Christmas in Norway

At Christmastime, a little gnome or elf called Nisse, who guards all the farm animals, plays tricks on Norwegian children who do not place a bowl of special porridge for him. He is said to be a goat-like creature known as Julebukk or 'Christmas buck'. Julebukk dates back to Vikings and pagan traditions of worshipping Thor and his goat. In those times, a person dressed in a goatskin used to carry a goat head would suddenly burst in a party, 'die' sometime in the evening and then return to life.

Early Christians started associating goat with the devil and used it only during wild merry-making and euphoria. After the Middle Ages, the State and the Church forbade the game and a tamer form emerged. A holiday cookie called Sand Kager is quite popular, which is prepared using butter, sugar, flour and chopped almonds. In the afternoons, children go from door to door to ask for treats and goodies. Traditional Christmas dinner for Norwegians consist of lye-treated codfish, boiled potatoes, rice porridge, gingerbread and punch.