“Christmas is when everything calms down a bit. I mainly associate it with the smell of cooking and of being with my family”, says Øyvind.
Hanne agrees.
“It’s always quite hectic before Christmas, but when we sit down to watch the Disney Christmas special with a mug of mulled wine, everything calms down, and it finally feels like Christmas”, she says.
For Hanne, making Norwegian Christmas biscuits has become a tradition, and it is a way of showing people that she cares about them.
“For over ten years, I’ve baked various Christmas biscuits and given them to my grandparents. Brown sticks, butter cookies, coconut macaroons, chocolate balls and chocolate bites. They always go down a treat, and I enjoy both making them and giving them away.
Øyvind, on the other hand, likes the fact that no two Christmases are quite the same.
“I have no regular traditions, but the most important thing is to spend time with the people you care about. Each Christmas is a bit different, and I like that, really”, he says.
Øyvind’s and Hanne’s Christmas traditions are about solidarity and spending time together. Those values are also at the heart of Lerøy’s collaboration with the Norwegian Board Association.
We want this collaboration to inspire young people to be active, socialise and have fun. For Lerøy, it is not just about food and sporting achievement, but about creating spaces where people can socialise, feel a sense of achievement and experience real happiness, whether that is boardriding or having a good meal together.
The Norwegian Board Association has a unique ability to bring young people together, whatever their backgrounds or level. They communicate in a way that people respond to, and they demonstrate how an active lifestyle, friendship and good food habits can go hand in hand. And even during the festive season, it can be hard to stay totally off the snow.
“Between Christmas Eve and New Year, there is something special about being out in the fresh air. Whether that’s cross-country skiing, snowboarding or just going for a walk in the winter light. It energises you and means you really appreciate relaxing indoors afterwards”, says Øyvind.
After their outdoor exertions, they’re ready to enjoy Christmas with Hanne’s lamb ribs and Øyvind’s “liv-kaker” (traditional Norwegian Christmas cookies). For them, those are the dishes that really evoke the festive spirit.
“I still remember finding out when I was a kid that Father Christmas was actually granddad. I was totally put out”, laughs Øyvind.
For both Hanne and Øyvind, Christmas is about the same things as for the snowboarding community: being there, sharing good experiences looking after one another.
