Christmas in Norway

Christmas in Norway falls on December 24 evening as the main celebration, with December 25 and 26 as public holidays. For many families the celebration stretches across several days, with quieter moments at home alongside the busier public events.

Many families spend the weeks before Christmas baking, often aiming for seven different kinds of cookies. Homes are decorated with candles, paper hearts and small figures of nisse, a friendly gnome from Norwegian folklore. On Christmas Eve, families typically eat dinner together, then gather around the tree to sing carols and open gifts.

Regional traditions are strong. Common Christmas Eve dishes include ribbe (roast pork belly with crackling), pinnekjøtt (cured and steamed lamb ribs), lutefisk and boiled cod. Rice porridge with cinnamon and a hidden almond is a popular starter or dessert.

Gifts are typically opened on the evening of December 24, after dinner. A small bowl of rice porridge is sometimes left out for the Fjøsnisse, the barn nisse, to keep him friendly.

The festive figure most associated with Christmas in Norway is Julenissen, often pictured as a small gnome with a red hat. Names, costumes and gift giving dates can vary from family to family and from region to region.

Each year since 1947, Norway has given a large Christmas tree to the city of London as a thank you for British support during the Second World War.