Thanksgiving in Norwegian

(English version of today's blog, to honor this day.)

There is a turkey in my oven. Its weight is over six kilograms. It is an “organic” turkey, from the Hardangerfjord, and therefore quite expensive. It was the only one I could find big enough, even though I was in four stores. Norwegian food stores know all about Halloween, but nothing about Thanksgiving. The answer I got other places I asked, was "not yet". The shortest time I had to defrost the bird, and they said; “not yet”. I guess they had Christmas and New Year in mind, not Thanksgiving. I do not envy Americans in rural norwegian areas, those who need their turkey in November.

So it is Thanksgiving in norwegian today. People in the staff at the bible school where I work, have been “over there”. They have spent one, two, or three years at the bible school in California. Thus, they have experienced Thanksgiving not only in the movies, as the rest of us norwegians, but in real life, at their friends homes. Thanksgiving is said to be a feast just as big as Christmas in the U.S. Children have a week or less off from school, the adults on the day itself, and often the Friday between. They “all" go home, all gather. My colleagues at the bible school wanted to bring this back home. The result is a big Thanksgiving feast today, for the second year in a row. Students, staff, volunteers, contacts, more than 50 souls.

I first said no to prepare a turkey. I thought the challenge was a bit too much. But for so many people a whole little flock of large birds was needed. So I got the call from one of the ladies who told me she had great faith in me. I let myself be persuaded, and she might was very right. I have covered the creature in bacon with toothpicks to keep the bacon at place. A trick I learned at new year, deep at a fjord's end here in Norway. The bacon prevents drying of the large bird the three hours it needs to sit inside, I hope.

I understand my colleagues well. Thanksgiving is really a good thing. Not only the party and the food, but what is celebrated. The big christian holidays in Norway are Christmas and Easter. Jesus' birth, death and resurrection. It would be nice to say thanks too. This celebration points both back to what we've got, and forward to what is to come. Our food stores here in Norway is bothering us about christmas already in october. I guess, with Thanksgiving it would have been autumn leaves and white meat at display instead. We wouldn't have to deal with Christmas marzipan in early autumn then.

I have a day off from work today. I had a little stroll over frozen fields. Peace comes now as frying smell increases in the kitchen, and the daylight fades outside. In about half an hour, the bird sits in the backseat of my car, on its way to town, wrapped in silver paper and the local newspaper. I think it'll be a good experience.

I have received tips from a real American, that the left overs the day after is one of the best things about this. I will try to get me some home tonight.

I’m back from the celebration now, and have brought the remains of my turkey. Proud to do the man's job, to cut the turkeys, side by side with a real Alaskan-norwegian. The evening was really a nice experience. I might consider to keep up a thanksgiving tradition in the future. 

Thank you to the two ladies who had the initiative for this!