Not sure if everone was aware of this, but in Norway, and the rest of scandinavia to be accurate, we dont open our presents or have Christmas dinner at the 25th of desember. We do it
ALL on Christmas eve, 24th of desember. And this year is no different!
After I had my kids, who are now 3 and 6 years old, I realized what Christmas is all about! Offcourse, we all have our opinions about this, and what Christmas really is. But for my familiy it is about having the time to
s l o w down (that is
way harder then it sounds!), and to inhale all the smells and sounds that is Christmas.
That may be the sound of little feet sneeking in the hallway at the break of dawn (yeees... my kids wake up early!), not realising them quickly enough for you to open your eyes and catch the little rascals before they jump you. Haha... Thats when it all starts: "Can we open our presents now? Can we? Can we?? Pretty pleaaaaaaase?!" When I grew up, my siblings and I always got to open one present each on the morning of the 24th. And I have continued this on to my children, because it is an eternity when you are 3 or 6 years old and you have to wait until after dinner to open youre presents, lying under the three and shouting out for you to be opened. Oh! I remember the feeling so well! The tingling sensation in my whole entire body, making it inpossible for me to wait patiently or even to sit still! My mom and grandmothers always said: "You`ll have to wait `til after we`ve done the dishes!" The dishes??! Who in the WORLD would want to do that to their own promising little ones? *Ahem..couch... I did...*
Every other year we swap between my parents house and my mother-in-laws house. This year it is my mother-in-laws turn. We will get dressed, after having been attacked in bed, and go over to her house, where the smell of brunch and fireplace hits us as we walk in the door. She will always have some christmas-music on in the background. Usually
Sølvguttene (The Silver Boys). Then we will sit down and enjoy a wonderfull meal.
I must admit, even though I am a grown up now, I still look forward to christmas like I did when I was a child. But I have this little extra where I can enjoy the looks on my kids when they get their expectation fullfilled. That feeling cant be bought!
Then, around five o`clock, we sit down for dinner to have a traditional, norwegian christmas meal; lam ribbs, pork ribbs, potatoes, greens, rutabaga, sauerkraut and red cabbage. The star of this meal is the lam ribbs. We wait for this all year! *water in my mouth*. Every year I get so suprised over how fast the dinner is over. I want it to last forever! But, the presents are calling, and we clean out dinner and prepear for desert.
Right about now, the kids are climing the walls! So we`d better make it quick! Haha...
The oldest child will find a place at the tree and read out the names on the presents, and sort them out to the lucky reciever. Then we watch patiently as every gift is opened. This might take a while...
Then, the unwrapping is over, and as the kids play whit theire new toys, us adults sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of the evening. Before you know it, its over. But then we have a few, or even several days of work, school and kindergarden. The Christmas holidays we spend whit family and friends, eat way to much food and cake! And if we are really lucky, we`ll have snow to play outside in! But so fare, its not looking good....
So, what is you`re christmas traditions like? I would love to hear about it!
Here are some Christmas themed pictures I found on Google, just because they are so nice to look at:)
Have a Merry Christmas!
