Celebrate Easter Like the Norwegians

Easter traditions vary across the world and the people in Norway have their own unique way of celebrating it by bringing their Norwegian hobbies and pastimes into this sacred, Christian holiday. Here are some of the most interesting aspects of Norwegian Påske — Easter in Norwegian — that you can bring into your Easter, too.

Serve Påske Dishes

Like most Norwegian holidays, Easter is an opportunity to embrace hygge, spend time with family and enjoy a sprawling feast. Roasted lamb, a biblical reference to Jesus, is the main dish on Easter Sunday and is typically served with an assortment of vegetables and potatoes.

Citrus fruits — oranges, tangerines and clementines — are also a central part of Easter for Norwegians — which is surprising for a country where citrus fruit doesn’t grow. During the Easter holiday, Norwegians eat more than 20 million pieces of citrus fruits. This is a staggering figure, considering Norway’s population is less than 5.5 million.

Book a Cozy Mountain Cottage

Beginning during the latter part of the Påske Week, Norway’s cities empty and stores close their doors. This annual tradition allows Norwegians to take time off and celebrate Easter. Because there are several public holidays during this week, it’s become common for Norwegians to travel north and vacation in mountain cottages during the holiday weekend.

In the mountains of Norway, families gather together in cozy mountain cottages to celebrate Easter, spend time together, read and ski. Skiing is an important part of the Easter tradition for Norwegians because Easter is the unofficial marker of the coming sunshine and warmer weather. This warmer weather makes Easter the season’s last opportunity to get on the slopes.

Decorate with Yellow

Easter décor in Norway uses a lot of yellow to represent the spring season. Across the country, Norwegians set Easter dining tables with yellow napkins, flowers, dyed eggs and more. Dandelions and daffodils bloom in early spring and make great color additions for Easter decorations.

Whether it’s something as small as adding a yellow daffodil to your Easter décor or as large as a weekend trip with your family, see what it’s like to add a piece of the Norwegian Påske tradition to your Easter celebration this year.