Jul is soon upon all of us all over the world. Many families and friends are now getting ready for the festive time of the year. I thought i would share a site that will share with all of you what its like to have Christmas in Norway. There is a mixing of the old and new, or just new, or just keeping with tradition. I personally am of the mixed celebration. Most of the old and traditional for us here, with a huge flair of the country style thrown in. Sleighs, visits, kitchens filled with smells of all mouth watering kinds. Jul logs, nisses and many offerings made. My husband and i don't cut down a tree, because its something that we feel is wrong in the sense its not needed so why take from nature what we don't need. But we get along with out just fine. Our ornaments are placed elsewhere, filled and enjoyed in other ways. The most heartfelt time of the festive season is when the bells start to ring all over the country, on Dec 24, our real Christmas day, in the early evening let us all know that the now is the time. The time to begin the celebrating. Food, pastries, beer, wine and ofcourse our love of aquavit start the Jul off in a nice comfy glow. So take a look at our history and how we celebrate Jul in different ways all over the country. http://www.cyberclip.com/Katrine/Norway ... stmas.html
Very interesting, I love reading about traditions from other places. And the combination of the new with the pre-christian customs of Yule and Solstice celebrations is always so interesting. We don't buy real trees anymore, I know the tree lots are filled with trees that were grown specifically for this reason but I would rather not. I wish we could grow pine trees down here then I could have them in the yards to decorate. Inside we use an artificial one.
Thanks for the different traditions Biita, really interesting to hear especially from countries that have been around a very long time.
Thank you for the information on the way the festive season is celebrated in Norway, I really enjoyed reading about your traditions. We do not have a real tree in the house but have an artificial one, Christmas wouldnt be Christmas to me without having the tree decorated but I hate the needles in your feet for months after and the allergy reactions I get with real trees.
Thanks Biita! I always hated the thought of cutting down a living tree just for Christmas - even though I love the smell of pine in the house. I have an artificial tree.
Thanks for the link Biita - very interesting. I wish we could have some of the old traditions that we used to have here in our village but, sadly, now everything has to have a modern slant even at Christmas. I have an srtificial tree too as I really don't see the point of killing a tree just for the festive season.
Great post, Biita. We haven't had a real tree for years and years either. I will take a look at the video tomorrow as it's very late here now. I am looking forward to it.
We've got some very nice Christmas traditions here, but unfortunately we're most of us pressed for time or possibilities to follow them through. We nearly bought a Christmas tree plantation this autumn. (Well, it was a farm, and we want a farm.) Our tree is a real one from one of the local plantations.
Hi Biita; I'm glad more of us are sparing the trees. We need more respect for nature. We are artificial too, and enjoy the decorating just as much. The customs are great to share. Being of Slovakia descent, I grew up with the legend of Kris Kringle. Gardengater
very interesting link biita! and, now i need to get the recipe for making 'Juleøl'! i can understand how many of you feel about having real Christmas trees in your homes. however, we have a purpose as to why we have a real one in our home. it's called 'thinning'. along our fence line the trees are very thick, and if we don't thin them, several trees will die due to being too crowded together. so every December, we take one that is being crowded out and bring it home for the holidays. it doesn't go to waste either. the goats munch on the green needles and bark after the holidays are over. and the end results get chipped and are used for mulch in the gardens. and we always plant a new tree each year to replace the one taken. here's a little summary of the adventure we and our critters take every December...ignore the dates, 2022, i can never get them correct on the camera! we went out to get a tree today....we started out in the fog... http://www.imageuploads.net/ims/pic.php ... o&i=162144 we headed up to our northwest corner... http://www.imageuploads.net/ims/pic.php ... o&i=162145 walking down our fence line, hubby sees one!!! http://www.imageuploads.net/ims/pic.php ... o&i=162146 hubby's loaded the tree on the tractor... http://www.imageuploads.net/ims/pic.php ... o&i=162147 pups, goats and us heading home... http://www.imageuploads.net/ims/pic.php ... o&i=162148 stopped and checked our homemade irrigation pond out...got to remove those cattails this spring... http://www.imageuploads.net/ims/pic.php ... o&i=162149 i got an early Christmas present from Santa...a big new coat that i can where a bunch of sweatshirts and sweaters under and keep warm!!! see the old bucksaw? it was my dad's and is used in the thinning every year. http://www.imageuploads.net/ims/pic.php ... o&i=162150 almost home...and the sun's finally coming out?!:O) http://www.imageuploads.net/ims/pic.php ... o&i=162151 the end...:O) http://www.imageuploads.net/ims/pic.php ... o&i=162152
That was a great trip! I enjoy seeing the whole family (goats, dogs and people) out doing group things. I have to say i think it looks colder there than it is here,,,lol. That bucksaw, i swear we have those in every size, but my husband when something needs cut just powers up the chain saw or uses the power saw in his work shop. Using a saw like that would mean too much work,,,lol. I expecially love to read and see others christmas traditions, that why i posted this, because the family here at the stew is really spreading out all over the world!!!
Interesting the different approaches to trees! We cut ours every year at a tree farm nearby, the family's main means of support for the coming year. I never thought of it much differently than a farmer cutting grain at the end of the season.
Lovely photos, bunkie, thank you for sharing. Wish we had a farm that size, I'd be a very happy camper.
