Culture Calendar 14th – 24th December

This week’s maxi culture calendar is the final round to warm you up before Christmas Eve. If you are the kind of person that loves Christmas and has been playing Christmas carols since mid-November (we won’t be the ones to judge that), you must check our proposal for the next days. However, if you are the kind of person that has a Christmas overdose from the very first Christmas-special on TV, please, give this culture calendar a try. You might find some things that interest you as well!

Monday, 14 th of December. Did you know that «All I Want for Christmas Is You» is not the only Christmas song ever composed? If you did, then perhaps you want to show off your knowledge on this 60-question music quiz, Christmas edition. The quiz is online, sure, but no one stops you from having a digital gathering or talk with your family or friends to teamwork and fight for being in the podium! Maybe you'll discover that Jazz and Swing Christmas songs have always been your thing. The quiz starts at 20:05 and questions are available both in English and in Norwegian. Extra info can be found here and the link to the meeting here.

Tuesday, 15th of December. For those who are sick of Christmas already and still have made an effort to read until here despite the «Christmas, Christmas, Christmas!» warning in the subheading of this culture calendar, here we have something for you: DU, which means YOU in Norwegian. Projected at Cinema Neuf at 20:00, DU is an independent, Christmas-free Norwegian movie from 2019 that shows a frustrated, uncommunicative couple at the edge of their relationship on a cabin trip. Drama, contradiction, narcissism, and even anxiety is served in this one-and-a-quarter-hour-long film. At a reasonable price for students, you can buy the tickets here and find more info in their Facebook event. It is in Norwegian with English subtitles.

On Wednesday 16th of December you have a date with Lindoro, Bartolo, Rosina and Figaro, the barber of Seville! You might think you haven’t «met these people» before, but believe us, you have either at school, on TV ads or by popular culture. The Oslo Opera House has interpreted the Barber of Seville and is inviting everyone to follow and watch it for free from home. This opera is composed by Rossini and is based on the first of the three plays of Beaumarchais’s French comedy «Le Barbier de Séville». It tells us the story of an (almost!) impossible love, and the Opera House has especially highlighted the humouristic tone of this piece. Whether you decide to watch it or just have it in the background while you make dinner, we assure you will be miming their lyrics, probably with quite Shakespearian and grandiloquent face gestures. The opera is in Italian, with subtitles in English in this link and in Norwegian in this link. General info about the piece here.

Thursday, 17th December. It is always good to support local stores and producers, but especially in these times. You may have already noticed the numerous small markets around Oslo every weekend. From 17th to 19th of December, farmers and local traders will sell their Christmas products at Vinkelplassen (Majorstuen): honey, jam, cheese, biscuits …Take a look around! You might find something special to have for Christmas or to give as a gift. You might prefer to go at earlier hours: you can spend more time walking around and you will have more products available. The market place goes under the name of Bondens marked, and you can find more info about the location and opening hours here. The website is in Norwegian, but it is not difficult to check time and place. You can also check their Facebook event in this link. And as usual, remember to follow the measures related with Covid-19.

Friday, 18th December. Did you know that ad-vent means the art of waiting? It is not too late for discovering this advent calendar of the size of Oslo. From the 1st of December, the Ad_Vent project offers each day artistic experiences in public spaces around the city until the 24th, often with colourful play of lights. On the 18th of December the event will take place at Etterstadgata 18c, 18:00. Check the dates and the buildings here and see their previous performances in this link. They are frequently updating the website, so you might find new information and events the coming days.

Saturday, 19th December. Pieces from Wagner, Puccini, Brahms and Verdi are some of the classics that the soprano Lise Davidsen will interpret from this day at 19:00 at the Oslo Opera House. And guess what: it is also free! You can enjoy this Christmas-related concert in a live broadcast and it has a duration of one hour. More info and the link to the concert will be available here.

On Sunday 20th of December you have the last chance to check this small Christmas market, Søndagsmarkedet på Blå (Sundays’ market at Blå) from 12:00 to 17:00. They declare on their Facebook page to be «possibly the coolest arts & crafts & design & vintage Christmas market in Oslo». People will talk for years about this market, are you really going to miss it?

Monday, 21st of December. It is time to make a visit to Vinterland if you haven’t done that yet. Walking from National Theater T-bane station to this Christmas little «town» you will also enjoy the Christmas lights. Again, if the preventing measures allow it, you can walk around this market where you will find warm food, Christmas goodies, clothes and home decoration, apart from the impressive 33-meter Ferris wheel. You have to pay 79 kr., and even more importantly, to be at least 1 meter tall to get on board. In Vinterland you may also find ideas for last-minute Christmas presents if you haven’t bought them yet. Check the opening hours on this link.

Tuesday, 22nd of December. If you are incredibly lucky to have visitors these Christmas holidays that do not know Oslo yet, perhaps you want to take them out of the Christmas craziness for a little bit and show them another face of this city: the urban art. Some anonymous heroes made this interactive map where different pieces of street art and graffitis are located. You can impress your guests with a guided free-tour style on street and urban art. We only have now six hours of light every day in Oslo, it is an open-air activity and you have the risk of getting wet by the rain. But remember what Norwegians say: there is no such thing as bad clothes, only bad weather … or is it the other way around? Anyhow, if you want the upgraded version of this trip, you can book a guided tour on Saturdays for 150 kr. each here.

On Wednesday 23rd of December tune your vocal chords, prepare some warm Christmas food, get a blanket, turn down the heat and listen to this free concert of Christmas carols and music, again, by the hands of the Oslo Opera House (no, they do not pay us for advertise it, they just have a fantastic music proposal these Christmas). One hour and a half in which opera singers, ballet dancers, and different musicians and children will bring us «a little light and joy in the winter darkness». Sounds promising, doesn’t it? If this seems like something you might be interested in, check the website for more info and for the link to the concert.

24th of December and you still haven’t bought the Christmas presents … We are sorry if this looked like we were going to provide a solution. But perhaps we have something better: delight yourself and your beloved ones with a non materialistic product of neoliberal capitalism: the heart-warming ballet of the Nutcracker, by Tchaikovsky. This time, the Oslo Opera House and NRK have made an agreement to screen this magic choreography on the 24th of December at 17:00, so be sure you take note of the time. Don’t worry if you don’t have a TV. The ballet will be televised on NRK 2, which you can also access on your computer through their website. More general info about the ballet at the webpage of the Oslo Opera House.

We hope you enjoyed this week’s maxi Culture Calendar - Christmas Edition. Remember to stay happy and safe these weeks!