Scandinavium #9: Easter hours

{700 words, 2 figures, 5 minutes}

April 4th, 2017. A sign outside of the Lillestrøm Kiwi grocery store wishes patrons a happy Easter and reminds them of the final hours in which they can soothe the pangs of their hungering consumerism.

It was Easter week in Norway last week. If Christmas-related holidays weren't enough of a reminder, Easter's many holidays put the secularism of America, despite its vocal Christian communities, in perspective relative to the seat of Christianity in Europe. But rather than overt religious displays, most of Norway seems to be preoccupied in that genial ritual of conspicuous consumerism à la Easter eggs, chocolate, and themed convenience goods.

In Norway, owing to its historical religious roots, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Monday are all national holidays, making Easter weekend a five-day holiday. Add on the fact that schools are closed the entire week and then most regular employees also take the entire week off, turning the whole period into a 10-day expedition, usually to the slopes to catch the last chance to (cross-country) ski. In fact, according to some locals I've spoken to, having a "ski tan" is symbolic of social class, indicating sufficient disposable wealth to travel to the mountains to get to the remaining skiing snow. That's not a mistake: a sunglasses-shaped "ski tan" is obtained by spending hours cross-country skiing in a bright, pure, snowy environment. And by this time, since the weather has warmed enough for snow to melt in the local tracks and snowfalls don't accumulate, although this winter has been warmer than historical, the mountains are the only places with snow. Of course, I've been victim to the "foreigners believe anything you tell them" trap lately, so who knows if a "ski tan" is a real thing? :)

It's been oft repeated among the foreigners here to stock up on groceries before they all close for roughly five straight days, although it isn't nearly as severe as Christmas and New Year's. I was pleasantly surprised but familiar with grocery store routine. So, I feel compelled to follow up on my previous post about Christmas hours with this photographic gem:

And I wonder why Google Maps has trouble telling me if something is actually open.

Let me translate:

Åpningstider påsken 2017 [Opening times for Easter 2017]
Palmesøndag [Palm Sunday]: 9 AM to 9 PM. These are normal Sunday hours, but like all Sunday stores, only a limited store space about the size of a small gas station's convenience space is actually open.
Mandag-tirsdag [Monday to Tuesday]: 7 AM to 11 PM. Normal weekday hours for this store close to my residence.
Onsdag [Wednesday]: 7 AM to 11 PM, but ølsalg (beer sales) only until 6 PM (normally 8 PM on weekdays).
Skjærtorsdag [Maundy Thursday, lit. tr. Sheer Thursday]: 9 AM to 9 PM.
Langfredag [Good Friday, lit. tr. Long Friday]: 9 AM to 9 PM.
Påskeaften [lit. tr. Easter Eve]: 7 AM to 4 PM，but ølsalg (beer sales) only until 4 PM (normally 6 PM on Saturdays).
1. påskedag [Easter Monday, lit. tr. 1st day after Easter]: 9 AM to 9 PM.
2. påskedag [2nd day after Easter]: 9 AM to 9 PM.

Did you get all of that? As an aside since I haven't discussed it yet, but alcohol sales are strictly time-limited by law to 8 PM on weekday evenings and 6 PM on Saturdays (and beginning at something like 9 or 10 AM, so you really feel that alcoholic shame). Furthermore, grocery stores are limited, again by law, to selling beverages up to and including 4.7% alcohol by volume so that means beer only and no wine. You'll have to go to Vinmonopolet (lit. tr. The Wine Monopoly), the state-run alcohol monopoly, for anything of higher proof. I'll save that for another blog post.

Despite the meticulousness, these hours are surprisingly extensive, considering most grocery stores in downtown Lillestrøm and Oslo were closed Thursday, Friday, and Monday, with just a small window of being open on Saturday for any desperate stragglers, I suppose. It isn't all that bad, though, as the grocery stores run by immigrants are always open. It's funny how that seems to be true everywhere but on a more serious note, it also speaks to how hard they work.

As for me, I still worked most of the Easter holidays, including being in the kitchen on Saturday to cook up a garlic-studded, rosemary-roasted leg of lamb, red wine gravy, charcoal-grilled vegetables, and cilantro rice with lime for an Easter dinner with friends and colleagues. Our guests even brought some brownies, vanilla ice cream, and homemade cinnamon rolls for dessert. Not bad for an Easter holiday by any measure. As the Norwegians would say, god påske!