Norwegians love Easter! Log fires, chocolate, time with the family, skiing, mountain cabins and relaxation are all words that you associate with Easter in Norway. It sounds rather nice, don’t you think? Let us tell you how you can celebrate Easter like a Norwegian!
Easter at last! After the cold, dark months at the beginning of the year, Norwegians look forward to their Easter break which they fill with outdoor activities and cosy comfort. If you want to celebrate Easter the Norwegian way, this is how to do it:
The comfort, warmth and beauty that a fireplace brings naturally tops our list. There are almost 1.2 million homes in Norway with wood-burning stoves or fireplaces – and lots of them get well used over the Easter period. The fireplace helps set the mood and creates a relaxing, calming ambience that is perfect for the family’s Easter activities. Playing board games, reading books, watching favourite films or series, cooking and evenings spent in pleasant conversation curled up on the sofa. When you get the fire going you are kind of setting a precedent that “this is where we’ll be spending the rest of the evening at our leisure”.
Norwegians feel very strongly about their cabins. They are part of the soul of the family and a special place for coming together and connecting. The cabin is somewhere for the whole family to spend quality time together for extended periods, not just for quick visits with a meal and coffee and then heading off home again. It is a place where families do practical jobs together, like fetching water from the stream, putting up a fence, lighting the fire and going for walks together.
Heading off to the cabin means leaving the hustle and bustle of regular life behind, coming to a retreat and spending time doing exactly what you want – without pressures and expectations from others.
If you don’t have a cabin, you can create a cabin feeling at home simply by taking “time off” from all obligations and devoting a weekend to yourself doing what you like and want to do.
Many Norwegians head to their mountain cabins at Easter when there is still plenty of snow on the ground. It is the perfect occasion to pack a hot drink and bar of chocolate and then set off across the glistening white snow on skis. There is not much that beats a long ski trip in the mountains on a sunny spring day, as long as you know the Mountain Code and remember rule number eight “Turn back in time – it’s nothing to be ashamed of”. The Norwegian Mountain Code is a set of advice and guidelines produced by the Norwegian Trekking Association and the Norwegian Red Cross to prevent accidents in the mountains.
If you can’t get out to the snow, a good alternative is a long walk or bike ride in the fresh spring air. It is all about allowing yourself time to relax. Head outdoors with a hot drink, some chocolate and a hiking friend and your Easter weekend at home will be as enjoyable as a weekend in the mountains.
Have we managed to inspire you to spend your Easter the Norwegian way? With relaxation, good company, exploring the outdoors, good food and, of course, cosying up in front of a crackling fire! Not sure how to get a fire burning well? Follow our step-by-step guide - Happy Easter!
