Norwegian Winter Olympic History

Do you know what the word 'tradition' means? A tradition is a set of customs or beliefs that have been handed down from generation to generation. Traditions last for many years and are usually specific to a place or group of people. Can you think of any traditions in your life? Can you think of where they came from?

Traditions often come from a way of life - if someone is used to living in one area, eating a certain kind of food, doing a certain job, those traits can be passed on to new generations. Traditions can be based on nothing more than where someone lives. This is true of Norway. Norway is a country in Scandinavia, a peninsula in northern Europe. The land and climate in Norway is dramatic. Because it is so far north, Norwegians live in bitter cold for much of the year.

Norwegians have learned how to live in such a climate. They've also learned how to master it. You need to look only at Norwegian Winter Olympic athletes to see how people can win - and win often - over Mother Nature.