Strange Norwegians

[hanne_line]

http://www.norphoto.no/r/nor1.php

In Norway we celebrate our national day together.

We celebrate our identity and independence since 1814 when we had our own constitution.

Our children walk in crusades in every corner of our country with flags and song and bandmusic. We dress in national costumes ( well those who have that, does )

I walked my May 17th. crusades in Oslo, that is a very long crusade and it ends after we have walked past the castle where our royal family stands on the balcony and wawe to our flag waweing children. the national guard is leading the crusade, after them all of Oslo`s schools are following one by one and at the end of the crusade the last year students of High school (RUSS) usually crawl past the castles balcony, they are all dressed in red or blue or black coveralls after what classes they have studdied.

The streets are full of dressed up people that are happy and congratulate eachother. The schools usually have some sort of speach about why we celebrate this day and it is party and entertainment for many hours until people continue theyr celebraton with family and friends, often dinner at the years first garden party

Hanne Line

[hanne_line]

Historical background

17th of May 1893 by Norwegian painter Christian Krohg (1852–1925). Note that the flag does not have the Union badge of Norway and Sweden, the so called sildesalaten (Herring salad).

17th of May 1893 by Norwegian painter Christian Krohg (1852–1925). Note that the flag does not have the Union badge of Norway and Sweden, the so called sildesalaten (Herring salad).

The Constitution of Norway was signed at Eidsvoll on May 17 in the year 1814. The constitution declared Norway to be an independent nation.

The celebration of this day begun spontaneously among students and others from early on, and for some years the king was reluctant to allow the celebrations. For a couple of years in the 1820s, king Carl Johan actually forbade it, as he thought the celebrations a kind of protest and disregard - even revolt. The king's attitude changed slightly after the Battle of the Square in 1829, an incident which resulted in such a commotion that the King had to allow it. It was, however, not until 1833, that anyone ventured to hold a public address on behalf of the day. That year, official celebration was initiated by the monument of the late politician Christian Krogh, known to have stopped the King from gaining too much personal power. The address was held by Henrik Wergeland, thoroughly witnessed and accounted for by a Swedish spy, sent by the King himself.

After 1864, the day became more established, and the first children's promenade was launched in Christiania, in a parade consisting only of boys. The girls had their own promenade by a different route. This initiative was taken by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, although Wergeland made the first known children's promenade at Eidsvoll around 1820.

By historical coincidence, the Second World War ended in Norway just nine days before that year's Constitution Day, on May 8, 1945, when the occupying German forces surrendered. Even if The Liberation Day is an official flag day in Norway, the day is not an official holiday and is not broadly celebrated. Instead a new and broader meaning has been added to the celebration of Norwegian independence on May 17.

The day focused originally on the Norwegian constitution, but after 1905, the focus has been directed also towards the royal family.

[edit] Children's parades

Children's parade in front of the Royal Palace, Oslo

Children's parade in front of the Royal Palace, Oslo

The kindergarten part of a Children's parade

The kindergarten part of a Children's parade

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 parade[1] 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.

Typically a school’s children parade will consist of some senior school children carrying the schools 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 sized 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, 2 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 also make a lot of noise shouting "Hurra!", singing, blowing whistles and shaking rattles.

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, etc. 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 grown-ups and older children are invited to speak. After the parades, there are games for the children, and often a lot of icecream, pop, sweets and pølse (hotdogs) are consumed.

[edit] Russ

The graduating class from the Norwegian equivalent of high school - known as russ - has its own celebration on May 17, staying up all night and making the rounds through the community. The russ also have their own parades, in which they parody various local and political aspects, although recently this has become less frequent.

[edit] Celebration across the country

* In Oslo, children from all the city's 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 throne heir at Skaugum Estate in the morning (giving the 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 organizations, a children's parade, and the buekorps.

* In Trondheim, children from all the city's schools parade the streets of Trondheim in the morning. Later in the afternoon, "borgertoget" starts. This is a parade where firefighters, sports teams, students associations and other associations are represented.

In addition to the children's parades the streets are filled with young and old, turning out in festive attire, and vendors selling ice cream, hot dogs, and lately, kebabs.

[edit] Celebration abroad

17 May dinner in the United States.

17 May dinner in the United States.

The National Day is also celebrated in many Norwegian immigrant communities throughout the world, with traditional foods, sometimes including lutefisk. In the United States and Canada, the local lodges of the Sons of Norway organization often play a central part in organizing the festivities. One major celebration occurs in Petersburg, Alaska aka Little Norway. The town is a Norwegian settlement and strongly retains it's roots. The festival occurs the weekend closest to the 17th of May and includes a Parade, herring toss, locals selling Norwegian pastries such as Lefse and even a pack of Vikings and Valkyries (inebriated locals dressed in non-accurate "Viking-Wear").

Another occurs in the city of Stoughton, Wisconsin. Festivities include canoe racing, a 20-mile run that starts in Madison, Wisconsin, and a great deal of bratwurst consumption. Smaller Syttende Mai celebrations are held in Norwegian-heritage communities throughout western Wisconsin, as well as elsewhere in the Midwestern United States[1].

Another major celebration occurs in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

Another "little norway", Poulsbo,WA holds a festival the weekend closest to the 17th every year called Viking fest (http://www.vikingfest.org/)

[edit] Henrik Wergeland

The poet Henrik Wergeland is credited with making Syttende mai a celebratory day for the children rather than a day of patriotic pride. Actually, the day demonstrates that the children, i.e. the country's future, are the patriotic pride, if we follow Wergeland's thought. Flags and music dominate the day, and there are few military parades. To commemorate his contribution, the russ in Oslo place an oversized hat on his statue near the Norwegian parliament; the Jewish community place a wreath on his grave in the morning as a tribute to his efforts on their behalf.

[edit] Military parades

The only military parade is performed by the Royal Guard on the main street of the capital city, Oslo. During the parade, the Guard display their drill and music skills, rather than showing off military force. An example of an exercise performed by the Guard includes throwing their rifles over their shoulders, with bayonets attached, to another Guardsman who walks behind and catches it. The most impressive aspect about the Guard's parade is that they have learned their skills during the course of nine months, and during that time they also go through normal infantry training.

[susieSA]

Thanks Hanne...

That was such a great read :)

Looks like great fun :)

[siouxz72]

Hanne...that's was great!

The only part that my kids think is strange about Norwegians is that they like salty licorice! I was the only one in the family that liked it! lol... my kids have no taste! :)

thanks again for my "care package"... I loved it!

[hanne_line]

You know siouxz, just give me a hint when you want suplies ...lol

I`m suprised they did not like it

maybe I sent you the wrong ones?? hehe did you get that diving lady??

Hanne Line

[hanne_line]

The Norwegian national guard in parade May 17th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUZeLka0TD4...feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6TVnrXWijs

[Moksha]

Eventually I would like to see the Penguin-Norwegian reunification. We could eat Lutefisk and drink Glug together.

[hanne_line]

penguin?? well.... In Norway it had to be Lundefugl then?? hehehe

[Moksha]

All that is missing in Norge are the Penguins.

[hanne_line]

All that is missing in Norge are the Penguins.

... And the snow ...

[hanne_line]

this is from one that has been in Norway

[Moksha]

This one seems a bit like one of those "Historical Dramas"...

[Moksha]

[hanne_line]

?????????? and??????????

do you have more???????

lol

[Maya]

I just love the Norwegean nature!

It is funny how the sheep and cows and ...well not horses anyway... stil are allowed to go on the roads! I remember I saw this happen in Finland as I was under 10... and that is a lifetime ago, then all pastures were fenced.

Love the waterfall. Was those delphines... which fjord was that ... we need to go to see the delphines!

:)

[Moksha]

Speaking of Norway, how about the far north and Lappland? What is going on up there anyway? We always hear about their dancing. Is dancing a means of keeping warm up there?

[Honos]

In Moksha's defense, Norwegians are occasionally referred to as Laplanders or Lapps. From Wikipedia:

The Sami people (also Sámi, Saami, Lapps, sometimes also Laplanders) are an indigenous peopleof northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. Their ancestral lands span across an area the size of Sweden in the Nordic countries. The Sami people are among the largest indigenous groups in Europe. Their languages are the Sami languages, which are classified as Finno-Ugric.

While I have not seen the whole of his post before editting, what I saw reported was a pun.

I, at least, got the joke.

[Moksha]

Yes, I realize that Sami is the usual name - but whoever heard of a Sami Dance?

Maybe these jokes get lost in the translation.

BTW, Here is same Saami Music:

YouTube - Sofia & Anna - Du Calmmit (your eyes) - 2000

[Maya]

Finno-Ugric... thanks Honos... been wondering what that is in English we say Finsk-Ugrainisk or Suomen Ugrilainen (spelling probably wrong).

My good frend is a sami... but she had never heard of Sami dance... hmmm... She is from Alta and around there but has lived here close to Oslo now many years. I again am finnish... but not finnished... I hope, even though sometimesit feels like that.

Sami language is special. I understand a lot more ofthe speach of Finnish sami thatn that of Norwegan, Swedish or Russian sami.

It seems that they are getting some kind of autonomi... that they can decide of things that consern them themselves all over northern parts of these horthern countries.

About Sami:

Várjjat Sámi Musea - Varanger Samiske Museum

Here you can see the beautiful clothes:

Boazo Sámi Siida - Ekte samisk reiseliv - Velkommen

[hanne_line]

I am not Same, but very proud that we have them in Norway!! I can not understand a word they say, lol

[Argentina84]

What a beautiful country you have!

Regards!

[WANDERER]

I like salty licorice : ) Best shaken up in a bottle of water for a licorice drink LOL. My mother is Dutch.

[hanne_line]

I am found of my country too lol

[VisionOfLehi]

I'm 1/4th Norwegian stock! I need to learn so much about my history.

My dad's genealogical side is pretty much all Norwegian.

[Maya]

I am not Same, but very proud that we have them in Norway!! I can not understand a word they say, lol

I understand some what they say in finnish sami, but the norwegean sami... uh

The language is finnish ugrian:D The grammar is alike finnish grammar. Actually I think they should have their own country up north... part of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia in it!