Scandinavium #5: Hallowe'en

{330 words, 2 minutes}

"Scandinavium" is a regular column where I write about the elements of daily life in Norway and Scandinavia.

Thoughts on Halloween in Norway:

I honestly did not expect to see anything before coming here but Halloween has apparently really taken off in Norway in recent years. Besides the trick-or-treating, the young adults are having costume parties much like many of my U.S. friends on facebook. Although I did randomly see a few youths in costume a couple weeks back …
I spotted some small in-store display of Halloween-themed goods, but julebord (Christmas) items are dominating the aisle ends. That's right; since Norway doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, there is no November holiday to act as an eroding buffer to Christmas advertisements (cue moral panic of the American public).
A time when Halloween was not so popular is still a recent memory for Norwegians. Some Norwegian colleagues remember being taken by surprise when trick-or-treaters stopped by unexpectedly and they didn't have any candy. The kids used water guns in return (cue moral panic of the American public).
Every grocery store has a "smågodt" (tr. "candy", lit. tr. "small good") section which is basically a fill-it-yourself bulk candy section (see photo). This was my first time actually buying something from them, but it reminds me when my mom would take me occasionally to a dried fruit/bulk candy shop. As an irresponsible adult, I can now do what I could never then: fill a bag with a pound of a little bit of everything (I shared this with the office, see photo below).
Although I participated in the commercialization of yet another holiday, consider that a glucose-laden celebration is a good way of honoring the dead by enjoying the sweet, sweet taste of a life shortened by type 2 diabetes.
Props to the tough Norwegian kids I saw trick-or-treating in full darkness, which comes very quickly now since DST just ended, and in 43 °F (6 °C) light-to-moderate rain. The dopamine is strong.
Mostly unrelated but 40% FORECAST FOR SNOW ON FRIDAY FROM 7 AM to 1 AM, WOOOOOOOOOOO!
Happy Halloween!