At first glance, Norwegians appear to be ordinary people: polite, reserved, fashionably dressed. However, a closer look reveals that their lives are governed by unexpected rules. Let’s take a look at five of the most interesting.
Personal space is sacred
In Norway, it is considered unacceptable to talk to strangers without a good reason in parks, public transport, shops, or sit next to a stranger on a bus, even if it is crowded. They will also be unpleasantly surprised if you suddenly drop in on a visit without a call, explaining that “I’m nearby, I decided to drop by.” And they will not hide it for the sake of politeness: a typical Norwegian in such a situation will probably politely explain that he is busy and close the door on you.
Work starts earlier than usual
Norwegians follow the idea that they must contribute as much as possible to society. That is why residents strive to find a job immediately after graduation, Young mothers are on maternity leave for no more than a year, and even to receive unemployment benefits, the applicant must fulfill one of the main conditions – to actively look for work.
The working day in Norway starts at 8:00. At the same time, the duration of the working week is shorter than the standard one – only 37.5 hours.
Herring in alkali and “tired” cod
It is difficult to understand how one can fall in love with such products and even consider them delicacies, but reality turns out to be inexorable. Norwegians who want to surprise a dear foreign guest will offer him to try “surströmming” (fermented, one might say fermented, if not “sour”, herring) and “lutefisk” (dried cod, heavily soaked in alkali) – and they will gladly join.
Children are fed fast food and left to sleep in the cold
The usual menu in kindergartens is a variety of sandwiches. At the same time, children can independently “collect” sandwiches from the proposed ingredients: bread, cheese, sauce, caviar, sausage, fish sticks, and eggs. Hot meals are served in the gardens once a week. At home, light snacks are also more often preferred, especially in the morning and evening. Sandwiches are taken with them for walks and work.
It has become common for diaper babies to sleep outside during the day in any weather. Cold? Snow? Rain? It’s not a problem. They wrapped it up warmer, and put a raincoat on the stroller – this is even useful. However, with age, such daytime sleep is abandoned.
Captured by nature
The main passion of the Norwegians is nature, and they are used to emphasizing its importance every week. Therefore, on weekends, local cities become almost empty. Norwegians lock their apartments with a key, take their children, parents, fishing rods, and food, and go to wild places, away from the bustle of the city, closer to humidity, inconvenience, and natural beauty. Such a pastime is considered the norm. Everything else is a deviation that can cause public discontent.
Lack of luxury
In this country, it is not customary to stand out. Therefore, there are practically no luxurious mansions, expensive supercars, luxurious interiors, and deliberate displays of jewelry. Here they prefer bicycles, an emphasis on casual clothing, and the restrained Scandinavian interior design well known to the world – and this even though salaries in Norway exceed the European average.