Informant: July 29th when Olaf the holy (olav den hellige) died in a grand battle in 1030. After he died, that is commonly referred to at least in Norway as the end of the Viking age. He had red cheeks while he was buried, this is a symbol that he was still alive as he was being buried. This is where Christianity took over.

Context: My informant learned of this information from his Parents when he was younger. When he used to live in Norway he would “celebrate” this day on July 29th. His parents instilled values and taught him using old stories of the viking age, personally to my informant he liked to celebrate this Holiday because it reminds him of his parents and their teachings, as well as his own history in Norway.

Analysis: This holiday in Norway is certainly an interesting on with some serious dichotomy. On one hand the people love their viking roots and celebrating a holiday where the viking age ended and Norway was “colonized” into Christianity might be a slippery slope. On the second hand there are certainly more religious people who treat it as a proper holiday. For some it is a day of remembrance and hold more weight than for others.