Constitution Day is the National Day of Norway, observed annually with an official public holiday on 17 May. Among Norwegians, the day is referred to as (), (), or (), although the latter is less frequent.
The holiday is celebrated with large parades in which participants wear the Norwegian national costume, the . During the festivities, people eat hot dogs, waffles and ice cream, and children play playground games.
Historical background
The Constitution of Norway was signed at Eidsvoll on 17 May 1814. It is the third oldest written constitution still in use. The constitution declared Norway to be an independent kingdom in an attempt to avoid being ceded to Sweden after Denmark–Norway's devastating defeat in the Napoleonic Wars. This established a Union between Sweden and Norway.
Observance on the 17th of May began spontaneously among students and others soon after the signing of the Constitution. However, Norway was at that time in a personal union with Sweden (following the Convention of Moss in August 1814, by which they shared a monarch as separate nations) and for some years King Charles XIII of Sweden and Norway was reluctant to allow the celebrations. For a few years during the 1820s, King Charles XIV John banned it, believing that celebrations like this were a kind of protest for, or even revolt against, the union. The king's attitude changed after the Battle of the Square in 1829, an incident which resulted in such commotion that the king had to allow commemorations on the day.
It was not until 1833 that public addresses were held, and official celebration was initiated near the monument of former government minister Christian Krohg, who had spent much of his political life curbing the personal power of the monarch. The address was held by Henrik Wergeland, thoroughly witnessed and accounted for by an informant dispatched by the king himself.
After 1864 the day became more established when the first children's parade was launched in Christiania, at first consisting only of boys. This initiative was taken by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, although Wergeland made the first known children's parade at Eidsvoll around 1820. It was only in 1899 that girls were allowed to join in the parade for the first time. In 1905, the union with Sweden was dissolved and Prince Carl of Denmark was chosen to be King of an independent Norway, under the name Haakon VII. Obviously, this ended any Swedish concern for the activities of the National Day.
During World War II when Norway was under occupation by the Nazis, it was strictly forbidden for Norwegians to celebrate 17 May, participate in any procession, or to use the colors of the Norwegian flag on clothes. At the liberation on 8 May 1945, the Norwegian flag therefore became a strong symbol of Norway's freedom.
May 8 is now celebrated as Liberation Day in Norway. The day is used to celerate the end of World War II and honour veterans, but it is not an official holiday. Instead, a new and broader meaning has been added to the celebration of Norwegian Constitution Day on 17 May to reflect the victory over Nazi oppression.
Children's parades
A noteworthy aspect of the Norwegian Constitution Day is its non-military nature. All over Norway, children's parades with an abundance of flags form the central elements of the celebration. Each elementary school district arranges its own paradeThe Norwegian language has several distinct words for the English term "parade": "Parade", which refers to a military-like parade, and "tog" or "opptog", which refer to people walking in a predefined route just like a train moving along its track. The Norwegian word for "train", "tog", is derived from the Old Norse word for "rope"—indicating a row of people walking in a long line. The word "tog" was used of people walking in procession before the country ever got trains. In Bergen, the parade is known as a "prosesjon" (procession). with marching bands between schools. The parade takes the children through the community, often making stops at homes of senior citizens, war memorials, etc. The longest parade is in Oslo, where some 100,000 people travel to the city centre to participate in the main festivities. This is broadcast on TV every year, with comments on costumes, banners, etc., together with local reports from celebrations around the country. The massive Oslo parade includes some 100 schools, marching bands, and passes the royal palace where the royal family greet the people from the main balcony.Celebrating May 17th Official website of the Royal House of Norway (in English)
Typically, a school's children parade will consist of some senior school children carrying the school's official banner, followed by a handful of other older children carrying full-size Norwegian flags, and the school's marching band. After the band, the rest of the school children follow with hand-held flags, often with the junior forms first, and often behind self-made banners for each form or even individual class. Nearby kindergartens may also have been invited to join in. As the parade passes, bystanders often join in behind the official parade and follow the parade back to the school.
Depending on the community, the parade may make stops at particular sites along the route, such as a nursing home or war memorial. In Oslo, the parade stops at the Royal Palace while Skaugum, the home of the crown prince, has been a traditional waypoint for parades in Asker.
During the parade, a marching band will play and the children will sing lyrics about the celebration of the National Day. The parade concludes with the stationary singing of the national anthem "Ja, vi elsker dette landet" (typically verses 1, 7 and 8), and the royal anthem, "Kongesangen".
In addition to flags, people typically wear red, white and blue ribbons. Although a long-standing tradition, it has lately become more popular for men, women and children to wear traditional outfits, called bunad. The children shout "Hurra!", sing, blow whistles and shake rattles.
Additional celebration All over Norway, memorials to the fallen at wars and to other notable national people are honoured with speeches and wreaths early in the morning. In many places (like in Oslo) at noon, a salute is fired.
In addition to children's parades, there are parades for the public (), where every citizen is welcome to join in. These are led by marching bands and often local Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, local choirs, and NGOs. This takes place in the early morning or in the afternoon, before or after the school's parade.
All parades begin or end with speeches. Both adults and older children are invited to speak. After the parades, there are games for the children, and ice cream, soda, sweets and hot dogs are consumed.
Russ
The graduating class from (upper secondary school, sixth form) the Norwegian equivalent of high school, known as , has its own celebration on 17 May, staying up all night and making the rounds through the community. The also have their own parades later in the day, usually around 4 or 5 pm. parade through the street carrying signs. They may parody various local and political aspects, although this has become less frequent. Russ parades have lately become smaller and smaller due to diligent police discouragement.
Celebration across the country
Constitution Day is celebrated in most small settlements and larger towns across Norway, with many variations. In the nation's capital city, Oslo, children from most of the local schools gather to parade past the Royal Palace, where they and the royal family exchange waves and greetings. In the municipality of Asker, outside Oslo, the children gather outside the residence of the Crown Prince and Princess at Skaugum Estate in the morning (giving the Crown Prince and his family time to attend the parade in Oslo later in the day). Bergen has its own traditions for the parade, including comic troupes, various local organisations, a children's parade, and the unique buekorps. In Trondheim, children from all the city's schools parade the streets of Trondheim in the morning. Later in the afternoon, the "Citizens Parade" (Borgertoget) starts. This is a parade where firefighters, sports teams, students associations and other associations are represented. In Stavanger the day starts with a salute at 7 am. Later there are Children's Parade, Russ Parade and finally Citizens Parade. The British school has, since the 1970s, and later copied by the Dutch school and the American school, carried flags from a number of countries from all over the world. An international party day is also arranged in the central Bjerkstedparken every 17 May. In Kristiansand, in addition to parades of schoolchildren and citizens earlier that day, the city is known for the conclusion of the National Day with running through the city centre ("Tapto") and a spectacular fireworks display. For those who want to continue the party until midnight, a trad jazz band with local touches plays until midnight in front of the Christiansholm Fortress (Free entrance).Program in City centre, City of Kristiansand 17th May 2017
In addition to the children's parades the streets across the country are filled with young and old, turning out in festive attire, and vendors selling ice cream, hot dogs, and more recently, kebabs.
Celebration abroad
is also celebrated in many Norwegian migrant communities throughout the world, with traditional foods, sometimes including lutefisk. In the United States and Canada, the local lodges of the Sons of Norway often play a central part in organizing the festivities.
The Bay Ridge, Brooklyn neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, has had an annual 17 May parade and celebration since 1952. It is well-attended and celebrated by Norwegian Americans who immigrated to Brooklyn in the early 20th century.17th of May Parade Committee Norwegian-American 17th of May Committee of Greater New York
One major celebration occurs in Petersburg, Alaska, also known as "Little Norway". The town is a Norwegian settlement and strongly retains its roots. The festival occurs the weekend closest to 17 May and includes a parade, Leikarring dancers, herring toss, Norwegian food such as lefse and a pack of vikings and valkyries.Velkommen til Petersburg , petersburg.org
Another major celebration occurs in Stoughton, Wisconsin, which, along with the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, claims to be the second largest in the world after Oslo, and the largest in the US. Festivities include canoe racing, two parades, an art fair, a half marathon run around the Stoughton community, and a great deal of bratwurst consumption. The festival features the Stoughton High School Norwegian Dancers, a group that tours the country showcasing traditional ethnic dances of Scandinavia.Syttende Mai , stoughtonwi.com