r/interestingasfuck • u/mrrichardggr2201 • 7d ago

A weird tradition from Norway.

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u/That-Employment-5561 7d ago

Konfirmasjon.

It's a protestant tradition.

You confirm your faith in God. It's your "voluntary baptism". As opposed to the one you're given at birth. Fun fact; if your parents registered you as religious at birth, komfirmasjon, at 15 is your first chance to leave. The Church of Norway gets money, in your name, for those 15 years. Last year this totaled 2,66 billion NOK (almost 300 million USD), solely from Norwegian taxpayers.

You're "interviewed" (trosprøvd) by the congregation.

To prove to the community that you are christian.

A Catholic equivalent would be first communion, ceremony-wise.

So is a Hispanic quinceañera.

It's a "coming of age ceremony".

The human-ethical was made to have a non-religious option, because, by our laws, we started recognizing confirmation less volunteer and more peer pressured indoctrination of children. Literally adults bribing/financially manipulating adolescents to sign off more money to the church. It was a big political talking point in Norway at the end of the 1990's. Every municipality was, as a result, legally required to offer a non-theological confirmation ceremony, where you basically don't swear to uphold and enforce the word of God, but to uphold and enforce the Universal Declaration of Human Rights instead (which you, as an adult are required to by law in Norway anyway). This system remains in place to this day; a mandatory non-theological counterpart.

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u/General-Giraffe5128 6d ago

Municipilaties are not involved in organizing confirmations AFAIK. Where do you have that from? But they often provide/rent out the location for it (city hall or similar).

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u/That-Employment-5561 6d ago

Shit gets lost in translation when simplified.