What to look out for when coming to Norway? Learn about several Norwegian habits
1. Embrace the sun and love outdoor activities
Norwegians are very close to nature, especially outdoors, especially skiing, and almost every town has a snow jumping platform. In winter, skiing naturally becomes a Norwegian favourite.
In Norway, summers are fleeting and winters are particularly long, so people are happy when there is sunshine. For this country with few sunny days, on sunny days, everyone will enjoy the sunshine to their heart’s content, see the sun, do not want to stay at home, just want to go outdoors. They go for a walk in the forest on the outskirts of the city, picnics, or mountain hikes, camping, and fishing with their families or friends, with tents, sleeping bags, fishing rods and other field equipment. In the summer, I go to the beach to bask and swim. Throughout the year, regardless of rain, snow, wind or frost, Norwegians in gym clothes can often be seen running outdoors, even during the cold winter months. Norwegians’ love of sunshine and sport is deeply embedded in their lives.
Second, develop the habit of taking off your shoes when you enter the door
If you are invited to a Norwegian home, please note that you will have to take off your shoes first thing as soon as you enter the door, so please wear clean socks. Generally, there will be carpets in the living room, and the house is warm even in winter, so it will feel comfortable and close to nature when you take off your shoes. Unless the owner allows you to wear shoes, remember to take them off when entering the room.
3. You don’t need to tip extra to buy something and don’t haggle
Spending in Norway usually does not require additional tipping because the service charge is already included in the bill, or you can politely pay the whole amount, for example, if the bill is NOK 38.66, you can give the store 40 kroner directly, which will be considered a generous guest.
Another reminder is to remember not to haggle when buying something. In the store, every item on display is marked with a price, unless the item is defective or damaged, please do not try to bargain with the store, it will only make them think that you do not know how to respect the value of the product. Of course, if it’s just roadside vendors, second-hand goods or in traditional markets, you can still enjoy bargain shopping.
Fourth, the diet is simple
Norway is not a country known for exquisite cuisine, for example, frozen pizza is considered a staple of the Norwegian diet, Norwegian meals are very simple and casual, take brunch as an example, hearty is a hot meal, more common sandwiches or salads, sandwiches with cooked eggs, cheese, cured meats, etc., bread with coffee is also a common meal.
If you want to go out to eat Chinese food, the price is very expensive! A lot of the Chinese food here has been modified to suit Norwegian tastes, so it’s still recommended to cook your own food to save money and taste, which is how the chef makes it.
5. Get used to keeping your distance when talking
In Norway, whether you know each other or not, you will blurt out “Hei” when you meet, and the Norwegian word “Hei” (hello) is a simple polite greeting, as long as there is eye contact, “Hei” will be said naturally, and the distance between people is suddenly narrowed. But this does not mean that they are extroverted, on the contrary, Norwegians have a slightly more introverted personality, and unless you are a very close friend of them, you are only used to shaking hands when meeting people in social situations. When acquaintances meet, they hug each other. When women meet each other, they often use veneers as a courtesy.
Norway also has a special habit of talking from a distance, that is, keeping a distance when talking to each other. They believe that the best distance between the two sides of the conversation should be about 1 meter. If they get too close, it will make them feel inhibited. So if the Norwegian takes a step back in conversation, you don’t care too much either.
6. Implement a flexible working system and humanize management
Norwegian companies work a flexible working day, working 7.5 hours a day, leaving work early in the morning, and you can decide your own working time. If you want to leave work early to pick up your kids from school or have a personal appointment, you can go to work early.
Norwegians do not rush things and take their job seriously. Although their per capita income is high, they do not come at the expense of personal life and a lot of overloaded work. They spend only half an hour at noon to eat lunch and then continue to work, and they will also make good use of the vacation system to recharge their batteries, and on weekends, they will enjoy time that belongs only to themselves and their families.
Did you have a deeper understanding of Norwegian culture? I hope you can also follow the customs and live better in Norway.
