I jolo – Jul på gamlemåten

Christmas the Old Way

‘I jolo’ was of several critics picked up as the year’s most original Christmas album and it is not difficult to understand why. Here are folk tunes, Christmas songs, hymns and legends side by side. The various contributions give an overall impression of the traditions that have shaped the Norwegian Christmas celebration as we know it today. I jolo is built up as an old-fashioned Christmas celebration where we get insight into the traditions such as the ritual bath before the Christmas meal, drinking traditions and "oskereia" where ghosts and spirits ravish through the farms. Psalms have a place in this context as comfort and protection, emphasizing the gradual transition between pagan and Christian traditions. I jolo provides a unique insight into an important fiest, and shows the various elements that affect our celebration of Christmas.