17th of May, Yay!

May 18, 2013 00:20

So, the 17th of May is Constitution Day here in Norway. I post about this every year, because it is a celebration, and it would feel slightly odd not to mention it.

It is a very strange day, though. We celebrate our country and the constitution, but the day is meant to be for and about the children. Children are paraded around town and fed more sugar than they could possibly handle. Marching bands all over the country have one purpose, and it is to march like they have never marched before on this one day. And they do it beautifully. Even if their uniforms are ill fitting, and in gnarly colours - no one cares. The population as a whole goes out looking like sexy milkmaids from the 1800s, even the men. It's a fun day.

We are lead to believe that no one celebrates their own country quite like us Norwegians, which is probably pretty accurate in a lot of ways. I must say I'm mostly into it because I get to wear my bunad - which is a garment I've had since I was 13. I've had it altered once (they thought I would grow taller and bustier than I did), but apart from that, the garment is still the same. It is the most expensive piece of clothing I own, and I get to wear it once a year - yes, it's a pretty big deal.

The weeks leading up to the 17th of May is filled with news article (actual news articles) on how to prepare for the 17th of May, pitfalls to avoid on the day itself, and how to properly groom yourself and your bunad (milkmaid outfit). It's all very interesting, I guess, but I often find on the day itself that no one really cares. People walk around dressed up in tailored suits in the colours of the Norwegian flag, you could probably walk around with a cream layer cake on your head, and people would applaud you and call it festive.

I'm not really sure what any of it has to do with the actual constitution, but there are ice cream and hot dogs, so that's good.
And the police really crack down on everything bad on this day. Counterfeit helium balloons, can't have any of that. Better collect them, transport them to a parking lot where we think no one is watching, and pop them all. Yes, good. Also no silly string, it messes up the milkmaid outfits, can't have any of that. Important police business, yes.

Here are some pictures.











(an actual picture of police popping balloons! How exciting.)

















(we had a spot of rain where people just gathered under the nearest shelter they could find. We stood there for 10 minutes or so, and then went our separate ways like nothing had every happened. Aaah, Norwegian public etiquette.)











oslo lol, norwegian, 17th of may, norway

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