I'm married to a Norwegian and all of his family and best friends live in Oslo. I have spent Christmas in Norway and it is magical. That said, if you do not have family and friends there, I think Christmas might be a little challenging as a tourist. Things pretty much "shut down" for the three days of Christmas (24th - 26th) in Oslo, I would assume more so in the less populous areas. We decided to take advantage of having a babysitter (grandparents) and go out for NYE while there and it was hard to even find a restaurant in downtown Oslo that was open as most head out to winter cabins or to friends' homes to celebrate. I concur with others who mention outdoor sports / hikes / skiing, sleigh rides, visiting Lillehammer, etc, but you might want to think carefully before doing it Christmas week. I love Norway during any season (I don't mind the less light of winter) but you want to be sure you have an informed plan if you are going over Christmas week. Hope this helps!

Anonymous wrote:What's the worst that can happen? Darkness isn't fatal. I think this sounds like a great adventure and you should do it.

+1. I've been to Sweden in winter, and would totally do it again. Yes, there isn't much light -- even when the sun is "up," it's really more like twilight. However, I thought it made everything look more exotic and beautiful. The Old City in Stockholm was lovely to walk around in the half-light.

In fact, I was looking at the pictures of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's trip to Sweden and Norway and thought I'd like to take my kids there during the winter.

What's the worst that can happen? Darkness isn't fatal. I think this sounds like a great adventure and you should do it.