Photo. The genuine Santa, also called Mossenissen in Norwegian. Santa Claus from Moss in Norway. He is a extreme busy man on 24rd December. It`s hard to be the Nisseman.
According to our Christmas traditions, we watched the Czech-German fairy tale Three Nuts for Cinderella (Norwegian title: Tre nøtter til Askepott) and the Disney Christmas cavalcade in the morning on Christmas Eve. It brought us in real Christmas mood.
In the afternoon we ate Pinnekjøtt, which is rib of steamed salted lamb, and drinked Christmas Beer, Mosseøl, and Akevitt spirit. At the same we waited very eagerly for the Mossenissen.
The Mossenisse hides deep in the dense Mosseskogen, Moss forrest. He is big and look little bit spooky, but it`s no need to be afraid of him. His heart is good, and he like especially nice children.
In Norway there is also another kind of Santa Claus. He his called Fjøsnissen. This Santa is living in the barn and is very shy. Fornutately the Moss Santa Claus - "Mossenissen" enjoys delivering presents to nice children by himself.
Other presents are stored under the Christmas tree.
The genuine Moss Santa Claus showed up. He was a tall man with big belly and overgrown with white bear. He had a typically Whiskey voice. God jul, he said in Norwegian, which means "Merry Christmas".
He handed out some gifts. Some drinks with Santa gasoline (Akevitt; Norwegian strong liquids) made him in his best mood. Then he started to sing Glade jul in both Norwegian and Finnish (Soumi). So he danced almost his ass off. He really like to dance the song "A Merry Jingle" by the Norwegian rock band Backstreet Girls. I guess this Santa was a heavy rocker!
På låven sitter nissen! The song being played is entitled: "På låven sitter nissen", The "nisse" is in the barn. The song is about a "nisse" eating his Christmas porridge - but the rats are dancing around annoying him. At last the "nisse" says he will go fetch the cat - and finally the rats give up.I
In Norway most everyone has either a spruce or a pine tree in their living room - decorated with white lights, tinsel, Norwegian flags and other ornaments for Christmas. The children make paper baskets of shiny, colored paper. The baskets can be filled with candy or nuts.
We all in my family wished Mossenissen, Santa, very much welcome back to us next Christmas Eve.
Merry Christmas to you all around the world!
Stein Morten Lund, 25 December 2009
Additional information
Christmas trees at Union Station, Washington D.C., Trafalgar Square in London and Edinburgh, Scotland are from Norway.
Read more about Christmas traditions on our website and exciting travel adventure around the world: www.TravelExplorations.com
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