Like in the olden days

Us Scandinavians still remember how much Hitler loved us too. The "friendly invasion" to "protect" us was a nice touch.

735 comments

See more of Norway

Every time

Every time someone talks about free this or that in the Nordic countries an American will pop his head up and yell "It's paid for with your taxes" without fail.

The thing about people not having to live on the street. Of course we have homeless people, but the system is such that you pretty much have to choose to live on the street. I once worked with a guy who also worked with homeless people and he told me that the people you see on the street are the ones who can't handle being part of society at all. The government doesn't want people to live on the street and there's help to be had, but some people just can't cope with modern life. Living in a house means you have responsibilities like bills and if you have a mental illness someone shows up at your place every week expecting you to take your pills, and that's too much for some people so they just leave. The guy didn't say any of this with any kind of judgment btw. He understood why some people might choose to turn their back on society.

I have friends and family with mental health problems who can't work and some can't be trusted to save money for bills, so the government make sure to put some of the money they receive every month aside for them so they can pay rent and won't have to go without heat or water. They try to keep a roof over everyone's head.

777 comments

See more of Sweden Norway Denmark America

It's tradition

It's important to keep traditions alive...

335 comments

See more of England Sweden Norway Denmark

Thanks Ingvar

Thanks Ingvar Kamprad. You furnished most of my home.

398 comments

See more of Sweden Aland Norway Finland Denmark

Someone for Everyone

There's this "loud obnoxious American tourist" stereotype. Obnoxious? Rarely. Loud? Yes, every time. A lot of Americans who come to Scandinavia comment on how silent it is, while the Scandinavians around them are thinking "It's not silent. You're just talking so loudly you can't hear the crowd around you"

Luckily for American's there's always the Icelandic people. This isn't a stereotype as such, but anyone who has lived next to Icelandic people know how loud they can be (and I have lived next to MANY), so it's no wonder that Americans tend to love them. Icelandic people also tend to be more "walk up and talk to people" types which fits the American culture quite nicely.

371 comments

See more of America Iceland Sweden Norway Denmark Finland

I'm Batman!

In Sweden Batman is called Läderlappen which translate to The Leather Patch. Originally Denmark used this name too where it could be translated as The Leather Flap (as in piece of cloth), taking it directly from the Swedish word, but it has since gone out of style. So yeah, I suppose Sweden should be saying Leather Patch but Leather Flap is so much funnier.

In Norway he was known as Lynvingen, The Lightning Wing, for a while.

706 comments

See more of Norway Denmark Sweden

Merry Ukrainian Christmas

Happy Holidays boys and girls!

The Legend of the Christmas Spider is actually really cute.

A poor woman was living in a small hut with her children. During summer a pine tree started growing out of their dirt floor and the children tended to it so they'd have a Christmas tree in the winter. However, when Christmas came around they couldn't afford decorations, let alone food and went to bed sad and hungry. The next morning when they opened the windows the sun fell on the tree and revealed that a spider had covered it in cobwebs that glittered like gold and silver. When they looked closer they saw that it was REAL gold and silver. From that day on they always had plenty.

294 comments

See more of Ukraine Sweden Norway Denmark

100 in European years

Shut up, Denmark. You waited longer to give Iceland independence and you still got Greenland and the Faroe Islands (though neither is fighting for full independence at the moment).

But this is the extremely high price you have to pay for being an independent nation who's doing pretty well for itself: You will be teased mercilessly by your Nordic buddies.

Congratulations Finland. May it be several hundred more years.

452 comments

See more of Finland Norway Seden Denmark

Potato shaped like a potato

Last weekend I was invited to the Raptus festival in Norway and every night they served traditional Norwegian food for us.

The first and third night I was so excited about the food. It all tasted great and I was having a blast. The cured meat was a dream, the potatoes were unusually delicious, the fish was like nothing else and they had the best butter I've ever tasted.

But on the second night they served us raspeballer and I was so confused and upset. The potato balls tasted like soggy cardboard and the meat was so salty it hurt my gums, and I usually eat food so spicy Indians tell me to take it down a notch. And I wasn't alone. The other guests had to excuse themselves too, except the one American who loved it.

So sorry Norway, I like your food overall but I'll never be a fan of raspeballer.

239 comments

See more of Norway Denmark

Everything is possible when you don't believe

My friend went to the US and the people over there asked her this question.

766 comments

See more of America Sweden Norway Denmark