Shortly after my son and I arrived in Norway in 2012 we got to experience the Norwegian national holiday (aka. 17 mai or Constitution Day). National holidays are common in only a few European countries.
One of the first things we noticed about the Norwegian celebration was the dress. Being from North America we dressed in our most festive/patriotic outfits of red, white and blue. We quickly noticed that the Norwegians dress in formal or traditional attire. The traditional outfits are very elaborate, often hand made and can cost into the thousands of dollars. We did change into the nicest clothes we had with us at the time.
Parades make up a big part of the 17 mai. The parade participants are schools and bands with anything related to the military banned. In Oslo the parade participants will pass by the royal palace where the royal family will smile and wave for hours on end.
After the parade people may change their attire and meet at the school for games, hot dogs (polse), waffles and ice cream (is). Another option is to have family and friends over for an outdoor meal which may require formal dress and your nicest table settings.
Unlike North Americans the day does not end with fireworks, those are saved for New Years' Eve.
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| The only military are the royal guards. |
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| Dancing |
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| School children |
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| School children |
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| Bands |
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| Karl Johans gate leading to the royal palace |
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| King Harald V in the top hat to the right of the statue |
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| Celebration at Jar Skole |
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| Fun and games at Jar Skole |
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