January 11, 2017. It has long been a dream of mine to enjoy a European Christmas with my family. In fact, I often find it hard to fully revel in the privilege of living overseas when my friends and family can’t share the experience with me. Since this may be our last winter in Norway, and because the past several months have been quite rough personally, Matthew and I decided to splurge and spend all of our frequent flyer miles to bring my mom, sister, and niece to Oslo. Nothing like a family Christmas to hold the blues at bay.
Tag Archives: juletre
Christmas Traditions
December 23, 2015. From Thanksgiving until Christmas, various nasty “epizootics” (my southern grandfather’s catch-all term for colds, flus, pneumonia, bronchitis, and other winter illnesses), had gripped our household, making it impossible to tackle normal holiday chores. Six days before Christmas, we hadn’t even put up a tree, much less sent out a card or wrapped a present. Panic set in, as I saw my last chance at a Scandinavian celebration slipping away. Continue reading Christmas Traditions
Christmas at the Castle
December 20, 2015. Looking for a little holiday pick-me-up — and an opportunity to get out of the house after our battles with pneumonia and sinus infections — Matthew and I decided to attend the Jul celebrations at Akershus Festning og Slott (Akershus Fortress and Castle). The program promised a noon tour in English filled with the history of the site, as well as a demonstration of Norwegian Christmas traditions, so we braved the freezing cold for the chance to learn more about the huge Medieval structure that dominates Oslo’s harbor. Continue reading Christmas at the Castle
A Newbie in Norway 