NORWEGIAN
4 Write out these dates in Norwegian using ordinal numbers, and
the names of the months:
(a) 5 February
(6) 12 March
(c) 14 June
(d) 16July
(e) 26 September
5 Give the appropriate greeting / expression of gratitude:
(a) Wish someone a happy birthday.
(b) Say Happy Christmas, Grandmother (paternal).
(c) Wish someone a Happy New Year.
(d) Thank your host / hostess for a meal.
(e) Say: Thank you, the same (to you).
6 Use sette / sitte, legge / ligge, sette seg / legge seg in the
present tense:
(a) Kari boken på bordet.
(b) Erik ved bordet.
(c) John klokken tolv.
(d) Han ved vinduet.
(e) Jeg klokken ti på elleve.
7 These sentenæs are in the present tense. Change the verbs to past tense:
(a) Jeg sitter ved bordet. Jeg ved bordet.
(b) John legger seg klokken John .
kvart på tolv.
(c) Vi setter oss ved vinduet. Vi .
(d) Du legger boken på bordet. Du .
(e) Bøkene ligger på bordet. Bøkene .
Hva du trenger å vite
Preparations for Christmas in Norway get under way in early
December. Hornes are cleaned from cellar to loft, and the tra-
ditional seven kinds of cookies are baked. It is a time for the family
to enjoy evenings together, writing Christmas cards and making
sweets and Christmas decorations.
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HAPPY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The Christmas tree is decorated the evening before Christmas -
and Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve, the 24th. The tree
is never lit before the evening of the 24th.
An old tradition is to have rice porridge for lunch. A blanched
almond is hidden in the porridge, and the lucky finder receives a
marzipan pig.
Vast numbers of people attend the children's service in the
churches. The church bells ring at the same time all over the
country to signal the beginning of Christmas.
Christmas Eve is a family time. Food traditions vary from place to
place, with roast rib of pork in the south-east and lamb or cod,
even Lutefisk (described below) in the west, and grouse in the far
north.
The custom of forming a circle round the Christmas tree and
singing carols is slowly dying out as families become smaller. At
larger family gatherings and other Christmas parties, however,
this tradition is still very much alive. Traditional carols are sung,
ending with action / dance songs similar to 'Here we go round the
mulberry bush'.
The presents are arranged under the tree, and are distributed one
at a time so that everybody can enjoy and admire them and share
in the pleasure of the recipient.
There are usually many parties and family reunions between
Christmas and the New Year. New Year is celebrated with parties
and fireworks. Church bells also chime for the New Year.
Pinnekjøtt
Twigs of birch are placed in a
large pan; the lamb, cut into
pieces, is placed on the twigs;
a little water is added; the
meat is steamed through the
twigs until tender. Season
with salt and pepper and serve
with plenty of chopped parsley
and boiled new potatoes.
Lutefisk
Fillets of dried cod are soaked
for some time in a potash lye.
They are then soaked, boiled
and served with crisply fried
diced bacon, and the bacon fat
is liberally poured over. A
gourmet dish!
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