I had a chance to visit two Christmas markets today in downtown Oslo. The first was the Farmer’s Market (Bondens marked) at Valkyrie plass in Majorstuen, where there was some delicious smoked salmon and smoked whale (seriously, try it when you get a chance, it has an excellent flavor). The second was the large Christmas market along Karl Johan gate at Spikersuppa, where we found a good-deal on delicious homemade sausages, including garlic sausage and reindeer sausage.
Month: December 2011
A sleepless night and stories of the she-demon Lussi
I was woken up a couple nights ago around 1:00am – by what I don’t know, the street outside was unusually quiet. I live in downtown Oslo, where you’re lulled to sleep every night by the sounds of cars, trams, street cleaners, and loud drunks. You’re used to noise, in fact you expect noise. It was strange, then, that it was Tuesday night, relatively early still (the bars were still open), and yet there was barely a sound to be heard outside. What could be keeping all the Norwegians in, I wondered?
I looked up the date, December 13th, and saw it was in fact St. Lucia day. Now if you’ve been around Scandinavia for even one Christmas (or if you’re from somewhere a lot of Scandinavians emigrated to) you probably know St. Lucia day – the one where kids have a candlelight procession and every year one lucky child tempts fate by placing a wreath with lit candles on their head and then walking through school or church praying their hair doesn’t catch on fire. It’s mainly a Swedish holiday, though people do celebrate it here as well.
Norwegian
Lussi-natti lange Lussi-natti lange, intet være bange. Lussi-natti lange, intet være bange. |
English
The long Lussi-night, The long Lussi-night, nothing to be afraid of. The long Lussi-night, nothing to be afraid of. |
As opposed to the “old” Christmas stories I’m used to from growing up in the US (which in most cases came from Victorian England) which focused on love, giving, and the “Christmas spirit”, the old Yule legends in Norway are harsh and frighting, reflecting the cold and darkness this season brings. Reading about them causes me to appreciate the lights everyone places on the sidewalks and windows here – a modern day effort, in a way, to ward of the bad spirits and invite people inside for warmth and safety (and shopping).
A new book was actually just published in Norwegian about these old stories, Julens Myter. I’ll keep my eyes peeled the next time I’m in a bookstore, and hopefully can find a copy of it to creep myself out more. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for any ghosts on horseback flying around the Radisson or Post Tower – after all, ’tis the season.