Those who have decided to tie their lives to a native of Norway need to prepare for surprises from the wedding day. The surprise for the bride may be that you do not need a passport to register your marriage. It is enough to show a bank card with a photo or a driver’s license.
For Russians who are used to considering a passport the main document, this looks quite strange. When getting married, you need to be prepared for the fact that the ceremony will be performed by a woman. Female ministers are not uncommon in Norway.
Here at a wedding, you won’t hear shouts of “Bitter!” Instead, guests bang the table rhythmically with spoons. At weddings, the newlyweds are often made to kiss while standing on a chair so that the guests can see better.Norwegians are not known for their gallantry. It is not customary for them to help a lady to carry heavy things, open the door in front of her, give her a hand when leaving the transport.
It is considered that such actions would hint at the woman’s weakness, which is humiliating for her. But in the Scandinavian family will not hear scandals. Even very strong emotions Norwegians tend to keep to themselves. They never use physical punishment on children.
The Scandinavian spouse is ready to share the burdens of family life with his wife. He will gladly play with the children and take care of them. Thanks to the husband’s help with housework, the wife has time for hobbies and just to relax.
Smokers like to make self-smokes from tissue paper and tobacco, which can be bought in stores. To a newcomer, this activity reminds one of the Russian countryside or a scene from a war movie. For Norway, however, this procedure is commonplace. As well as the fact that Scandinavians often roll up a cigarette while sitting right on the pavement, it is a new habit for Russians to keep a bag of tobacco mixture under their upper lip.
This is common to both men and women. In Scandinavian countries, unlike many others, there is no ban on the sale of this stuff. These are some of the oddities of Norwegian life, which cause if not shock, then surprise to newcomers.