February 6, 2019: Sami National Day
The Sami National Holiday, also known as the Day of the Sami, is celebrated each year on February 6. The Sami people are a minority of indigenous people (urbefolkning) that can be found in Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. The Sami National Holiday is a relatively new day of celebration, only having been adopted in Norway in 1992. Historically, up until the 60s, the Sami people were looked down upon and many laws were implemented trying to force the Sami to integrate more with the general population of Norway. Nowadays, however, the Sami National Day is celebrated all over the country, especially in schools. The Sami flag is raised, the national anthem is sung, and food such as reindeer meat (reinsdyrkjøtt) and fish (fisk) is made to celebrate.
February 10, 2019: Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day in Norway always falls on the second Sunday in February of each year. It was celebrated for the first time in Bergen on February 9, 1919. Back then, the day was primarily celebrated in the Methodist Church (metodistkirke). Mother’s Day has become a very commercial holiday. Several stores promote the day with gifts, cakes, and flowers designed for people to give to their mothers, and due to its commercial success, it’s clear that the holiday has become ingrained in Norwegian society. Many people take the day as an opportunity to treat their moms and give them a little extra attention, often in the form of gifts and flowers.
March 3, 2019: Carnival
In Norway, Carnival is a non-public holiday that takes place on March 3 each year by eating delicious buns with whipped cream in the middle.
April 18, 2019: Maundy Thursday
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 (palmesøndag), it leads to a break that lasts all week.
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 gathered here might steal a cow or a sheep; to prevent this, on this night many Norwegians placed a broom outside their door, asking the witches to take that instead.
April 19, 2019: Good Friday
Easter is primarily a Christian holiday, but most Norwegian people enjoy many traditions associated with the Easter week (påskeuke). People use Easter week for leisure, since most of them are off work and school. 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.
May 1, 2019: Labor Day
In Norway, International Labor Day is considered a holiday. The very first Labor Day was celebrated in 1890. In 1919, protesters walking in parades successfully petitioned for the 8-hour workday (8-timers arbeidsdag) as part of a program for better working conditions. The traditional way Norwegians celebrated Labor Day used to include demonstration parades with flags, songs, and music. Today, Labor Day is still an important day in Norway, and many people continue to celebrate it by walking in demonstration parades.
May 8, 2019: Liberation Day
In Norway, Liberation Day is celebrated on May 8 each year and is a commemoration of its release from Germany’s grasp in 1945. This day is held in high regard by Norwegians, and is also a day on which to remember the concept that “freedom isn’t free.”
May 17, 2019: Constitution Day
Norway’s Constitution Day is celebrated on May 17 each year, and is an important day for all Norwegians. On May 17, 1814, the national assembly in Eidsvoll agreed on the Norwegian Constitution. Norway became an independent country on this day. May 17 became a day of celebration, and Norwegians started to hold parades (parader), on this day to celebrate their independence. People will get up early and put on nice clothes, many choosing the Norwegian traditional suit, called bunad. After this, all the children go to the place where the parade will start, and the parents and family stand along the streets to watch the parade go by.
May 30, 2019: Ascension Day
Ascension Day is the celebration of Jesus Christ’s ascension into heaven after his Resurrection. On this public holiday, very few stores are open and many people choose to spend their free time with family, or outdoors.
June 9, 2019: Pentecost
Fifty days after the Easter holiday, Pentecost (also known as Pinse) is celebrated in Norway in commemoration of when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples.
June 23, 2019: Midsummer
St. John’s Eve, also called Midsummer’s Eve, is celebrated on June 23. The celebration of Midsummer’s Eve historically took place as a remembrance of the birth of John the Baptist, but is also held to celebrate midsummer or the sommersolverv, meaning “summer solstice.” Friends and family gather to eat and drink together, and the most common activity is to have a barbecue party (grillfest). After eating and having fun for hours, people usually come together to watch the lighting of St. John’s bonfires, called sankthansbål. Along Norway’s coastline, you can see one bonfire light up after another. Watching these bonfires burn at dusk is something very close to the hearts of the people of Norway.
November 11, 2019: Father’s Day
Norwegians celebrate Father’s Day (also known as Farsdag) on November’s second Sunday. Though not a public holiday, it’s still a day of honoring and showing gratitude for one’s father.
December 26, 2019: Boxing Day
Boxing Day is observed the day after Christmas, and is typically a day meant to be spent with family, friends, and good food. While its origins are fuzzy and debated, this day essentially serves as an extension of Christmas.
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