Celebrating Christmas and New Year in Norway

Hei, I am in Norway! I celebrated Christmas here. Not “our” Christmas - for me Christmas is still to be celebrated on January 7. Right! And we celebrate New Year twice in Georgia. The major celebration and traditionally getting together for most families is the New Year’s Eve, on December 31 and not Christmas. Still the legacy of our communist years, when all religious holidays were working days and it was dangerous to be seen in Church. Now many families also celebrate the (old and real as we call it) New Year on January 14. Although until now the Georgian Public Holidays list January 1 (New Year) and January 7 (Orthodox Christmas) as holidays but not January 14. It is a working day. Confusing, is not it?

New Year’s Eve has always been the hardest day for Georgians, as maybe for everyone else. One of my facebook friends from Armenia even called it an International Day of Kitchen Slavery. Every family has to have an abundant table for indefinite number of guests who might show up in the festive season. Coming closer to western world has not made a significant difference for the traditional labour division at New Year’s Eve. Men go to the market and women cook. Sacivi (turkey in walnut sauce), fried piglet, gozinaki (walnuts in honey), egg-plants with walnuts are a must in Georgia.

Not that I ever cooked much on December 31, but I was happy to be in Norway for a change. In Norway traditional dishes vary by region, but ribbe (pork ribs) which I enjoyed at Christmas Eve, and pinnekjøtt (on the photo) that was cooked and served by my Dear Norwegian Friend, Øyvind, at New Year, are most popular.

I thought I would start this year’s festive season on December 25 in Norway, but amazingly I have found out that Juleaften (Christmas Eve), December 24 is the main event, with a traditional lunch, dinner and the exchange of gifts - all churches ringing in Christmas at 5pm.

But the actual start date for the 13 day long Yule celebration in Norway is lillejulaften (little Christmas Eve), December 23 when the tree is put up and decorated lasting till Epiphany on January 6, when I get home, just in time for Orthodox Christmas Eve, to continue the celebrations until Orthodox Epiphany (Jan 19).

But I am still not as good as Umit, one of my dearest friends in Turkey, who set up a Christmas tree on December 25 (her husband was tolerant, just asking why it was still up in January, she said now the Orthodox Christmas was coming, then the Orthodox New Year) and kept it up until March (to celebrate also the Japanese New Year).

Some of my friends at facebook were almost condemned by some others for sending out Merry Christmas messages on December 25. But I also remember some years ago an Orthodox Priest, who, when asked on TV if it was proper to celebrate Christmas twice, said that Christmas is such a big festivity for Christians that it can be celebrated every day. Still confusing, right?

Christmas is filled with traditions, many taking roots from pagan times. And New Year is celebrated worldwide at different times but more and more we share the celebrations. For us all it is the time when people become more reflective and caring. It is also time for us all to make New Year resolutions. Some are about improving ourselves, some others about improving this world. May they all come true!