Asker Local Customs

The forests around Asker abound of mushrooms in season. The local mushroom club announces good spots, finds and mushroom controls (checking your catch for poisonsous mushrooms). there is so mych that the club shares its knowledge very willingly. The language may be a problem, but if you ask for info in English you will be well received. Check the web sites below.

The pigeons in Asker are a real nightmare, sh*tting down every nook and cranny of human habitat if thay gain access. No better place for them than Asker's railway station, according to the pigeon spokesbird.
Now this is such an odd community and population that considering killing off the pigeons is out of question, sensitive softies. The numbers of grannys handfeeding the remainder will only increase exponentially and self-appinted greenie bird lovers will topple the existing order. Well, never mind the latter, that might be a good idea, when considering it...
So what they do here is to feed the pigeons more - more high-carbo/protein grains - at a big bird feeder thing. That concentrates them and - voila - wipe them out? Oh, no, a nice mulitistory building complex for the birdies have been set up for the boa candidates. That gets them then, pigeons, yes your nice feathery friends out there have to mindsets; sex first, then food. So all taken care of by this city for birds. But then comes the clue; no Israeli bunker buster bomb, but simply steal their eggs systematically. Ops, sorry, politically incorrect - harvest theri eggs. Every egg the human caretaker can get his/her hand on will be replaced with a porcellain egg. And the non-thinking apart from sex and food pigeons will try very hard to hatch the porcellain and stay out of egglaying business until they tire of this and abandon nest - and try again later.
Consider this: every female pigeon breeds 9 times per year, and Asker has 300 females. Think for yourself what Asker station would look like in the near future without this measure...
Go check it out at the brick building on the little hill next to the station.

The main event of the day in Asker is the school children's parades and festivities. As Asker is the host of the crown prince family at Skaugum, the first thing after getting up, hoisting the flags (07:00), remembering those who died for freedom (at "Nei-støtten" in Asker and "Retterstedet" (Execution place) at the 2nd WW Grini Concentration Camp in Bærum), all Asker's schools parade by and is greeted by the Crown prince family at the door of their Skaugum home at 8:10 onwards. Upon arrival back in Asker square, speeches and what not, the school children return to their respective schools about 10 am. By 11 the local schools, kindergardens and other social organisations do their local parades around the community with school brass bands, making a point of conducting special halts at hospitals, homes of the elderly etc. Bystanders, parents and others join the parade on the way and all seem to end up at festivities at the respective schools about 11-12. The speeches of the day are held by pupils, headmaster, parents, all making references to past heroices, our new citizens, the elderly, the constitution and the upcoming games for the children and ice creams... There is the national hymn sung by children voices through screeching loudspeakers, the brass band and the choir do their bits until restlessness overwhelms the assembly and the official stuff is over. Then games for the children organised by parents' committees; lotteries, soft drinks, coffee, ice cream, hot dogs... Everybody relives their childhoods for a while and enjoy the day, and meeting friends, neighbours and colleagues. By 14-14:30 hrs it's all over and families retire home with tired children and the family dinner (much preferred consumed together with visiting relatives) spectacle ensues. Children running around and white stockings getting green knees from tumbling in the grass, the coffe and brandy arrives as lights dim. One year till next time. This is about it...

Actually it is the constitution day, the constitution adopted 17 May 1814. May just be advisable to review that constitution by now, but what the heck; as long as we can celebrate it as a sign of freedom, liberty, participation and democracy it's probably ok for another year.
17 May is supposed to be the end of a long winter, the outbreak of spring, the greening of the birch trees, the end of seconday school for the 3rd graders ("russ"), the beginning of romances and a dash of national romanticism and qoutes of the authors of literary national epics. But is seems to be dapperly signified by ubiquitous rain.
People show up in their best (yet practical) and it is a spectacle of folk costumes. Asker has people from all over the country, so the representation fo regional costumes is especially wide.

For some unbeknownst reason the Maundy Thursday (Easter) is a traditional first mussles collecting day and cooking mussles on the seashore. Lots and lots of people spend the afternoon doing this, wading the shallows and cooking on bonfires. It's especially the communities of Nærsnes, Båtstø, Bjerkås and Slemmestad where this has caught on - but since when? Nobody knows, and for no particular reason.... Of course you can join! And it's free, all based on BYO - and PYO=pick your own. But I would be very surprised if people wouldn't share with you should you bump by emptyhanded.

Asker (with neighbouring Bærum) is the municipality in Norway with perhaps the most eager travellers; it is a relatively wealthy community and it is a popular place to live for international couples. Not so many immigrants, as cross-national marriages. Asker has the highest per capita adoption rate as well, which seems to be linked to on average higher education levels, many career women and late child bearing.
A place of the imagination for many here seems to be Thailand, and statistics speaks again; there are many Thai/Norwegian married couples living here. And out of the 84 Norwegians killed by the 2004 tsunami in Thailand a large number were from Asker & Bærum. A national memorial to the tsunami victims are in the process to be set up on the shores of Bærum.
The tsunami and the heartfelt reactions by the Thai people toward foreign victims' families amidst their own catastrophe struck a very strong cord among people in Asker, and locally initiated humanitarian actions were instigated here, especially popular was the Long Tail Boat Action for re-building the damaged boats and fishing vessels in the Krabi provincial coast. The name comes from a longtail boat that has been imported from Thailand, justly baptised "Thailand" and is being used here in Asker.
A group of survivors in Asker are maintaining and using the longtail boat and keeps the interest in Thailand alive here with us, and urges people to visit Thailand on Thailand's and Thai peoples' premises.

St. Hans midsummer celebrations are just a popular midsummer celebration of light nights, beginning of summer holidays for many and simply the arrival of warm summer weather.
There are local community organized festival arrangements including public bonfires , music and food sales etc. Nothing much beyond good companionship, picnics, drinks, dancing, staying up late and games for the kids. Many Norwegians seem to be conceived during this night...

Hvalstrand is the key action place for mainland based celebrtations in Asker. Packed with people, some good entertainment. Nice place to be the evening 23. June every year.

St. Hans midsummer celebrations are just a popular midsummer celebration of light nights, beginning of summer holidays for many and simply the arrival of warm summer weather.
There are local community organized festival arrangements including public bonfires , music and food sales etc. Nothing much beyond good companionship, picnics, drinkis, dancing, staying up late and games for the kids. Many Norwegians seem to be conceived during this night...

Langåra's northern side is the key action place for the boat people of Asker. Packed with boats, and people picnic on board or they step on land at Langåra's northern side which has good picnic places, anchorages, shelter from the wind and view to the sunset.