These days, Norwegians will send you letters with the word "Dugnad" A dugnad is a voluntary contribution to the community, usually in form of manual labour But really it is not voluntary If you do not participate you risk to be socially excluded from your community over a long period Instead of employing a firm to clean the garden or paint the outer walls of the apartment block where you live Or the street where your house is A group of motivated Norwegians will send you letters to invite you to the Dugnad It is socially unacceptable to propose to pay professionals to  ..read more

Source: "The Social Guidebook to Norway" Since I was 12 year old, I have been told to open doors for women, to walk on the right side of the sidewalk  and to pour wine to women first.   When I got to Norway, women told me they could open doors themselves, that I should not change side to walk between them and the cars and they were suspicious that I was trying to get them drunk when pouring them wine! Norwegian women are independent Very independent Gender-based politeness norms are mostly absent in Norway And it is considered as a good thing Politeness means something different Whe ..read more

Despite horrible weather conditions Norwegians and prawns will do just fine! "Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlige klær"  "There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing." If prawns manage, Norwegians will manage to. And so will you after a few years. Here are a few tips to survive and enjoy Norway 1. Go outside independently of the weather. The more you get used to being outside under the rain, snow and wind the more you will enjoying it! It will put you in a good mood despite the horrible weather. 2. Do sports outside all year long. Norwegian change from running to cyclin ..read more

Unwritten Norwegian Social Law § 48 "You shall not walk in cross-country ski tracks without wearing skis" If you do, Norwegians may scream "Løype" or stare at you. “Løype” means “slope”, but really it means “Get the hell out of the ski slopes”. There are not many politeness rules in Norway, politeness in Norway is usually about not disturbing others. Do not walk in the ski tracks. In Norway, ski tracks are maintained better than the national highways, and Norwegians are very proud of that. Do not take this lightly! Enjoy the Norwegian winter :)   -- This is one of the 100 Unwri ..read more

Norwegians like to keep their distance with strangers They also avoid eye contact  And tend to be a little reserved and introvert in their social interactions   But when it comes to sitting right next to strangers in a very small hot room They feel so comfortable that they may well sit completely naked And it feels normal I wish I knew in advance So I could prepare mentally   Sometimes they will separate genders But not always After the sauna session You may be asked to roll in the snow or to jump into a river While this may feel a little weird It does fit very ..read more

The "loppemarked" season is here "Loppemarked", or "flea market" in English, is where thousands of Norwegians work as volunteers collecting and selling fournitures and other household objects.  It is voluntary and done as a "dugnad" to finance activities of an organisation, often for children. This is a unique opportunity to get involved to get to know other people or parents in your neighbourhood. Taking part in dugnad is also part of the ritual to to be accepted and seen as a good parent in Norway. Coming together around voluntary work is an important part of the Norwegian culture Arra ..read more

Source: "The Social Guidebook to Norway" & "Nordmenn uten filter"   In Norway you need to have a reason to speak to others Spontaneous communication in public spaces is less common than in other countries You mind your own business and try not to disturb others by unnecessary communication Politeness in Norway is a lot about not disturbing others Leaving others alone and in peace Trying to start a conversation without a reason will most probably be more difficult than in the rest of the world But if you have a reason to speak: You are doing the same activity, you are part of the ..read more

Source: "The Social Guidebook to Norway" The first time I was invited to a BBQ in Norway I marinaded pork tenderloin in Maple Syrup And brought a bottle of sparkling wine for everyone to enjoy I was looking forward to let my new Norwegian friends experience my Canadian recipe And was curious to try some Norwegian food The BBQ did not go exactly as planned Everyone did bring some food But Norwegians ate their own food Only their own food And it felt like they were uncomfortable accepting some sparkling wine They all drank their own alcohol And those who did not drink all their a ..read more

Here is a pristine example of Norwegian culture. A winter cabin in the Norwegian mountains with no road access during winter is for sale at 4 500 000NOK ( 450 000 EUR/USD). The cabin is only accessible on skis during winter and is located about 5km from the winter road. The cabin has no running water nor electricity. A typical buyer will be living in Oslo and drive there on the weekends during the winter. Its takes about 4h to drive to the cabin from Oslo. Norwegian love to be alone, just like we explain in "The Social Guidebook to Norway": -- Read more about our amazing Norwegian f ..read more

Source: "The Social Guidebook to Norway" Norwegians tend to have their friendships organised in social bubbles Each of these social bubbles is linked to a particular activity, place or time in a Norwegian's life Norwegians will even introduce their friends by referring to which social bubble they belong to Ungdomsskolevenner, videregåendeskolevenner, universitetsvenner, hyttevenner, Birkengjengen, fotballgjengen, dansegruppe, foreldregruppe, barselgruppe, symøtegjengen, naboen, etc They will meet friends from one group at any given time, and only friends from that one group Norwegians have ma ..read more