This is the day before the day, what we call the “Little Christmas eve”. Here in Norway, Christmas Eve is the big night. This is the night where we dress up, put all the nice stuff on the dinner table; all your silver (fresh polished of course), the best china and the most fancy wine glasses.
This is the night when we exchange presents, but not until after dinner. I remember from my childhood Christmas days, how unfair this felt. We, the kids, had to wait all day, circulating around the Christmas three, looking at all the presents laying underneath, and we had to wait for hours while the grownups ate and ate, then took a little nap, before we could open presents.
The dream was of course the white Christmas. To have snow for Christmas was the ultimate Christmas feeling, and when I was a child, there was always snow. All winter through. Now days we have to be really lucky to have below 0 degrees Celsius (32 F) in the cities like Oslo, Bergen or Trondheim. Even Tromsø, which is way up north of Norway, doesn’t necessary have snow in December anymore.
Sadly there are many unfortunate children at Christmas, also in Norway, the richest country in the world. Children who have parents who are busier getting drunk or buying drugs, than presents and shiny tables. Children who are being ignored and whose needs will be neglected or overseen. We believe about 200 000 children in Norway are dreading Christmas because they know that their parents will be drunk during the holydays, and that they probably won’t get any presents. A lot of them will be spending the holydays being afraid for their lives or their parents’ lives, or they will be left alone.
Christmas is the time for all your wishes to come through, but also the time for broken children hearts. Please be cautious with alcohol and do not drink more than you can control, and if you can’t, do not drink at all as long as your children are there.
Merry Christmas everyone!
