Norwegian culture and tradtions

Norway Culture, customs and traditions  

Norway Culture and Traditions


Norway at a glance

Capital of Norway is Oslo

Culture Name: Norwegian

Language Norway is Norwegian

Currency of Norway is Norwegian krone (NOK)

Extension of Norway is 385,178 sq km

Population of Norway is 5,214,900 (2016 estimate)

Exploring Norwegian Culture

Norway is a very beautifullcountry of breathtaking glaciers, avid winter sport enthusiasts and fjords. The terrain is glaciated  with mostly rugged mountains and high plateaus broken by fertile valleys, arctic tundra in north, scattered plains and coastline deeply indented by fjords. During the warmer months within the country, Norwegians of all ages (kids and old age) love to be outside and hike, barbecue and fish. Some travelers are lucky enough in the colder months to catch a glimpse of the spectacular Aurora Borealis (The Northern Lights). Norwegians tend to have a strong sense of civic engagement and history and on special occasions, many Norwegians wearing bunad or traditional clothing. Some of the most important values are equality, respect and tolerance in Norwegian culture.

Norwegian People and Community



Family Dynamic

Norwegian relatives live in the same town but families tend to be small. For most of the Norwegian parents, it’s important that their children take their own responsibility grow independent and they are responsible for theire own activities and actions. egalitarianism(that we all are equal) One key principle in Norwegian culture. This is reflected in the age relations, gender relations and how people address others. Norwegians always address other people by their first names, even elder and teachers. Norwegians act and dress  informally, and norwegian treat each other with the sense of equality (that we all are equal), no matter differences in gender, economic class or status. Within country Men and women are considered equal. That means it is expected and considered that they do the same kind of jobs, work just as much, and they earn the same amount of money, in the house have a shared responsibility and for the upbringing of their children have a shared responsibility.

Teenage Life

In Norway young people are often involved in after-school activities such as sports, arts, music and crafts. Community organized activities, politics clubs, scouting and the Red Cross are also quite popular within the country. And like most teens everywhere, weekends are for parties, movies or hanging out at cafes.

During their spare time Norwegian teenagers are expected to employ themselves. Many young people in the country take part in organized activities like political, sports, organizations, and in the volunteer work. Without being a couple It is common that boys and girls are good friends. When it comes to rights and duties in Norway Boyes and girls are equal.

Holidays in Norway

Since historically the country of Norway is a Christian-Lutheran country, the constitution of Norway states that the Norwegian cultures and laws should reflect the Humanitarain principles and Christian-Lutheran values . In national holidays the Christian traditions are also reflected like Christmas and Easter.

Language and Communication Styles



Official Language of Norway

the official langauge of Norway is Norwegian. It is a Germanic language that is related to Swedish ,Danish, and Icelandic and has there are two official forms of writing— Nynorsk(New Norwegian) and BokmÃ¥l (Standard Norwegian).

How many languages are spoken in Norway? see our other article

Communication Style

They are reserved people and At first, Norwegians may seem shy. Around the new people it can take some time for them to get comfortable around and new settings. After some time, they will talk openly, and after some time open up and show a big warm heart.

In Norwegian culure bragging about oneself(praise themselves) and one’s skills is usually seen as negative, since people are not supposed to see themselves as superior to others in short respect is given to others event they are younger than you. And this mindset is called “janteloven”, and even though it is joked about, it is not entirely false. Norwegians people are very modest people. Politeness and Honesty are core values, and  if they want something people expect each other to ask nicely. On the other side, Norwegian people tend to talk to each other in a very direct way and appreciate directly talking, honest and straight forward communication. Not many subjects are taboo, and it’s usually okay to speak about anything.

In Norwegian culture, there tends to be a strict separation between what’s yours and what’s their.  and Sharing the personal belongings is not so common.

Food in Norway



The Norwegian Diet

Norwegian food is usually a mix of international and traditional cuisine. One of the most famous and popular foods in the country of Norway is fish, but people within country also eat lots of meat, vegetables, potatoes, milk and cheese, and there are various sweets. Open-faced sandwiches are also famous and popular cuisines and are often eaten for breakfast. Dinner is the main meal of the day for norwegians and a favorite dish is potatoes with gravy and meatballs Even though Norwegians still appreciate traditional Norwegian dishes, the international cuisine has had a lot of influence the recent decades. “Tacos” for example, are a very typical dish some families will eat during the weekend and during the holidays, quite different from the Mexican tacos! The same works for pasta and pizzas. atleast two time a day Norwegians eat bread, and sometimes even three times a day. Usually Breakfast and lunch are made up of bread. Before the dinner mostly Norwegians will not have any hot meals.


2 comments: