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| Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in Norway Series at NorwegianClass101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Norwegian holidays and observances. I’m Michael, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 18 Valentines Day. In Norwegian, it’s called valentinsdagen. |
| Valentine’s Day is a day that is both loved and hated in Norway. Though it is not technically a holiday, there are nevertheless a good number of Norwegians who celebrate it. |
| In this lesson we will learn about what Norwegians do on Valentine’s Day. |
| Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question- |
| What percentage of the Norwegian male population knows when Valentine’s Day is celebrated? |
| If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening. |
| Valentine’s Day is also called “all hearts' day,” or in Norwegian Alle hjerters dag. It’s celebrated on February 14 and is a day to celebrate love, or kjærlighet, and romance, or romantikk. Originally, Valentine’s Day was a day of remembrance for the Saint named Valentin, when stories arose during the middle ages regarding his martyrdom. A myth states that Valentin wrote a love letter shortly before his execution, signing it “your Valentine…” |
| When it comes to Valentine's Day in Norway, the day still has not gained significant popularity among the general population. It has, however, been more heavily promoted in recent years, and its popularity has increased. It’s now fairly common for young couples to celebrate it. Most commonly, girls receive a bouquet of flowers, and the couple then eat a nice dinner together or go on a date. Most people in a relationship think it's nice to give and receive some extra attention, and Valentine's Day is a great opportunity for this. |
| Those not in a relationship often gather with single friends, going out together in groups. Though some may spend the day secretly loathing those that have a boyfriend or girlfriend, others just enjoy the company of their friends, friend in Norwegian is venn. Several bars and clubs usually hold events for singles, and it’s become a popular tradition for people who aren't in a relationship to attend such events, looking for love. |
| On Valentine’s Day in Norway, flower stores usually markedly increase the prices of roses, or roser. It isn’t uncommon to even find roses that cost twice as much as they usually would due to the greatly increased demand associated with Valentine’s Day. |
| Now it's time to answer our quiz question- |
| What percentage of the Norwegian male population knows when Valentine’s Day is celebrated? |
| In a survey from 2004, a surprising seventy percent of males answered that they didn’t know when Valentine’s Day was celebrated. However, since this survey is a little outdated, its likely that these days more men know the date of Valentine's Day. |
| So listeners, what did you think of this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting? |
| How do you normally celebrate Valentine’s Day? |
| Leave us your comments at NorwegianClass101.com, and we'll see you in the next lesson. |
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