MY CHRISTMAS: MY CHRISTMAS

My Norwegian Christmas:

23/12 - "Little Christmas Eve" / Lille Julaften

Here me and my family traditionally have rice porridge with butter, sugar and cinnemon on top. My mum hides an almond and the one that finds it gets a marzipan pig. Many Norwegians do this.

We also set out a plate of porridge to the santa (not Santa Clause, see previous post).

Grevinnen og Hovmesteren/Der 90. Geburtstag oder Dinner for One which is a black & white short from Western-Germany with the English comedian Freddie Frinton and May Warden. It's shown in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Australia and South-Africa on New Years Eve, but on the 23rd in Norway. It's been shown for maaaannnnyyyy years.

24/12 - Christmas Eve

Traditionally people in Norway will eat "ribbe" / whole pork ribs, with "sossiser" / mini un-smoked sausages, sauerkraut, vegetables, "tyttebær"/lingonberries and potatoes ++.

Our roast, un cooked and un-prepped of course.

In my family we've always has "skinkesteik"/Christmas roast of ham, roasted and boiled potatoes, "sossiser", "tyttebær", gravy and vegetables. (I feel like I'm forgetting something....?) Normally mum will make a small piece of "ribbe" for the people that want that, but this year we're skipping the "ribbe". I really don't mind. I think Christmas roast tastes a lot better. 

Then after dinner and desert, normally around 18:00 ish, we start opening presents. So fun!

25/12 - 1st Christmas Day / Christmas Day

When I was a kid I got up early on Christmas Day to run downstairs to try out my gifts and check out my stocking. Yeah our stockings either hang by the fireplace or lie under the tree. In it is often some candy, fruit, cartoons, games etc.

Christmas Day is a day where the family gather around the TV to watch old time classics, like Disney and Cindarella. Ever since the 1970s Tre nøtter til Askepott/Three Gifts for Cinderella, org.: Tři oříšky pro Popelku, have been shown on Norwegian TV. One MAN dubbed all the voices into Norwegian. In the beginning I found it hilarious, and I kinda still do, but now I'm used to it. Tried watching it in Slovak language, but it was just so wrong + I can't speak Slovak.

Then often we'll have a Christmas brunch/lunch with some other part of the family we weren't with on Christmas Eve. Usually this is leftovers from the Christmas dinner mixed with freshly cooked bread and/or rolls, omelettes and the normal ham, cheeses etc.

25/12 - 2nd Christmas Day / Boxing Day --> 30/12 - The Day before New Years

Here we've got MAANNYY family parties, hopefully some skiing, friends parties and much more fun. (And suddenly my family looked greek, by the looks of the picture xD )

31/12 - New Years Eve

Early on New Years Eve we smash the peppercookiehouse into a thousand pieces and eat it. (That's just an illustration, I'll show you our soon)

When I've spent my New Years Eve with my family, we normally have a turkey dinner. It the last two years I've been with friends at parties. One year I had taco on New Years, that was lush!

01/01 - 1st New Years Day

Either you're waking up and taking it easy, might go ski OR you're hangover.

Merry Christmas!

I think this guy is a genius! HAHA!
Today's song: All I want for Christmas / Dancing with iPod

MY CHRISTMAS: BAKING PART 2 - ADAM + STEVE?

We've decorated our peppercookies :D Don't they look nice?

Isn't that awesome? 

"Not only just Adam and Eve, 

could be Adam and Steve."

HAHA! I just had to.

Then we made marzipan. Firstly made four colours red, green, blue and purple. Then we dip it in chocolate and with nuts on. This is our tradition in our house. We have these at family parties and also give it as presents to people.

Merry Christmas!

I love this music video, so cool!

Today's song: David Guetta - Titanium ft. Sia

MY CHRISTMAS: BAKING PART 1

Me, mom and my sister had our first Christmas bake session. We made peppercookies, which basically is gingerbread cookies with pepper. So tasty.

We're gonna decorate the cookies tomorrow hopefully.

Shot by one of my sisters, the 8 year old one

Stay tuned for more baking! Merry Christmas :)

Today's song: Glee Cast - Do they know it's Christmas?

MY CHRISTMAS: HOW MANY SANTAS DID YOU SAY?

In my house, at the moment, we have 134 santas of all sorts! In Scandinavia we have "santas" and of course Santa Clause too. In Norway we say that santas lives on farms, woods or mountain, hidden from humans.

 

Traditionally they are red. But about 10 years ago a children's series, "Blåfjell" (Blue Mountain), introduced blue santas.

Giving the people a choice to either dress up in the traditional red or the new blue. Nothing more right or wrong than the other. Normally I'll see both colours out in the streets in December.

I saw New Years Eve with Hansa, Christiane and Simen yesterday evening. Liked it. It's one of those feel-good films. I recommend you watch it. It will give a warm fuzzy feel to start your Christmas celebrations with.

Merry Christmas :D

Today's song: I'll be home for Christmas - Rascal Flatts
 

BREAKS MY HEART

Today I hosted my third Kids Away activity. Went okay, made loads of gifts.

But what hurt my heart today was a amazingly cute 6-year old girl at my project told me "Daddy is funny when he's drunk. Last time he fell down the stairs and mummy started yelling at him. He often gets drunk." ... Some people doesn't deserve the great gift of becoming parents !!!!!! Human scum! 6 YEARS OLD! 6! So tomorrow I have to file a report to Social Services, which is no fun, but it has to be done.

In 9 out 10 cases of domestic violence the child(ren) is in the same or neighbour room, again causing them problems; anger, tantrums, anger, depression etc. Violence against children is the absolute worst thing I know! They have done nothing wrong and gets beaten. That is wrong.

I actually considered becoming a social worker, helping. Funny as it might be, it was the character Maxine Grey in Judging Amy that inspired me to think of that. But then I said to myself, I would rather make something like the series to motivate more people and maybe change more lives. Her character, and people like her in the real world, sometimes see hell when go to work. Kids beaten so badly that their whole body is bruised, alcoholic parents who forget to make food for them cause they're smashed beyond recognition. But still these people keep fighting. These children survive. Some of my friends have gone through hell and more when growing up, they're still dealing, but they're bouncing back.

This is no fun for kids. As with most kids, my parents argued when I was younger, it broke my heart and I used to go to bed so angry and sad. So many times I wanted to trash absolutely everything in my house. And sometimes I did, knocking over books, bed lamps, kicking stuff outside. I even had a period where I asked my mum to buy me a boxing pad. She asked why, I said just going around angry and need to hit stuff. What I didn't tell, was where I got parts of my anger from...

BUT kids all over the world is abused and experience serious forms of neglect. THAT is something to fight against.

Yelling and shouting in front own children should be avoided at ANY cost. It doesn't belong in a childhood. All parents fights, but they should at least have the common decency to don't do it in front of the kids. Growing up with this causes stress on the kids. Your kid often get tantrums and get angry? It's not always its fault, it gets from somewhere. Normally it will copy how it sees the parents react. There's a saying: "Monkey see, monkey do"

So to all parents, you should be ashamed of yourself.

Today's song: Placebo - Running up that hill

1ST OF DECEMBER

1st of December guys!



The magical time of the year. I'm not in Christmas mood yet, but I'll get there. Really looking forward to Sunday though! Having the Christmas workshop I'm hosting for the kids. Yesterday I went shopping for about 3 hours to get ahold of all the arts and crafts stuff. It took a bit longer than anticipated cause of the general strike in the UK. I still need to get a hold of paint brushes.

I belive that every single child should have the oppertunity to give a gift to someone they love, something they have spent a lot of time making. That's all what Christmas is about, showing your love and being gratefull and giving. It's doesn't matter about the pricetag, but the thought put behind it.

My wishlist

I've only wished for two things this Christmas, "Europe on a budget" and "The man in seat 61". Two apperently great books about interrail. I really hope to go backpacking through Europe next summer, making a documentary about my travels and meeting new and amazing people. That's my dream, exploring the world.  If I can manage to make a piece AND explore and have fun in the same time, that's great.

Besides those two, I'll be happy for anything and nothing really. I've got most of what I want/can have. Know this is gonna sound a bit Miss America, but I really want to make a differense for the kids. If I can get them into Christmas spirit, I'll be so happy words can't even describe it.

Christmas

Been listening to Michael Bubles Christmas album for weeks now. He's spiced up the classical Christmas songs with a bit of jazz and 50-60s style. Check it out on Spotify.

Merry Christmas to all!

Today's song: Coldplay Christmas Lights