In Norway, the Eastertide starts early i.e. a day before the commencement of the Lent season. This day is known as ‘Vastelavent’ or ‘Schrovetide’. It is from this day that Norwegians start celebrating the upcoming festive occasion, spring season and a new working year. Shrovetide usually lasts for three days, beginning with Shrove Sunday, followed by Monday - referred to as Blåmandag (Blue Monday) and ending with Tuesday - known as Fetetirsdag (Fattening Tuesday). In Norway, Easter calls for celebration and people take a break from their daily chores to enjoy and rejoice the spirit of this festival.
Easter holidays begins from Wednesday afternoon, before Maundy Thursday, and lasts up to Tuesday morning, after Easter Monday. Since it is an extended weekend, Norwegians celebrate Easter by visiting holiday spots. While carnivals take up the streets of Norway during the Eastertide, some other rituals and customs are also undertaken. One of them is reading crime stories and thriller novels. As Easter approaches, Norwegians involve themselves in the national pastime of reading such books. These days, television channels in Norway also present thriller shows during Easter.
In Norway, special celebrations are held in schools on Easter, where children dress up and play ‘Slå katten av tønnen’, meaning knock the cat off the barrel, where wooden barrel is filled with sweets and a toy black cat. The children, then, stand in a row and, one by one, strike the barrel with a wooden stick. The child who manages to shatter the barrel is entitled the cat king and receives the cat, along with a crown. Easter chickens, Easter eggs in all colors and, occasionally Easter bunnies, are form a part of the Easter day celebrations in Norway, with yellow being the dominant color.
