If you are living across the seas, then you probably aren’t familiar with the dugnad tradition. For that reason, it’s quite challenging to describe the Norwegian culture to other people. In modern society, we can hardly imagine doing something for free, just to help others.
However, Norwegians have adopted this concept, and it’s the reason why their country is flourishing. To find more about this, head over to the latest article from Norgesbriketten, den store dugnad guiden, and discover their culture.
Now, to help you understand what dugnad really is, we are going to tell you more about this tradition.
What dugnad means?
This is one of those concept words we can hardly define in a couple of sentences because its meaning goes beyond anything we know. However, it represents the way of living, and it’s an integral part of the Norwegian people.
We can say that this is like some community day where people get together to clean, paint, repair, or fix things up. It mostly involves outdoor work and some sort of manual labor. Therefore, if you live in Norway and own a house in a community area, then you have probably heard about dugnad.
When does it start?
Dugnad mostly happens around the change of the seasons. For example, in autumn, people prepare for the winner, while in spring, they prepare for summer. 17th May is an important date in this country because on that day starts a month-long celebration.
Now when it comes to dugnads, people try to do things around their neighborhoods, arrange summer homes, mountain cabins, marinas, and even workplaces and schools. In this sense, dugnad knows no boundaries, and it’s a great way to help your community.
Each person here is a part of some community or a group, so their involvement might be required throughout the year. For instance, if you share gardens or a park with the members of your community, then it’s your responsibility to keep it organized and tidy. It is essential to mention that you aren’t alone in this process because everyone shows up and helps.
Setting up the world record
While Norway may only have 5.3 million or residents, they are quite competitive and take great enjoyment in setting up the world records. In the past, they hosted the world’s largest charity telethon, as well as the world’s largest youth football tournament.
This tournament attracted the youth teams across the globe, but they are dressed in the same suits, only carrying badges for their teams. On the other hand, they also organized telethon, which raised money for charity.
Additionally, each year more than 100,000 Norwegians knock on 2.3 million doors to gather money for charity and help their community. In this case, they want to help all people to be accepted and eliminate loneliness.
In some way, dugnad makes you feel like a good person for assisting others and, at the same time, makes the world a better place.