Colors of Norrkoping - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Residents of Norrköping are great admirers of historical traditions and regional culture. Many foreign tourists may find the townspeople overly restrained and gloomy, but this impression is mistaken. They are cheerful people who lead an interesting lifestyle, love nature, and pay great attention to observing historical traditions. The peculiarities of local education are such that children are taught to be quiet in public and control their emotions from an early age. The last rule applies not only to negative but also to positive emotions, so citizens may seem overly harsh and sad to foreigners.

This impression will change in a matter of minutes if you visit one of the traditional local pubs or steakhouses in the evening. They are among the townspeople's favorite nightlife spots where they can meet close ones and give free rein to emotions. Since ancient times, local people have developed a love for nature in all its manifestations. Agriculture, gathering, and hunting were once one of the main livelihoods for them. Some traditions have remained unchanged to the present day.

Wandering around the city markets in summer, you can see a huge amount of fresh berries picked in local forests. In summer, berries can be tasted fresh, and for the rest of the year, they are preserved and used frozen. Wonderful cakes and buns, as well as other common desserts, are made with berries. Many of the berries (like lingonberries) are a common addition to meat dishes. The summer period is a “wedding” time for locals, which is another evidence of their love for nature. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Most newlyweds want to get married in summer to be able to spend one of their main holidays in nature. Do not be surprised if a horse-drawn wedding procession passes through the streets on a normal summer day - such carriages are a common attribute of weddings. A lot of interesting traditions are associated with regional gastronomy. The formation of local culinary traditions was greatly influenced by the harsh Scandinavian climate.

Locals have a very short period of time to grow vegetables even today, so they try to stock up on vegetables for the rest of the year in just a few months. The tradition of preparing various pickles and marinades appeared here more than a hundred years ago, and vegetable preserves never lost their relevance. They are served in restaurants of any level, and in small bars and pubs, salted and pickled vegetables are one of the most common snack options. Even though residents of Norrköping have the opportunity to purchase fresh vegetables in supermarkets all year round, they are still not at all popular today. They prefer regional products and home-style cooking devoid of any frills. It is also worth noting that spices never took root in local cooking and are rarely added to any dishes today.

Fans of holidays and festivals will be interested in visiting Norrköping on the eve of Christmas and New Year when a series of festive entertainments takes place in the city. Mandatory attributes of the holiday are colorful fairs and solemn illumination adorning all city streets and squares. The townspeople consider Christmas to be a family holiday celebrated in a family circle. Before Christmas, they dress a Christmas Tree and exchange presents.

The celebration of Christmas has one interesting tradition: on Christmas night, locals always put a cup of almond porridge outside their homes. This authentic tradition dates back hundreds of years. In the past, local people performed such a mysterious ritual to appease the little dwarves. It was believed that if you treat them generously on the holiday, the coming year will be rich and fertile. The good tradition has now become one of the many legends, but the locals still take it very seriously.

New Year's celebrations in Norrköping are freer in terms of traditions. It is not customary to give expensive gifts or lay a rich table in honor of this holiday. Citizens can celebrate the New Year at home with their family and then go out to meet friends and enjoy the festively decorated city. Fireworks are always launched on New Year's Eve. According to one of the old traditions, it is also customary to burn the huge straw goat on the first night of the new year.