Christmas preparations

To me and others, the month of December is probably the most stressing month of the year.
There are so many things that are going to fit in each day.
You have to buy presents, bake the cookies and hang up the Christmas finery.
And last but not least, you have to visit the friends you never visit the rest of the year.
I think that many years ago, the main meaning by Christmas was the enjoyment by being with your beloved ones and relax.
Now in these hectic preparations days, it’s more like we all are focused on pleasing others through expensive presents and extra love.

The real meaning by Christmas is to celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ and to show the love to the people next to us.

Over the years I think, Christmas has gone a bit over hand.
E.g. When my class got a job to hang up the Christmas decorations, they told us that they had used over one million kroner on the decoration.
That’s a little over hand if you ask me.

Christmas presents
On Christmas Eve, it’s more a competition of buying the best and most expensive present to each other. I thought that the meaning of Christmas and Christmas preparations were to save some time, give some extra love to your nearest and most beloved.


When I was smaller, Christmas was the best time of the year. Besides my birthday or when school ended for summer.
Everybody had the count of how many days it was left until the 24th December.
And when the day finally did come, it felt like the day was the longest of the year.

So my conclusion is that when people are young Christmas is exciting and a nice time. When you get older, Christmas is more of a stressing and chaotic time of the year.


My thoughts about Christmas preparations. Håkon

My Christmas

CHRISTMAS PREPARATION
written by Selma

Christmas preparation is something most people are thinking much about. Some people do start their preparations already in November. They plan who they are going to buy presents for, and they start to do the shopping.
The shops start to decorate for Christmas earlier and earlier. Sometimes I think they even start too early.
They had Christmas soda and candies in the store already in the end of November.
I need to get this Christmas feeling before I start my Christmas preparation. If it’s raining and its windy I don’t get this feeling, but if it’s cold and perhaps some snow it’s easier to get this Christmas feeling.
When I see all the lights and the Christmas decoration in people’s garden and in the windows, I know that Christmas is approaching.
My family doesn’t have any tradition for baking Christmas cookies, but we do have a very nice tradition. Every last Saturday before Christmas we are four families gathering together in the home of one of these families. We are eating porridge and a lot of nice food, and we are playing different games.
About two weeks before Christmas I go to a big shopping center to buy gifts to my friends and to my family. I think it’s quite nice to find something special to each and everyone.
Last day before Christmas Eve is the big day for Christmas preparations. My parents are cleaning the house and doing the last shopping. I try to help them cleaning the house. We do have a tradition that me and my sisters are going early to bed that night and my parents are decorating the Christmas tree and the rest of the house when we are asleep. When we wake up in the morning it’s a bit magic in the house, and we find a little present on our plate at the kitchen. This is the only present we are allowed to open before Christmas Eve.
I like very much to prepare Christmas and it makes me very happy. My room is full of Christmas stuff and I have decorated it very nicely. Christmas makes me so happy and I get a special feeling in December.

My Christmas season

Christmas preparations written by Camilla

It is the same routine every year. It starts December 1. The only thing that changes this year from the others is that we have three different gift calendars. I usually forget to open all of them before I have to run to the school bus. So, it goes without saying.
Sadly, my mom is usually too busy to do anything special before little Christmas so it does not actually feel like Christmas before that.
But in the spirit of Christmas, I always clean my room, hang up the Christmas curtains, put a boll of chocolate on my desk and some nice sheets on my bed. And of course i prefer the sheet with those tiny santas on.

I started shopping gifts really early this year; I hate to do things in the last minute, like for excample buy all of the presents the day before Christams Eve. I like to have a little time to choose between different things, so that is what I did.
I am actually really happy with the gifts I have chosen for my friends and my family. I have put a lot of thought and effort into choosing the perfect gifts. I hope they will love them, just like I do.

We putted together the yearly biscuit house some days ago. My mom and I had to do it our self this year, so we spent a great deal of time trying to do it right. My little brother and I are going to garnish the house with candy and I am really looking forward to it. I think you know why.
We do not live far from the food store, and every year they sell Christmas trees there. I cannot help thinking about Christmas when I walk pass it, I just love the smell.

My dad lives in Oslo so I do not get to see him too much. I have only spent a few Christmases with him, but it is fine. It is very different to celebrate Christmas Eve and new years in another city, everybody celebrates it different. I really like the tradition we have here at home. Maybe because
I love spending Christmas with my two wonderful brothers.
It would not be the same without them.

How do we prepare Christmas in Norway?

Students in 10e have presented their Christmas preparations.

On this page you can read about how they prepare, celebrate and enjoy this joyful season.

Merry Christmas! God Jul!

Christmas preparation in Norway

My Christmas written by Sofie

For me Christmas starts the morning of December 1st. Then I wake up to see that my Mom has wrapped in one present for each day of December until the 24th. It is called advent presents, and it makes the 24 days a bit more fun!

It is said that you should bake seven different kinds of cookies for Christmas. But in my family we bake Chocolate chip cookies, ginger biscuits, and two or three other types. After years of experience on this area we have come to the conclusion that we have to make them the weekend before the holiday. Otherwise they would have been eaten up before the big evening. Especially the chocolate chip cookies are very popular in my house.

Every year I stress around trying to find the perfect presents for my family and to my friends. But it is nice too. I love it when I find something that screams at me with one of their personalities. I don’t think that price matters, it is not important if the present is expensive or inexpensive. It is the meaning of it that counts. All the gifts are opened on Christmas Eve after a lovely meal.

Some days before Christmas Eve my family and I, or mostly my dad goes up on the attic to find all of our indoor Christmas decoration. The outdoor decorations, like some Christmas light and the little Santa, made of wood, which is holding a torch has been set up in the beginning of December.
When my Dad comes down from the attic, my mother, sister and I eager to start decorate our house for Christmas. We sing along to Christmas songs as we are really getting in the mood for our favourite holiday! After some time, you can not look in any direction without spotting a little Santa or a beautiful angel. In my house we decorate our Christmas tree the day before Christmas Eve, and that is Christmas!

When I wake up on the 24th I put some wool-socks on and run upstairs to open my last advent present, and then you can find me sitting in front of the television for some time. I always watch the Czech version of “three nuts to Cinderella.” When that is finished I have to get dressed. Every year my whole family on my father’s side gathers at his parent’s house to eat Christmas porridge, and exchange gifts. It is a tradition I have been born into.
Then we come home, and my parents start preparing the Christmas meal. When we are celebrating the holiday at home in Bergen we have salted ribs of mutton with potatoes and mashed Swedes to eat. If we are with my mother’s family in Oslo, we are always served ribs of pork.

We eat around 6 o’clock, followed with a great dessert. I always overeat on Christmas Eve. Sometimes I have trouble walking afterwards, but it is so tasteful, delicious, and I can not stop myself.

When the food has been eaten up, we start to open the gifts, it depends on how many we are, but mostly we are not finished unwrapping gifts until some hours have past. We have a system, so each person opens one gift, and then it is someone else’s turn to open their gift. In this way, we can all see what the other is getting as well as the excitement is not over within a few minutes.

And then Christmas Eve is over. Now days of relaxing are coming up, and that is not so bad either!