Spring effect on Norwegians.

You can’t say you know Norwegians if you haven’t spent a whole year with them. In Norway. The reason I say that is because they change personalities from Winter to Spring. It’s proven by NASA. Or should be. And I agree with them.

In Brazil, the seasons are pretty much the same. We have change in temperature of course, and different celebrations, some typical food we eat here and there. I had no idea what it was like to experience Spring coming from scratch until I moved to Norway.

Here in Norway, I feel like hibernating in the Winter, and staying outside all the time in the Spring. And so do most Norwegians. You don’t see a soul outside in the Winter (only exception for ski tracks). On residential neighborhoods, we only see people at bus stops. No children giggling, no birds singing, just silence.

In the middle of April, the miracle happens. All trees, bushes and fields start to grow leaves and flowers. The first Spring flowers are called Snøklokke and also Påskelilly. The view is lots of naked trees and millions of small flowers among the light green grass. The sunlight is finally strong enough to get us pink cheeks and nose, to warm our bodies and make us smile. Smile. Norwegians smile at each other in the Spring. Many of them even start a small talk, complimenting the weather. By the way: In other countries, talking about the weather may seem unimportant, neutral talk while in Norway, it’s the main subject in every conversation. You should keep that in mind when trying to make friends here.

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Speaking for myself, I totally agree with Norwegians being more open and smiling more in the Spring. I feel much lighter and happier too. There’s something about the sunlight, the blue sky, the warmth, the cute flowers that have this feel good effect. It’s like happiness comes for free to Norwegians in Spring. In the Winter it seems like we must make kind of effort to get happy. In the Winter we ride our bikes uphill and in the Spring we just enjoy the descent and the view, as our legs relax.

The smell of Winter is fireplace. The smell of Spring is outdoor grills, fresh leaves and flowers, and also manure (as there are farms nearby).

Today we went to a park. It was a beautiful Sunny day. 10 C and almost no wind. We saw small groups, all in the Spring mood. Here and there, along the lake, three teenagers laughing of anything and everything, parents teaching their kids to ride bicycles, old couples going for a walk, we had a picnic and it was super cozy. Being able to stay, remain sitting in a place for hours, without freezing and hurrying home, makes a difference. If I had to define Norwegian Spring in one word, I think that would be: Enjoy. Norwegians enjoy themselves in the Spring. They enjoy themselves outside, in their balconies, terraces, gardens. They are also very active outside and work to fix and build all you think of, for their houses: repair the garage, change the roof, the port, the door, wash the car, they do gardening, plant flowers, bushes, herbs. They invite their friends over. Ops! Now in Covid-19 times, that’s not allowed. Each one from his/her own house, terrace, greet their neighbors and enjoy themselves.