Each year on the 17th of May, Norwegians fill the streets celebrating by waving flags and cheering – the 17th of May is the day the Norwegian Constitution was adopted in 1814. Norwegians refer to this day by a few names – Syttende Mai (17th May), Nasjonaldagen (The National Day) or Grunnlovsdagen (The Constitution Day).

The History

On May 17, 1814 the Constitution of Norway was signed in. At the time, this was considered one of the most radical democratic constitutions in the world, now it is the oldest in Europe and second oldest in the world that is still in use. The Constituion declared Norway to be an independent nation. Celebrating of the Consitution being singed started spontaniously through students and children early on. Though, Norway was still under Swedish rule, and the Swedish King disallowed the celebrations for some time as he saw them as acts of protest and revolt against Swedish royalty. Not until 1833 did people darn to freely and openly celebrate in the streets again. In 1864, a boys parade was established and girl we eventually allowed to join in the parade ceremonies in 1899. You can learn more about the Constitution of Norway here.

The Parade & Events

Parades are very child-focused. The local schools will walk in the parade, generally they will have two upper school students hold a banner for the school and younger children (and sometimes older) will follow wielding flags and homemade signs. Kindergartens also join in on the fun, most will have a parent walking with their child or carrying them through town. School bands will play, children will sing and dance, sports teams will join in. The parades are also open to the public, many businesses and organizations such as Red Cross, scouts and choirs will walk in the parade. The Parade in Stavanger starts in the Sentrum, there are generally 3 parades: Barnetoget (Children), Folketoget (People), & Russtoget (Russ). To know where to stand to see which parade, watch the local newspapers for maps and times – the City will release a program of events for the day. The Events of the day will start at 7:00 in the morning with the Norwegian Flag being raised, a speech, music and last till around 20:00. In the past, the children’s parade has started at 9 and the People and Russ parades follow in the afternoon. One thing to note, is the parade has very little military presence unlike many parades in other countries. This is a day for the children to celebrate and the people to celebrate! The only military element on this day is performed by the Royal Guard on the main street of the capital city, Oslo. During the parade, the Guard display their drill and musical skills. The marching band of the Royal Guard also attend the children’s parade in central Oslo together with the schools’ own marching bands.

The Food

Norwegian Children know that on this day they will generally be allowed to eat as much ice cream as they wish. Also, it is very common to eat many pølse (hot dogs) on this day. Depending on the area and family you are celebrating with, there might be an ‘official’ food. There is not a nationwide official food on this day. Many families will meet for breakfast before the celebrations begin. Many will also barbecue on this day, as it generally is a warmer day.

Russ

The Russ celebrations end on the 17 of May. They will walk in their parade through town blowing whistles, dancing, chanting and having fun! On this day they are to wear their color specific overalls and their russelue (russ cap) – which is like a graduation cap. This day is full of ceremonies celebrating the end of the students’ 13 years in school; the ceremony involves them being christened and to be given their name by fellow Russ – which is to be written on their russelue. If you would like to learn more about Russ, we have recently written an article on it: RUSS – What It’s All About and the Controversy Behind It.

The Attire

On the 17th of May, Norwegians will wear their finest clothes. Many Norwegians wear their Bunad, this is a traditional Norwegian costume that is specific to where they are from. In Norway there are at least 200 styles of Bunads. The designs are elaborate, hand-made, with embroidery, scarfs, shawls, and gold or silver pieces. The women’s bunad is known to be more complex and diverse than the men’s bunad. If one does not have a Bunad, they will wear their finest clothes, along with a flag pin or ribbon. People will carry small handheld flags with them as well.

We would love to hear your stories or experiences with 17 Mai! Let us know your thoughts below in the comments!