sour cream on the Lefsa. When you have the Lefsa on a plate, it is folded into a crescent and the ‘ears’ are folded towards the middle of the Lefsa, so that it looks like an envelope. Møsbrømlefse is served with red juice, ice-cold milk or caraway. Møsbrømlefse is more than a dish, it is also a symbol of belonging. Møsbrømlefse is therefore served at several local events during the year.
Norwegians tend to have a strong sense of history and civic engagement and on special occasions, many Norwegians wear traditional clothing, The Bunad. The best time to see the special clothing is on Norway’s national day, when the streets are full of Bunad-wearing Norwegians of all generations! You may also see people wearing one at weddings and other celebrations. The colourful outfits are made with wool, meant to be tight-fitting and are adorned with metal buckles, buttons and jewellery. Accessories vary and can even include blades. The best day to admire the Bunad out in public in Norway is on the 17th of May for the country’s Constitution Day celebration, when almost everyone wears the national dress. There are also clothes for man with the same tradition, but this is a bit less worn than the woman’s version.
