Birkebeinerløpet
Source: "The Social Guidebook to Norway"
Today is "Birkebeinerløpet", perhaps the most famous running race in Norway.
The course is 21 km and takes you thr...
Norwegian Culture RSS
This blog on the Norwegian culture is based on our books "The Social Guidebook to Norway", "The 100 unwritten Norwegian Social Laws" and "Norwegian Food: Do they really eat this?". All illustrations are copyrighted. To get an authorisation to use an illustration, visit www.monda.no/copyright.
Noen av artiklene er også tilgjengelig på norsk her.
Dugnad - A ritual...
A dugnad is a voluntary contribution to the community usually in form of manual labor.
Gender Roles in N...
Since I was 12 years old, I have been told to open doors for women. Then I came to Norway.
Hyttevenner & Nor...
Many Norwegians have a "hytte" (cabin). If they make friends at the hytte these are hyttevenner (Cabin friends) It means ...
Norway has perfec...
Despite horrible weather conditions, Norwegians and prawns do just fine!
Just 10 minutes t...
If you are attending a conference in Norway and the dinner takes place away from the conference hotel you are located at, you may naturally be asked to walk ...
The Norwegian Sauna
You will be thoroughly observed. The perfect way to feel comfortable next to strangers in Norway.
A Simple Guide to...
"Oi!" may also express surprise and a good reply to "Nei, men!". In that setting it means ...
Loppemarked and D...
The "loppemarked" season is here
"Loppemarked", or "flea market" in English, is where thousands of Norwegians work as volunteers collecting and selling four...
Have a reason to ...
In Norway you need to have a reason to speak to others. Spontaneous communication in public spaces is less common than in other countries. You mind your own ...
Isolated cabin in...
Here is a pristine example of Norwegian culture. A winter cabin in the Norwegian mountains with no road access during winter is for sale at 4 500 000NOK ( 45...
The Norwegian Soc...
Norwegians tend to have their friendships organised in social bubbles. Each of these social bubbles is linked to a particular activity, place or time in a No...
Norwegians in Syd...
Norwegians do not want to come closer as they are afraid to show too much interest in getting to know the other Norwegians.
Søndagsro (Sunday...
"Søndagsro" is a term in Norwegian that means that Sundays are to be quiet. On Sundays in Norway you shall not make noise.
Introductions
When you meet someone you know you introduce the person you are with. This is basic politeness in most places. In Norway, it works differently. You will be...
Birkebeinerrennet...
This is one of the best opportunities for a Norwegian to show ...
The Norwegian Nei...
Source: "The Social Guidebook to Norway"
Do not be surprised if your Norwegian neighbour passes just in front of you
Without looking at you
Without greeting ...
Fellow Norwegians...
Fellow Norwegians will pick you up at the airport only if ...
Greeting Norwegians
If you greet for no apparent reason, Norwegians will try to figure out how they know you or what you want to sell them. They will be wondering why you are ta...
SMALAHOVE
Smalahove is a macabre meal and one of the most notorious Norwegiantraditional dishes. You eat everything on the sheep’s head and are left with ascrubbed skull.
Pain and Sufferin...
It was 0C outside, raining and windy. The perfect time for "morgenbad". I had no choice.
Leave your baby o...
Norwegians just leave them outside under freezing temperature.
Cross-Country Ski...
Cross-Country Skiing: Sport often practiced alone in the dark in freezing temperatures and requiring no communication. A very Norwegian sport.
Watch out for the...
The Norwegian arm is an arm that stretches in front of you at dinner to grab something on the other side of the table
Holding hands in ...
§ You shall know that in Norway holding hands is more intimate than having sex. This is one of the 100 Unwritten Norwegian Social Laws (Book)
Norwegian women
Norwegian women are very independent. Sometimes it feels like they do not need men.
The Norwegian Jul...
All my Norwegian colleagues and supervisors lined up one after the other to tell me...
Events and Partie...
Source: "The Social Guidebook to Norway"
In many cultures, people go around and greet everyone personally when they enter a party or an event.
They do the...
A Norwegian first...
What you need to do is to make sure she can leave at any moment!
Norwegians pay fo...
To make Norwegians feel uncomfortable, pay for their coffee, dinner or drinks and do not let them pay you back!
The Norwegian Dre...
They will hide themselves in this place without running water nor electricity. They call it “hytte”. I thought Norwegians were trying to...
Welcome to Norway
Welcome to a beautiful country with beautiful people. A place where cities are small, clean, well-organised and ...
How to make Norwe...
In many cultures, friendships are built by giving and receiving. Not that much in Norway.
Understanding the...
They run like this whatever the weather is like: under the rain, wind and even when the temperature reaches minus degrees. Do not worry, they are Norwegians ...
Eye Contact in No...
Norwegians will look each other in the eye a lot when talking with colleagues at work or with friends, but they avoid eye contact in other situations - for e...
The Norwegian Bus
This is when you know that a Norwegian bus is full and that you need to stand!
Do like Norwegian...
Norway is a great place to be when there is a pandemic disease. Norwegians naturally stand very far apart from each other, thus reducing the risk of someone ...
Norwegian hairsty...
Norwegian women are free. They are free to decide their hairstyle at any age. Yet there seems to be a pattern. Can anyone explain where this comes from?
Italians vs Norwe...
“Not only did I notice you have eyes, but I noticed they were blue”
The Norwegian Mam...
Every year, Norwegian bookshops organize what they call "Mammutsalget".
It is a two weeks event taking place in late February and beginning of March.
It st...
In Norway, there ...
While many around the world enjoy warmth and Sun, Norwegian kids grow up with a ...
New Year's Eve th...
Norwegians interact differently with alcohol .They smile, they eye-flirt, they can "accidentally" bump into someone at New Year's Eve. They look at each othe...
Norwegian women w...
Every day we went running. One day I did not feel well, so I stayed home. When she came back, she was ...
Norwegian traditi...
§ You shall not dislike traditional Norwegian food, even when the flavor is a result of...