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Spring is a time for chirping birds, rain showers, and emerging flowers. In northern parts, the snow melts, the weather gets warmer, and people begin spending more time outside. Spring in Norway is quite similar.

When one thinks about Valentine’s Day, chocolate, roses, and candy hearts come to mind. But are those universal themes? Let’s explore how Valentine’s Day is celebrated in the Nordic countries to peek into other traditions.

These delicious chocolate-covered marshmallow treats would make a great, easy dessert for a Valentine’s meal.

We can all agree that one of the main focal points of the holidays is food. We stuff ourselves during the main course with mashed potatoes, gravy, ham, eggnog, salad, stuffing, turkey, and so much more until we are filled to the brim. Yet somehow, we always manage to find room for dessert. How can that be?

When thinking about or discussing Norwegian foods, one food will undoubtedly come up: porridge. Porridge has had quite the role throughout Norway’s history. In fact, it is quite possibly the oldest hot dish in the Norwegian diet. The main grains used were barley and oats, as it was difficult to grow other grains in the cold climate.

An exciting discovery has been made just centimeters below the soil in Stjørdal, near Trondheim. Pawel Bednarski took a metal detector out to his field right before Christmas last year and uncovered a treasure trove of Viking objects.

An interesting problem has left the city of Tromsø, Norway, searching for solutions. This issue has been compared to the rat infestation in Paris, but these “rats” in Tromsø can fly, and are known as seagulls.

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation is a family foundation that strives to improve the lives of individuals living in poverty by providing funds to nonprofit organizations working hands-on for this goal. The Foundation was established in 1944 and has since become one of the larger philanthropic foundations in the world.

Above the Artic circle and about 40 minutes off the coast of Norway lies a small fishing village by the name of Sørvær. This island is so remote that the next nearest piece of land is the east coast of Greenland. So, what is the significance of such a small, remote island, you ask? The answer lies within the confines of a tiny hotel on the island, featuring four sleeping cabins.

Standing proudly in the center of Oslo, next to the harbor, Norway’s Nasjonalmuseet (national museum) is now ready for visitors. This project took nearly 30 years to come to fruition, with the idea first being discussed in the 1990s. The building, which was designed by German firm Kleihues + Schuwerk, opened its doors on June 11 and is a massive 584,480 square feet. This makes the institution one of the largest art museums in Europe, right behind the State Hermitage Museum in Russia and the Louvre in Paris.