December 2013 COMING SOON Our final meeting dates and events for 2013! For more information about INN Bergen meetings, membership, or services please contact: Maria Helling Svanøe at [email protected] or Solveig Holm at solveig@ bergen-chamber.no December INN Bergen Monthly Meeting Thursday, December 5th, 2013, 4.50 PM Topic: Christmas at Øvre-Eide farm (in cooperation with The University of Bergen) Meeting Point: Musèplass square at 4.50 PM Info: http://www.bergen-chamber.no/activity/2924/inn-club-christmas-at-the- barn- December INN Bergen Spouse Club Meeting If you would like to add your name to our Spouse Club email list, or if you have questions, contact Michelle Radmanovich: [email protected] Thursday, December 12th, 2013, 16:00 Place: Frille/Dyvekes Vinkjelleren, Hollendergaten 7 Map: http://goo.gl/maps/G6Tfz December InterNations Get Together, Bergen Visit http://www.internations.org/bergen-expats for details, meeting dates, and to sign up for InterNations! Join them for monthly get togethers where you can meet others from the international community in Bergen. They are also interest groups where individuals meet to explore & discuss a variety of topics. IMPORTANT DATES & NOTICES International School of Bergen Calendar Thursday, December 19th - last day of school before holiday, noon dismissal Monday, January 6th – first day back to school Bergen Kommune Schools & Barnehager Skoleruter Friday, December 20th - last day of school before juleferien Thursday, January 2nd – Barnehager closed Friday, January 3rd – first day back to school On December 24th (Julaften), 25th (1. juledag), 26th (2. juledag), 31st (Nyttårsaften) and January 1st (Nyttårsdag) be sure to check local shops and centers for specific holiday hours as well holiday bus service schedules. http://www.skyss.no/StartSide.aspx CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EVENTS Bergen Næringsråd (Bergen Chamber of Commerce) hosts more than 100 meetings and events on a variety of topics each year. Check the meeting list often for events as they are added! http://www.bergen-chamber.no/page/80/moteoversikt-liste Thursday, December 4th - Klima og miljø 2014 – det grønne skiftet til Bergen! (Climate and environment 2014 – the green shift to Bergen) Monday, December 9th - Utsiktene for norsk og internasjonal økonomi (Prospects for Norwegian and international economy) Thursday, December 12th - Julelunsj: Møt Bergens nye førstedame (Christmas Lunch: Meet Bergen's new first lady) Wednesday, December 18th - Nettverk U37: Julelunsj (Christmas lunch) Tuesday, January 14th - Bergenskonferansen 2014: Bergensregionen 2030 - planlegge eller løpe etter? Bergensregionen 2030 - plan ahead or run after? NEWS The Foreigner http://theforeigner.no/ The Local http://www.thelocal.no/ The Nordic Page http://www.tnp.no/ The Norway Post http://www.norwaypost.no/ Thor News http://thornews.com/ Views & News http://www.newsinenglish.no/ FOCUS ON: NORWEIGIAN HOLIDAY TRADITIONS & CELEBRATIONS Juletid & Julebord The holiday season (“Juletid”) in Bergen begins early with Christmas parties called “julebord”. Companies, work colleagues, clubs, schools and other organizations hold their Christmas parties throughout November and early December. This is when Norwegians take the opportunity to dress up and get into the spirit of the season! Julemat (Traditional Holiday Food) The main dishes served at “Julebord” and “Juleaften” (Christmas Eve) vary according to region and custom but you will often find... Pinnekjøtt a main course dinner dish of lamb or mutton. It is a festive dish typical in Western Norway, served with pureed swede and potatoes, beer and aquavit. This dish is largely associated with the celebration of Christmas, and is rapidly gaining popularity in other regions as well. Around 31 % of Norwegians say they serve “pinnekjøtt” for Christmas dinner. Ribbe is very popular in eastern Norway but you also find it in Bergen. It is baked with very crispy skin that tastes like bacon and has juicy meat. It is served with sausages (made with nutmeg and milk), sauerkraut and boiled potatoes with gravy, although some prefer to eat it with “tyttebær ” (cranberry) sauce. Most will agree that beer and aquavit go well with the rich food! Lutefisk Traditional food in Norway doesn’t create much debate, but “Lutefisk” is one dish that Norwegians either love or hate. Its dried cod soaked in water, then prepared in potash lye (truly!) before being soaked again in water. It can be served in different ways but is usually eaten with creamed peas and fried bacon, or a white sauce. Lutefisk is also very popular in parts of the United States and Canada where high numbers of Norwegian immigrants settled in the later half of the 19th and the first part of the 20th century. It’s seen often enough for Andrew Zimmern of 'Bizarre Foods America’ to try it! Drinks Nearly all Norwegian breweries produce a traditional beer - “juleøl” - which is darker, stronger and more flavorful than common Norwegian lagers. There is also a special soda - “julebrus” - which may be a red raspberry or orange flavored soft drink. Usually, both drinks are present at the “juleaften” feast table. The Norwegian Liquor “Aquavit” is also a must for many Norwegians during Christmas. Cakes & Cookies Norway also has a great variety of Christmas cakes and biscuits (“julekaker ”). Traditionally, the woman of the house was expected to bake 7 different types of “julekaker ”! These are different in each region but some of the most common are “pepperkaker” (ginger snaps), “smultringer” (doughnuts), “sirupssnipper” (syrup snaps), “sandkaker” (sand cakes), “lefsekling” (griddle cake, filled with an icing of butter, sugar and cinnamon), “krumkaker” (“curl cakes”) and “Brune Pinner ” (“Brown Sticks”). Another tradition is to make a gingerbread house. Norwegian Recipes To find recipes for these traditional Christmas dishes, visit: www.matprat.no. The site is maintained by the Information Office for eggs and meat “Opplysningskontoret for egg og kjøtt (OEK)”. The recipes (“oppskrifter”) are in Norwegian but they are easily translated using Google Translate or a good Norwegian dictionary. Searching food product websites such as Freia www.freiahjemmekonditori.no), Tine (www.tine.no) or Toro (www.toro.no/) are also good resources for holiday inspiration! Lucia Celebration Lucia is the patron saint of light and is celebrated on December 13th. The modern way of celebrating Saint Lucia is originally a Swedish tradition adopted by Norwegians. Children dressed in white and holding candles sing the darkness away. Parents are often invited to the kindergartens in the morning, to watch their loved ones sing and to eat “lussekatter ”, a special bun with raisins. Christmas Trees The Christmas tree tradition in Norway is fairly new, and the first tree is said to have been decorated in 1822 at Bogstad Gård (Manor), an aristocratic estate in Oslo. Many Norwegians decorate their Christmas tree with small Norwegian flags, a custom probably originating from Norway’s independence, in 1905. It’s also common to use white Christmas lights instead of colored ones. On December 23rd the tree is brought into the house and decorated. Once children are in bed, parents put the presents under the tree to be opened the following evening. If you happen to be in Olso over the holidays visit Bogstad Manor to see their sumptuously decorated 19th century style tree. Every December, the city of Oslo sends an enormous Christmas tree to England which stands in Trafalgar Square in London. The tree is offered as a token of peace and friendship to thank Britain for their support during the Second World War. The Norwegian “Nisse” The Norwegian ”Nisse” differs from his American relative Santa Claus and from St. Nicholas. The name ”Nisse” probably derives from St. Nicholas, but ”nisser ” - elves (or gnomes) - existed long before the birth of Christ. There are several types of ”nisser ” in Norway. The most famous is probably the ”Fjøsnisse”, which takes care of farm animals. He is very short, often bearded, lives in a barn or stable and wears wool clothes and a red knitted hat. He often plays tricks and scares people by blowing out the lights in the barn or scaring the farm dog at night. He is friendly with the people living on the farm, as long as they don’t forget to give him a large portion of porridge on Christmas Eve. If they do forget, he will play tricks on them, like moving the animals around or braiding the horses’ mane and tail. Of course, there is also a Christmas nisse (“julenissen”) which is more or less identical to Santa Claus. The ”Julenisse” brings presents to all the nice children on Christmas Eve. He’s not as shy as the traditional Santa Claus, since he delivers the gifts himself and does not come down the chimney in the middle of the night. Juleaften (Christmas Eve) The major day of celebration in Norway is December 24th. Although legally it is a regular workday, most stores close early. Church bells toll announcing Christmas, and many people attend a religious service. The main Christmas meal is served in the evening. Common main dishes include “ribbe”, ”pinnekjøtt”, “lutefisk” or fresh, poached cod. Rice porridge is also popular, often served for lunch on Christmas Eve. An almond is hidden in the porridge, and the person who finds it wins a treat or small gift, often a pig shaped marzipan. The leftovers of the porridge are used to make a popular dessert called “riskrem” (rice cream), served with a delicious raspberry sauce. In some parts of Norway it is also common to place porridge outside (in a barn, outhouse or even in the forest) to please “Fjøsnissen”. Television programs can be an important part of Christmas Eve and many Norwegians do not get into the Christmas spirit until they have watched the Czech-German fairy tale “Tre nøtter til Askepott” (“Three Nuts for Cinderella”) or the Disney Christmas parade. Nearly all TV channels broadcast familiar Christmas related shows and movies, but there are also some that Norwegians consider essential such as Grevinnen og hovmesteren (1963), Reisen til julestjernen (1976), Jul i Skomakergata (1979), Flåklypa Grand Prix (1975), Tante Pose (1940), and Astrid Lindgrens Jul (1999).