Winter at your own pace in Week 4 of "15 Weeks of Friluftsliv"
Whether you rest, recharge, or rev up this week, take your lead from nature.
“Romjul” week comes to an end and a new year begins
“Romjul” is the Norwegian term and reference to the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. It’s a time for unstructured, informal togetherness with family and friends. We hope you enjoyed a wonderful last week of December as we move through Week 4 of “15 Weeks of Friluftsliv,” and that you will be inspired by nature to find your own pace—whether it’s to keep the festivities going or to find tranquility in quieter moments.
Maybe you’ll take inspiration from the amazing animals that change their coats to a winter white and continue to venture out into the cold weather—don those Norwegian sweaters and mittens! Or maybe you prefer the hibernation style of bears, the torpor of fish, or brumation of turtles who bury into soft places to rest, conserve energy, and ultimately recharge. You set the pace this week (and you can change it daily as needed).
Find inspiration in the winter nature around you as one calendar year ends and another begins. This week, we’re feeling full of gratitude and our weekly activity provides a way to get outside, get inspired, and share that feeling in an expression of thanks, or “takk” in Norwegian. It’s a “stomp, stamp, and say takk” activity guide! Take a walk, a run, a stroll, a hike (whatever pace feels right), then enjoy some stamp carving to make thank-you cards and share the friluftsliv spirit.
Fuel your adventures with that most festive featured dish in Scandinavian spreads—fish!
1. Stomp, Stamp, and Say “Takk'“ - Week 4 Activity Guide
If you’re feeling grateful for the holiday gifts you received, or you want to express gratitude to that special gnome-one in your life as a new year begins, check out this idea for creating thank-you notes to channel friluftsliv and share it forward. Say “takk” (thank you in Norwegian) by enjoying some outdoor inspiration through a walk or hike or ski, then come inside to carve and create notes to pass along the awe of winter.
Download this week’s activity guide and follow us on Friluftsliving Family Instagram to share ideas for stamps (tag #15weeksoffriluftsliv). We can’t wait to see what you create!
2. Festive fish - Recipe of the week
If you, like Tacy’s family, enjoy fish as part of your holiday festivities, this is a fun recipe to try when you have a little more time post-holiday frenzy. Smoked and cured fish is a staple of Scandinavian festive spreads and it turns out it’s just as delightful to make as it is to eat. It takes some tending and time, but this recipe from True North Kitchen is our go-to for a very easy way to cure your own salmon.
The best part is that once it’s ready, you can serve it up with some easy fixings and keep the festivities going into the new year. We love to serve it on rye bread or with Norwegian crackers (knekkebrød) with lemon slices.
4. Ways to gather
Get some Nordic event inspiration: We were so excited that “15 Weeks of Friluftsliv” was mentioned in the December 2024 Nordic Events Christmas Edition from A Viking in L.A. Check out this wonderful site full of inspiration for in-person and online events, as well as great reading recs. The upcoming SoCal events have us checking flight fares!
Closer to our NJ home, check out Garden State happenings: We love a helpful guide that makes it easy to find adventures and events near us and the Morris County Guide celebrates not only local businesses and restaurants but also the seasons of this unique place. It was such a gift to be featured in the Winter Issue as one of 7 Instagram Accounts to Help you Explore the Garden State. All 7 offer outdoor and adventure inspiration for the season. Check them out!
Mark your calendar:
Full Moon Hike, Campfire & Friluftsfest on 1/10. Join Friluftsliving Family and Raritan Headwaters Association after the holidays for a Hike & Howl to celebrate midwinter and the Wolf Full Moon.
Yoga+Hike at Fairview Farm Wildlife Preserve on 1/12. Join Gnome Matter the Weather’s Lauren Theis for indoor, all-level gentle yoga followed by an optional guided hike on the beautiful trails of Fairview Farm.
Not local to NJ? Everything we host and share is something you can modify to do wherever you live.
We can’t wait to hear how you welcome winter in Week 4 of “15 Weeks of Friluftsliv.” Let us know in the comments!
Here’s to sharing ideas and getting outside with a “free-air-life” ethos, gnome matter the weather.