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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 4 - Easter. In Norwegian, it’s called påske. |
| Just like Christmas, Easter is an important holiday for Norwegians. Though Easter is primarily a Christian holiday, most Norwegian people enjoy many traditions associated with the Easter week or påskeuke. People use Easter week for leisure, since most of them are off work and school. |
| In this lesson, you will learn about Norwegian Easter traditions. |
| Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question- |
| In the Christian faith, Jesus has his last meal with his disciples on Maundy Thursday, but what do the Norwegians believe happened on Maundy Thursday back in the old days? |
| If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening. |
| Norway is one of the few countries in the world that holds the holidays of this period from Maundy Thursday, called skjærtorsdag, until the second day of Easter, and since students and some workers have time off beginning from Palm Sunday, or palmesøndag, it leads to a break that lasts all week. Norwegian Easter celebrations are often stereotypically associated with going to cabins in the mountains and skiing. However, this myth is false, as the majority of people celebrate Easter at home. |
| An important event during Easter is the Easter crime fiction, in Norwegian called påskekrim. Easter crime fictions are crime fictions published in magazines, or broadcast on TV or radio. They are shown in parts or as one episode each day of the week. Easter decorations are also important. During Easter, many Norwegians decorate their houses with yellow Easter chickens called påskekylling, and they place branches in a water-filled vase and decorate them with painted eggs. |
| Easter Saturday is probably the most important day of the week, especially for children. Early in the morning, children will go out in the yard looking for påskeegg, meaning Easter eggs. These are eggs from the Easter Bunny and are filled with candy. After this, the children will watch Easter Morning, a TV show for children which airs in the morning through the Easter week. In the afternoon, the family gets together to eat a leg of lamb. |
| Norwegians have a tendency to add Easter to the beginning of some common words. Easter traffic, or påsketrafikk, for example refers to traffic and long lines on Norwegian roads during Easter. Easter skiing conditions, or påskeføre, are the skiing conditions during Easter. And an Easter tan, or påskebrun, is a tan obtained during Easter. |
| Now it's time to answer our quiz question- |
| In the Christian faith, Jesus has his last meal with the disciples on Maundy Thursday, but what do the Norwegians believe happened on Maundy Thursday back in the old days? |
| Norwegians believe that on the night of Maundy Thursday, a number of witches gathered at a place called Bloksberg. They feared that the witches who would gather here might steal a cow or a sheep, and so to prevent this, on this night many Norwegians placed a broom outside their door, asking the witches to take that instead. |
| What did you think of this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting? |
| How do you celebrate Easter? |
| Leave us your comments on NorwegianClass101.com, and we'll see you in the next lesson. |
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