Source: "The Social Guidebook to Norway 2"

I lived in Spain

The mother of my roommate would hold her hand

each time we would visit her at the village

My roommate was 33 years old at the time

I was 25

Her mother would also hold my hand

Even if we only had met a couple of times

She would show me around the medieval town she grew up in

Holding my hand

Physical contact was her way to express a warm feeling

To make an outsider feel welcomed

In Norway

We see few mothers holding the hand of their daughters

Once their daughter grow up

It does not mean the mother and her child are less connected

There is simply less physical contact between people in Scandinavia

Except in certain situations

When Norwegians touch each other a lot 

Also men

And that can be surprising for certain cultures ...

Learn more in "The Social Guidebook to Norway"

By Julien S. Bourrelle

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