So one of the blogs on my blogroll (and regular reads) is RennyBA’s Terella. He is a Norwegian who writes wonderfully about Norway and life there. Well, his most recent post is something (as an American living in Norway) I want to talk about on my site because personally, I love Halloween!
Renny talks about how Norway itself has no Halloween tradition. He talks about how the trick-or-treating traditions of Halloween are spreading around the world but not to Norway. Even Norway’s neighbor Sweden seems to embrace the fun of the holiday, Norway does not seem to have the same open arms for this American tradition. Its even been talked about having it banned in Norway, because the Norwegians don’t seem to enjoy this American holiday at all.
To me, I don’t understand why, but as I read further I began to understand a little more. He says that in Norway that it has become less about dressing up in cute costumes and getting candy to be more about the “frightening” aspects. Well, from what I know in America there is nothing truly frightening about Halloween. Is all about costumes and candy.
Renny says that in Norway some of the kids will actually play “tricks” on people who don’t give them candy. Where as in the states I think of the words “trick-or-treat” as a saying and a phrase for Halloween fun. Its nothing literal at all. He says that they will actually frighten people out of their wits or do some-kind of vandalism.
I think this is just terrible. No wonder people in Norway have talked about having Halloween banned. If kids were coming to my door threatening to pull some kind of prank on me if I did not give them candy that they were asking for, I would be afraid too.
Maybe one-day the kids of Norway will come to know “trick-or-treat” as just a friendly phrase to have some fun in celebrating this fun tradition. Then the older generations of Norway can embrace it as well without fear.
Anyways, Happy Halloween Norway and everyone! :)
4 responses so far ↓
1 Lothiane // Nov 10, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Interesting post. Actually, kids have picked up on this tradition, at least around where I live in Oslo. The toy stores sell a lot of costumes and stuff. I had some kids at my door asking for candy. Mostly they’re just sweet and polite, but I’ve also experienced a gang of bigger boys who didn’t act very nice at all. I gave them candy, but I almost wish I didn’t as I didn’t like how they acted. So… I guess some use this as a way to get free candy… and I don’t think the bigger kids/teenagers should do this. It should be just the little kids. Well, that’s my opinion. I really don’t like this tradition, because I don’t like scary masks. I know they’re just kids.. but I still get scared.
2 Thor // Jan 15, 2008 at 5:27 pm
If you’re looking for treats, you should have a look at the “julebukk” tradition in Norway. In these respects it is fairly similar to Halloween. Wikipedia has an entry on “julebukking” which seems to be the Norwegian American version of the same tradition.
3 ZombieTron // Jan 14, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Julebukking is a much nicer tradition I think, I grew up in the UK with an Anglo-American mother, this was before Halloween and trick-or-treating had really caught on in the UK, we used to have halloween parties due to my Mum’s american history, but I really don’t like how trick-or-treating is now in the UK as most kids don’t make any effort with their costumes and a very cheap tacky shop bought mask in exchange for candy feels more like stealing! In Norway the christmas time tradition of children dressing up for treats is much more like trick-or-treating is in the US then trick-or-treating in the rest of the world. I just don’t think the rest of the world really gets it! I don’t think Norway needs Halloween, they have many of their own traditions which they should try to keep alive instead of adopting American ones.
4 jen // Oct 22, 2009 at 7:59 am
I think it is interesting how halloween is being adopted in norway.
My thoughts on this as an American are that it seems that the kids really like the idea but the adults have not quite accepted Halloween yet.
I really feel that since halloween is already becoming a part of the norwegian culture, the only way to keep it under controll and make it into an enjoyable event instead of something that the adults do not like would be if the adults and teachers in norway would decide to fully accept the holliday and adopt it compleatly so that they will begain to teach the children from an early age what the rules are for halloween and how to do it the correct and polite way.
Its really the only way to stop it from becoming something people dread and make it into something enjoyable instead.
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