God Jul Oslo!

Hei hei, Scoopers and God jul 🎄

If you’re opening this on Christmas Eve, chances are the important things are already done. The food is bought (or at least planned), the lights are on, and Oslo has slipped into that rare quiet time it only finds once a year.

This week’s Scoop is a little lighter than usual..Christmas Eve felt like a moment for reflection rather than a full round-up.

Christmas has a way of doing that slowing us down, drawing us closer, and reminding us that light still matters when the days are darkest.

Let’s remember that at the heart of Christmas is a simple but profound idea: God choosing to be with us, entering the world not through power or spectacle, but through the birth of Jesus, in humility, closeness, and love.

Whether you hold that as faith, tradition, or just a story, it’s the reason this day exists at all.

This year’s Scoop has been about noticing those same small things, local places, shared moments, and the value of paying attention.

It’s also been a real pleasure to meet some of you readers in person this year -those brief chats, nods, and conversations mean more than you probably realise.

Hearing your feedback, alongside meeting the local business owners who make this city tick, is exactly what The Oslo Scoop is about. Supporting local businesses, yes but also trying to create something that exists both online and offline.

A sense of connection.

Because as we know, cities can be full of people and still feel lonely at times, especially if you’re new, still finding your feet, or like me, something of an outsider to the culture.

If this newsletter helps make even one person feel a little more human and connected living in Oslo, then it’s doing its job.

Thank you for being here.

Ida D was properly overjoyed when I told her she’d won The Oslo Scoop luxury Christmas pamper hamper!

“I can’t believe it… I never win anything!”

Well, her luck has officially changed.

Here’s what she walked away with (and a huge, heartfelt thank-you to each local business who made this happen):

These businesses have been seriously generous and genuinely supportive of The Oslo Scoop from day one.

And that’s what this is all about: celebrating and supporting local businesses across Grünerløkka, Sagene, and St. Hanshaugen… and watching them grow in 2026.

If the weather allows, take a short walk, even ten minutes. Oslo is unusually calm on Christmas Eve. Streets are quieter, the light is softer, and the city feels briefly like it belongs only to the people walking through it.

Sometimes stillness is the gift.

Whatever’s in your glass tonight, wine, juleøl, aquavit, or something non-alcoholic, may it be shared with good company, honest conversation, and gratitude for what’s been given.

Wherever and however you’re celebrating, I hope this Christmas brings peace, rest, and a sense of being known.

I’ll be back in January with fresh editions, new local finds, and more reasons to enjoy the city as it slowly wakes up again.

God jul fra oss i The Oslo Scoop,
Spence

The Scoop grows through word of mouth, so if you liked this week’s issue, send it to one friend and help me spread the word.

Behind the scenes, I’m also helping a handful of Oslo businesses get found and remembered. If that sounds like you, let’s talk.

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Stay curious, Oslo.

Spence

PS. Know someone in Oslo who’d love The Scoop? Hit reply with their email and I’ll add them.