Here in Norway a lot of people spend Easter holiday at the family cabin ("hytte"). Those who own a cabin up in the mountains, spend Easter on skis enjoying the last bits of decent snow. Nowadays a lot of these cabins have all modern comforts - electricity, internet and last but not least, running water. Back in the days though, you had to heat the cabin using the wood stove, you had to melt and boil buckets full of snow to be able to drink water and wash yourself, and you had to put on shoes and plough through the last bits of snow to be able to go to the toilet in the outhouse. I guess those were the days that one of the Norwegian Easter traditions - the tradition of reading crime novels - began. Without TV or internet available, you had to entertain yourself during the evening either by reading books or playing games. Norway has a couple of renowned authors of crime novels, one of them is Jo Nesbø. This Easter I have read his debut novel "Flaggermusmannen" / "The Batman", which is the first of several novels about detective Harry Hole. Most of his crime novels are available in English, so next time you are at the book store...you might want to consider a novel by Jo Nesbø.
During the day, a lot of Norwegians spend time outside on their downhill or cross country skis. When out and about, there are three items most Norwegians bring in their backpacks - oranges, chocolate bars called "Kvikklunsj" ("Quick lunch") and sun lotion. At this time of the year the sun is finally returning after several dark winter months, and it seems like we all are desperate to get a bit of a tan. But why the oranges and the "Kvikklunsj"? Even after nearly nine years of living in Norway, I haven't gotten a proper explanation. I guess though that it's beacuse these food items back in the days were a luxury. Norway was at the beginning of the 20th century one of the poorest countries in Europe. It's was first in the late 1960s with the discovery of the oil fields off the coast of Norway, that Norway started to become one of the richest countries in the world. My Norwegian father-in-law, born in the late 1940s, grew up with eight siblings. He has told me several times that if he was given an orange or a chocolate bar when growing up, he would have to split it nine ways and share with his siblings.
The chocolate bar "Kvikklunsj" was launched by the Norwegian chocolate brand "Freia" in the late 1930s as THE chocolate bar to bring along when hiking or skiing in the mountains, and has been associated with the outdoors ever since - especially because there are printed suggestions for different hikes right on the back of this chocolate bar. Statistics show that nearly 25 % of the yearly production of 50 million bars is eaten during the Easter holiday!!!
Some of the other Easter traditions seem more international. Even though my husband and I have grown up in different countries, we are both used to decorating the house with handpainted eggs hung from fresh tree branches; a big Easter breakfast with either omelette, egg salad, fried or boiled eggs; some form of lamb for Easter dinner, and an Easter egg hunt out in the garden (although I can imagine that it was harder for him than for me to find the eggs with all the snow). I try to keep some of these traditions alive, to unite past and future generations and because when they are gone, what will we have left?
Of course, I try to give the traditions a personal touch as well... The tree branches are mixed with tulips (by the way, you know you are a Dutchie living abroad when you are paying 13 euro for 15 tulips!!!), the boiled eggs at Easter breakfast are covered with home knitted, bunny-shaped egg warmers; and Easter decoration newly bought at the Easter markets in Cracow is used side by side with decorations from previous years.
Now I am off to the kitchen to bake an Easter cake and start marinating the leg of lamb that will be for dinner this evening, as my brother-in-law will be dropping by later today. That leaves me to wish you all a Happy Easter!
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