news has been in contact with several people outside Norway’s borders, who have grown up with “Christmas in Svingen” in the same way as Norwegians. 19-year-old Susu Joostens from Drenthe in the Netherlands is one of them. – I saw the Christmas calendar every year when I was younger. The best thing I knew after training was to make myself a cup of cocoa and watch the series with the whole family, says Joostens. Susu saw the Norwegian Christmas calendar for the first time when she was six years old. Photo: PRIVAT Christmas calendars are an important part of the pre-Christmas mood and are a Christmas tradition for many Norwegians. Norway exports many of its Christmas calendars abroad. – Didn’t know it was a Norwegian Joostens says that she loved the various actors and that Linus’s father, Marvin, was without a doubt her favorite with his swaggering behavior and infectious mood. Marvin is Susu’s favorite character in “Christmas in Svingen”. Photo: news But the 19-year-old did not know that the Christmas calendar is Norwegian. – I didn’t know there was a Norwegian Christmas calendar until recently. I thought the actors were Dutch, but that maybe they traveled to other places with more snow, says Joostens. In Dutch: here the characters in “Jul i Svingen” sing one of the more famous songs from the Christmas calendar, in Dutch. Video: Screenshot: YOUTUBE / news There are more people than Susu who have grown up with “Christmas in the Swing” in the Netherlands. “Kerst met Linus”, as the Christmas calendar is called in the Netherlands, is also part of Nancy Van Houten’s (19) childhood. Nancy Van Houten has grown up with “Christmas in the Swing” in the Netherlands. Photo: PRIVAT – I used to get up half an hour earlier every morning in December, just to watch today’s episode of “Christmas in the Swing” before I had to go to school. Everyone at school watched it, says Van Houten. It was on TikTok that Nancy and Susu both came across the video by Norwegian Ingrid Elida Westad, that they found out that “Jul i Svingen” is Norwegian. – The Tiktok brought back many good memories and it was fun to find out where the Christmas calendar actually comes from, says Van Houten. Specially Norwegian phenomenon Bente Sagplads works with sales of news’s programs and experiences great interest in Norwegian Christmas calendars in several countries. – “Christmas in Svingen” was shown for the first time in the Netherlands one year after it came out in Norway in 2006, but in return it has been shown every year in the Netherlands and thus the Norwegian Christmas calendar has been on Dutch TV screens more than our TV screen, says Sagplads. The Christmas calendar has also been sold to several countries such as Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, Iceland and Croatia. Other Christmas calendars such as “Julekongen” and “Snøfall” have also been sold and dubbed into several countries, says Bente Sagplads. Photo: Julia Marie Nagelstad / news – Christmas calendars are a peculiarly Norwegian and Nordic phenomenon, but we are constantly trying to convince TV stations outside the Nordics that this is fun for children, and I have heard rumors that TV stations in France, Spain and Italy will also show Christmas calendars next year, says Sagplads. – Very high quality The Christmas calendar “Kristiania magiske tivolitheater” produced by Monster, for news, was shown for the first time last year. France has now taken the plunge and has bought a Norwegian Christmas calendar for the first time. “Kristiania magiske tivolitheater” will be shown for the first time on French TV this year. Solveig Langeland is general manager at Sola Media, which works with international sales of children’s films and series. She has sold “Kristiania magiske tivolitheater” to France. Photo: Sola Media Langeland thinks the aesthetics of the Christmas calendar struck a chord with the French. – The aesthetics are fantastically beautiful with good quality on, for example, the masks and costumes, which make the Christmas calendar look very luxurious. I think it’s simply a “look” that they liked, says Langeland. “Kristiania magic theater” Photo: news
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– Thought Christmas in Svingen was Dutch – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
