Påske in a nutshell: Norwegian Easter customs

Published March 21, 2016 · Updated March 10, 2017

Finn Roed West Bloomfield, Mich. At the Council of Nicea, in A.D. 325, led by the Roman Emperor, the Bishops decided the Easter Formulations, namely, that Easter Sunday should be the first Sunday after the first full moon after the 21st of March. Norway follows this tradition. The Christian traditions are deeply embedded in the Norwegian psyche as evidenced in laws regarding holidays and other observances, such as school schedules and workers’ vacations. The Easter schedule, if you will, begins with Palm Sunday, Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem. To reflect Jesus’s suffering, very sparse decorations can be found in the churches. Easter Week is a quiet week. The churches celebrate Maundy Thursday, to remember the Last Supper, as well as Good Friday, which seems to have a more compelling name in Norwegian, “Langfredag” or Long Friday, the day of crucifixion. Saturda

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