In Nettavisen’s Christmas column, well-known Norwegians talk about their plans for Christmas, which Christmas traditions they cannot do without and what kind of expectations they have for the coming year. From us to you – MERRY CHRISTMAS!
We had a Christmas chat with artist Jorun Stiansen (38). She
How and with whom will you celebrate Christmas this year?
– This year, for the second time in my almost 39-year life, I will celebrate Christmas Eve together with my partner Egil and my in-laws. I am, to put it mildly, bound by tradition, and for many years avoided celebrating in a way other than what my “childish self” was used to. And it worked!
– But this year mum and they will be a small group at home in Vennesla so I felt it was only right to be with the other side of the family. So I celebrate Christmas Eve in Løddesøl in Arendal. The mother-in-law takes care of something sick for Christmas Eve, so there will be no shortage of treats, so to speak.
What do you eat on Christmas Eve?
– I love food all year round and dining experiences are something I spend more on. So obviously Christmas is a highlight for me. I love the different smells and tastes that remind me of Christmas as a child and other good memories during the Christmas season.
– What is served depends on who in the family we are staying. But usually these were local, short-travel meats, such as turkey or pork chops. The latter is my favorite and something I only eat one night a year. That’s why it’s going to be really special, I think. Waldorf salad and brussel sprouts are also a must!
What are your Christmas traditions?
– From December 1st, Christmas music is played in the living room every day, and a mandatory Christmas movie raid I MUST see every year in early December. Some of these are ‘Home Alone’, ‘Santa Claus’, ‘A Christmas Carol’, ‘Christmas Chronicles’ and the ‘Harry Potter’ movies.
– I also see at least two different Christmas calendars on TV every year. This year I watch ‘The Christmas Calendar’, ‘Christmas in Blodfjell’ and ’24 Star Christmas Calendar’ as always. I still have the simple chocolate calendar we had in the 80s that you get in the shop for 20 NOK, and then I have the Christmas socks that I wake up in on Christmas Eve. It is a must.
Let’s be honest, is “Die Hard” a Christmas movie?
– I love watching movies and series, and I’ve seen most of the classics, but I NEVER understood why “Die Hard” is shown as a Christmas movie! But the funny thing about traditions is that everyone is different and has their own, which they adhere to fiercely. But “Die Hard” in particular, I don’t think gives the Christmas spirit. Same with “Gremlins”. I love the movie, but I don’t understand why people HAVE to see it at Christmas.
What is an overrated Christmas tradition?
– Watching “Die Hard”.
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What is your best Christmas memory?
– I am incredibly lucky and grateful to have so many great Christmas memories to look back on. But when I unwrapped the dark brown cowboy boots I’d looked at in the window when I was six, and tried them on in the store all that fall before Christmas, it’s something I’ll never forget. I’ve never wanted anything, before or after, so much as with those shoes.
– One day I went into the store just to look at them, and I tried on the shoes for probably the thousandth time, then the woman who worked there said they were sold and never came back. I think I cried for a week and I still remember that feeling to this day. Unaware that it was my mother who bought the shoes for me and teamed up with her at the store about what they would tell me until Christmas. When I got the last package that was under the tree, and everyone in the family was quiet around me, I nervously and excitedly unpacked and saw the cowboy boots lying there freshly polished. Then it exploded inside me with a joy that is hard to explain. Life was complete!
What’s your worst Christmas memory?
– It must be the first Christmas without my dear Grandpa John, who died eight or nine years ago now. The following year my best grandmother Astrid died, which also made that Christmas very empty and special. It was the first time I had lost someone very close in the family so it was hard to cope.
– I was lucky to grow up with five parents, I was going to say, mom and dad, grandma Astrid and mom Lillian and dad John. So when Father John and Gran were gone, the first Christmas without them was incredibly difficult, I remember. I get a lump in my throat when I think and talk about them, and every Christmas I miss them even more. Even this year.
What’s the best or worst Christmas present you’ve ever received or given?
– The best gift I gave to my father a few years ago. I did a concert with a big band and I know that dad’s big dream was to sing with a big band. So I fixed it up and gave him a big band session as a Christmas present. He was incredibly surprised, but looked more shocked and amazed, almost. So much so that, in fact, he never “cashed” that gift. I was very disappointed, but there’s some humor, huh?
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– The worst gift I ever received was a thong from my cousin Frank Robin when I was 13. I was so withdrawn and self-conscious at the time, so unwrapping a Winnie the Pooh thong in front of the WHOLE family and my three cousins and my brother on Christmas Eve was awful.
Do you have a Christmas activity to recommend?
– During the Christmas season, fortunately, many free Christmas concerts are organized, and music for me is the best mood-building effect there is. So bring a friend and share an evening together with true intimacy and Christmas magic. Making gingerbread houses with someone you enjoy is also a simple and fun activity.
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Christmas soda red or brown?
– Definitely brown Christmas soda. My absolute favorites are CB Julebrus in a glass bottle, Sørlands Julebrus in a glass bottle and Hamar’s Julebrus. None above, none beside these.
What’s your favorite Christmas carol?
– Hey hey. Very difficult question, but “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Let it Snow” by Frank Sinatra, “O Holy Night” by Céline Dion are some songs that I love and that give me remember my childhood.
How will you celebrate New Year’s Eve?
– In the sequin stand with a cocktail in hand with good friends here in Grimstad or in the snowboard stand in the mountains at the hut. Both sides are king, but we haven’t decided yet. We always take New Year’s Eve with a bang.
How would you sum up 2022?
– This year has been absolutely fantastic for me. I am so happy and grateful for the opportunities I have, my job and the people I surround myself with.
– I experienced places and animals, I sat in the jungle in Uganda a few meters from a family of mountain gorillas, a dream that I had since I was a child. And people that I have only dreamed about and realized that I have grown a lot also thanks to these experiences this year. Yes to more daring, yes to more experiences and to challenge and push your comfort zone!
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What is your biggest wish for 2023?
– More love between us. That we as human beings dare to open more dialogue and understanding for each other. The way we communicate with each other today is terrible. I think it is absolutely horrific to see, hear and read about young people and adults here in Norway living in fear because others feel entitled to incite, threaten, persecute and hate others for who they are and how they choose to live their lives. .
– I hope that 2023 will be the year that internet savvy, among other things, will take center stage. And bank ID registration will be introduced to be able to comment on social media. If you’re not old enough to have a bank ID, you can’t comment on social media either. And if you get three reports of hostile or abusive comments, you’re out and lost the opportunity to comment again. I think so.
What are your plans for next year?
– I’m in the new season of “71 Grader Nord Team”, which will be shown in the new year, which will be incredibly exciting. He will also continue as an ambassador for the postcode lottery alongside Tom Stiansen and continue to work to raise even more money for WWF and SOS Children’s Villages which I am looking forward to with all the plans we have there.
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– I’m also a co-organizer of one of the hardest rock festivals in southern Norway, called “Løddepønk Wakestockfestival”, so this will be fun to prepare too.
– So I will keep trying to live in the moment and push my limits to develop myself further. I’ve learned an incredible amount about myself this year. What can I do if I dare. How much I grow when I only dare to say yes. So I’m ready for many new adventures and can’t wait for the moment to come.
