Miért küldenek karácsonyfát a briteknek? És mi a manók dolga karácsonykor?
Christmas in Norway
Christmas Eve is the time when presents are exchanged. The gifts are sometimes brought by Santa Claus called ‘Julenissen’ in Norway. Presents are also brought by the small gnomes called ‘Nisse’. There are also gnome decorations. Children pick up the presents from under the Christmas Tree and read the cards on the presents out loud. As in Finland, a sheaf of wheat is often left out for the birds to eat over Christmas. Also a type of rice porridge is left for the ‘Nisse’ who is believed to guard the farm animals.
In some parts of Norway, children like to go carol singing and most children do. Often children will dress up as characters from the Christmas Story, such as the Shepherds and Wise Men, and go singing from house to house in their local neighbourhood. Another tradition in parts of Norway is that families light a candle every night from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day.
Christmas wasn’t celebrated in Norway until about 1000 or 1100, when Christianity first came to the area. Before this people celebrated jul or jòl in the middle of winter. It was a celebration of the harvest gone and a way of looking forward to the spring. Lots of beer (juleol) was brewed and drunk in honour of the old pagan Scandinavian gods.
Maybe the most famous custom about Christmas in Norway is the big Christmas Tree that Norway gives to the United Kingdom every year. The tree is given as a present to say ‘thank you’ for the help that the people of the UK gave to Norway during World War II. The tree stands in Trafalgar Square in the middle of London and often hundreds of people come to watch when the lights are turned on.
Many different types of cakes and biscuits are eaten over the Christmas period in Norway. One of the most popular cakes is a special bread called ‘Julekake’ that has raisins, candied peel and cardamom in it. Rice Porridge is eaten on Christmas Eve either as a meal at lunchtime (served with butter, sugar and cinnamon) or as a dessert to the main evening email with whipped cream mixed in. If you find an almond in your portion you’re traditionally given a pink or white marzipan pig. The main meal is normally pork or mutton ribs served with ‘surkal’ (white or red cabbage, finely chopped and cooked with caraway seeds and vinegar) and potatoes.
source: www.whychristmas.com
Christmas Eve – karácsony este
to exchange – cserélni
gnome – manó
wheat – búza
rice porridge – tejberizs
to guard – őrizni
carol – karácsonyi ének
character – szereplő
Shepherds – a pásztorok
Wise Men – a bölcsek
neighbourhood – szomszédság
candle – gyertya
Christianity – kereszténység
harvest – aratás, betakarítás
to look forward to – várni valamilyen eseményt
pagan – pogány
custom – szokás
raisin – mazsola
candied peel – kandírozott narancs- vagy citromhéj
cinnamon – fahéj
whipped cream – tejszínhab
almond – mandula
mutton – birkahús
caraway seed – köménymag
vinegar – ecet
Match the words with the definitons.
1. mutton |
a) small fairy tale creature |
2. vinegar |
b) person who looks after the sheep |
3. gnome |
c) something we do regularly during celebrations |
4. custom |
d) meat that comes from sheep |
5. shepherd |
e) sharp smelling liquid used on salads and pickles |
answers: 1-d 2-e 3-a 4-c 5-b
