Christmas in Norway: Christmas Day

Church services are also held on Christmas Day. The day’s main event, however, consists of a lavish Christmas buffet. The meal may include pork ribs, meat patties, a selection of cold meats, herring, trout, salmon, codfish, cheese, fruit, cloudberry cream, bread, and cake. Adults also enjoy beer and aquavit, a Scandinavian liquor, with the meal.

Some people practice an old custom called Julbukk, or “Christmas goat,” on Christmas Day. Groups of costumed children and adults walk through their neighborhood entertaining householders with songs in exchange for treats. These groups may bring a goat with them, or someone may impersonate a goat and this animal’s typically unruly behavior. Sometimes these costumed goats discipline misbehaving children by butting them. If two costumed goats meet, they often entertain onlookers by engaging in a play fight (for similar customs, see mumming).