Where is Tromsø?
Tromsø is a port city in northern Norway, set on an island between the sea and snowy mountains. It lies about 350 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, which is why it is often called “the gateway to the Arctic”.
In winter, the colorful wooden houses, the boats in the harbor and the long bridge linking the island to the mainland look like a postcard: everything is white, and the windows glow in the dark.
What is the polar night?
In Tromsø, from about 27 November to 15 January, the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon at all. This is called the polar night, and it lasts almost seven weeks. So at Christmas, children in Tromsø don’t see the sun even once.
Still, it isn’t pitch dark all day. Around noon, the sky turns blue and pink for a few hours, like a long sunset. To be seen in the street, children wear reflective strips on their coats, and the whole town switches on its lights.
What are the northern lights?
The northern lights, also called the aurora borealis, are green ribbons, sometimes pink or purple, that move across the sky. They appear when tiny particles from the Sun reach the air high above the Earth and make it glow.
Tromsø is one of the best places in the world to see them, from September to March, on clear nights. In winter, with the polar night, you get the most hours of darkness to look for them.
What can children do in Tromsø at Christmas?
- Stroll through the Christmas market in Stortorget square, among wooden stalls with knitted things, reindeer ornaments and winter treats.
- See the Arctic Cathedral, a white triangle-shaped church built in 1965, which shines at night like a lighthouse.
- Ride the Fjellheisen cable car up the mountain, where you can see the whole town lit up, with the islands and the sea.
- Go sledding pulled by reindeer or dogs, and listen to the stories of the Sámi people, who have herded reindeer in the north for hundreds of years.
Two Norwegian Christmas traditions
Lille julaften
On 23 December, Norwegians celebrate Lille julaften, or “Little Christmas Eve”. Families decorate the tree, hang ornaments and get the house ready, while excitement for the evening of 24 December grows.
Stars and candles in the window
During the long winter night, almost every home puts a lit paper star or a candlestick in the window. In the evening, the streets of Tromsø seem full of little lanterns.
A taste of Norway: Pepperkaker
How do you say “Merry Christmas!” in Norwegian?
God jul!
Try saying it at dinner on Christmas Eve.
What word did Mira discover here?
In each of the eleven cities of the journey, Mira finds a special word. The word from Tromsø is written in her Christmas passport, at the end of chapter 5.
