29/07/2026
Today we celebrate Olsok! 🇳🇴
Olsok is a day of celebration mainly in Norway and the Faroe Islands to commemorate the death of King Olav who died at the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030AD. Olav was a Viking who converted to Catholicism and then made it his goal to make Christianity the dominant religion of Norway as well as to unite the country. Norway had been ruled by several tribal kings and people followed pagan traditions based on viking lore so after making himself a king in Trøndelag and conquering other parts of Norway, Olav became what could be regarded as the first King of all of Norway.
In 1028 Olav lost the throne to invaders and was exiled. He returned to Norway in 1030 only to die in battle. The Battle of Stiklestad supposedly involved many miracles and Olav’s death was surrounded by legend which, along with his dedication to the promotion of Christianity, lead to him being made a Saint.
Despite becoming a Protestant country in the 16th Century, Olsok traditions remained. Today Norwegians celebrate with food, ‘Olavsfest’ in Trondheim, and an annual performance of The Saint Olaf Drama with many actors, horses and impressive scenery! It is also a time for predicting whether there will be a good harvest with the saying “er Olavsdagen våt, skal bonden høste med” meaning “if it rains on Olsok, it will make the farmers cry.”
