Tidsskrift for Kulturforskning (Dec 2023)
«God jul og mye flesk!»
Abstract
Although Norwegian food in general could be scarce and monotonous, it was, if possible, an abundant feast during Christmas time. With industrialization, urbanization and mass communication in modern society, making individual food choices became achievable. By applying perspectives from actor network theory, this article explores how questions concerning politics, culture, aesthetics and identity influenced Christmas food, and how its presentation on the Christmas table was regarded. In the interwar period the modernization of Christmas food became highly visible through cookbooks and recipe booklets. The commercial Christmas buffet, julebord, emerged as a seasonal offering in urban restaurants and hotels from around 1925, inspired by the commercial julbord in neighbouring Sweden. The Christmas pig and the preparation and presentation of pork was a centrepiece in theory and practice. By discussing a selection of food publications, photographs and texts about Christmas food from 1921–1959, the article explores how Christmas food culture in Norway expanded and changed in this period.
