For the rest of the world, it is common practice to go on dates, have dinners and enjoy each other’s company before having sex. Some people spend as long as six months getting to know each other. However, Norway’s dating culture is completely different from what many people may be used to. Over there, casual sex isn’t uncommon, and feelings come after. Because of this, one night stands happen a lot more there than in most places.
Although casual sex isn’t a big deal for Norwegians, they are often in mutually exclusive relationships with their partners. Intimacy is very important in their relationships. Although it may seem otherwise, they put a lot of value on feelings.
When in Norway, date as the Norwegians do. In Norway, the dating culture is not as conservative as most parts of the world. This doesn’t mean that they ignore what dating leads to or are ignorant of the joys of long-lasting commitment, in fact, it’s just the opposite. So here’s a guide to understanding dating in Norway better and how to go about it.
Tips for Dating in Norway
- If you like someone, don’t be shy about it
Being conservative is something common in a lot of places. But when entering the Norwegian dating scene, it’s best to make the first move if you’re interested. Norwegians tend to have a lot of reservations. So when you want to date someone from Norway, starting up a conversation and making the first move is on you. While being forward, remember that in Norway, dating culture is casual. So asking someone out for dinner n a first date isn’t really proper. This is because Norwegians mostly keep things casual for the first few dates until you’ve both decided to pursue a more serious relationship.
- Sex isn’t a big deal to them
It’s pretty normal to gradually ease into sex in more conservative countries. However, in Norway, sex could come after just a few dates. But this doesn’t change the fact that intimacy will develop. Norwegians aren’t shy about sex and they also don’t use it as an excuse to cancel out intimacy. Things are different in Norway, so try to ease up and don’t be shocked if sex happens before feelings do. In Norway, you could meet and hook up on the same day, but if you wake up and still find the other person there, then you can ask them out on a date. Going out to fancy dinners and lunches happens when it has been agreed that there is a relationship.
- Gender Roles have no basis in Norwegian dating
In Norway, because dating is quite casual and sex has been removed as an end game, there are hardly any gender roles in the Norwegian dating scene. This can be partly due to how reserved Norwegians are. it could also be due to how transparent they are about sex when dating. Women can take control of relationships and instigate them and so can men.
Norwegian women are very vocal about their desires and needs. Although this might be weird at first, it is normal and part of the lifestyle. Also, they tend to dress according to the weather and put on very light clothing in the hot summer. Norwegian men are quite conscious about their attitudes towards women, they don’t want to give the wrong impression, so women are most times, expected to be able to say what they want from a man.
This may be a culture shock to some people if they are not familiar with Norwegian culture. It is best to prepare your mind for it.
- Use Protection
One ready bit of advice you need when dating in Norway is to make sure you protect yourself from STDs. This is because Norwegians are quite casual about sex and dating. And the rate of infections like Chlamydia is quite high. So when dating in Norway, remember to always use protection and get regularly checked yourself so you don’t end up passing anything unto anyone.
Norway’s dating lifestyle is full of casual sex and fun; this makes it difficult to make sex the basis of a relationship when they usually get it out of the way quickly. Having a lot of casual sex in Norway makes it have one of the highest numbers of one night stands. But dating culture differs everywhere and so, learning to adapt to Norway’s culture on dating is a great idea while living there.
You can read more about Norwegian dating sites here if you ever visit Norway and want to hang out with Norwegian people on dates. Remember that Norway has a really interesting drinking culture so when you want to hit Norway’s biggest cities like Oslo and Bergen, beware of drunken people.
