Norway Day, May 17th

Somewhat akin to our 4th of July – flags waving, family gathering, and parades – probably Norway’s most cherished holiday. The day begins with a Children’s Parade where almost every student in the district walks either in central Stavanger or their Kommune. Some singing and band playing, but mostly kids walking and reminding all that they are the future of Norway. Many of the students and teachers and watchers are dressed in Norwegian traditional dress, the bunad. The men wear knickers, so Larry felt quite at home.

We watched with Dutch friends and then walked to the school closest to Norwegian friends, met their son and his family and watched the end of some games – potato sack races, stilt walking, etc. Then we enjoyed a delicious lunch at our Norwegian friends, Ellen and Anders, and talked the afternoon away.

The Norwegians were celebrating their Constitution signed on the 17th of May in 1814 at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Norwegians drafted a constitution and at the end of the war before they were ceded from Denmark to Sweden. In the tradeoff they lobbied for some non-monarchy power and achieved some success with their constitution. People told me it was patterned after the Declaration of Independence so I read it – and found few parallels. No separation of church and state (in fact, Jews and Jesuits were prohibited from the country.)

The weather was glorious and even more so as cold and rain were predicted.