Christmas traditions

I have been asked about the Christmas traditions in Norway. Donna wondred why we opened our Christmas gifts on the 24. Well, I have asked some peoples and done a lot of thinking my self. And I belive it has to do with the Vikings and the Christnening of Norway. The Vikings had a big celebrating ( blot) on the 24. It was the darkes night of the year and the scaries one. So they gather to celebrate that the darkes time was over and it only was getting lighter.The candel - light was shining all through the night because of ,what they belive, all the dead people who was outside trying to get inside to hurt someone. So when Norway was Christned they allready got a great night to celebright and tok it as Christi birthday.I realy did not realize how mutch of the old traditions we realy have her in Norway. The hollyday peace began at 5 pm when all the church-bell starts to ring all over the country. And in our family we put on our best clothes and sit down to eat dinner at six'o clock.We will eat rib,meat-cakes and sosisses with vegetables and some tradisjonell bread called lefse. (It is made of potatos and flour for the most.) After the dinner all the dishes must be clened and the kitchen steady. As vell as the hole house must be clean and shining. THen we can sit down and open our gift, one by one. and every one have to see what we got. So this can take some time. We use to have coffe and cakes while opening the gifts. It "must" be at least seven different kind of cakes. Some are traditional and some are new one found in magasines or I got the recepi from someone...
I will try to show some of my traditions before Christmas. I have cleaned almost all over my house and baked most of the cakes. No I have to do the last gifts and wrap it in...
Yesterday some quilting girls did another tradition....we went on a trip to Oslo to look at the Christmas decorations and visit some stores. Her are a new tradition for me: A Christmas marked . I'm not use to that in Norway. It was fun to visit but, hard to get the Christmas spirit. Pure daylight and no snow... It was a lot of angels this year. You could see them all over the town. I think they are beautiful.
Here you can see what Oslo looks like....almost spring. No snow and a sunny weather...

Here are the ladies of our big destinations....Katrines Quilte Stue. We spent a great time looking and buying there.
Here you can see my buyings. A pattern from Chinderberry Stitches , a Japanese book and one fabricks. I have a meaning with the fabrics ,the other was somthing "must have" items.
We also went to Panduro. I wanted to buy some felt so I could make slippers from the new Tilda book. I made them to day,and learned that the felt didn't look the same on both sides..... I allways get some surprises in different light Good it is for me self. ;-)
We didn't meet the Nobel peace price winners Al Gore and Rajendra Pachauri. But we saw a lot of verry clean cars and this bus. They are in Oslo this weekend to get the price.
As you cuold see there was almost no winter in Oslo, but I can tell you we got it in Trysil. Just now it is 19 degrees below zero. Cold but beautiful day.

Now I have tryed to tell a little about how I celebrate Christmas. I hope you all have a wonderful Advent. Remember to let the child in you have some fun.

Ps. I have got my SSCS present. I got it from Tracey and I have not open it.....;-)