Norwegian Independence Day

May 17th is Norway’s Independence Day (Constitution Day), and the Norwegians celebrate it in style. It is an interesting day to observe and be a part of, especially if you are a tourist, because it is one of those days in Norway when nearly everyone you meet is happy and in a party frame of mind. There are huge crowds in the streets, with people turning out to watch the parade of schools and other organizations that march past the Royal Castle at the top of Karl Johan Street, where the King and Queen stand on the balcony with other family members and wave to the crowds and to the marchers. The high school students (‘russ’) usually round out the parade, dressed in their red or blue outfits and hats (the color is determined by the type of studies they pursue, e.g. blue means they have studied business). The parade is usually finished by midday/early afternoon. Later in the day, people gather for barbecues and parties and when the weather is nice you can hear the music from the different parties blaring out over the city because all the windows are open. We ate lunch out today at Martin’s Kro--der maten er go'-- (Martin’s inn/pub--where the food is good) in a town called Gjelleråsen after driving around the suburbs of Oslo for a while. The restaurant was packed with people.

Women and men alike dress in traditional costumes (bunads). Interest in buying and wearing them has resurged during the past ten years. My husband’s family gave me a bunad when I first moved here. It had belonged to my husband’s mother who passed on many years ago. I wore it at our marriage in 1991 and have used it since at formal parties, dinners and weddings. It is worth quite a lot of money together with the silver jewelry that accompanies it. I don’t use it as much now as I did earlier—no specific reason, just that perhaps the feeling of novelty has diminished somewhat with the passing years. I will wear it again, that is certain—there will be future occasions for that.

Fireworks are not really part of the Norwegian Independence Day celebrations, in contrast to America’s Independence Day celebrations. They have mostly always been a part of New Year’s Eve celebrations for as long as I have been here and before that. Fireworks displays aren’t organized by individual towns and cities. It is rather individual people who buy them and set them off. I used to love ushering in the New Year standing outdoors with a glass of champagne in one hand and a sparkler in the other, while my husband and his friends set off different fireworks. My stepdaughter had to have fireworks when she was younger and that was always fun. We don’t buy them anymore now that she is grown up, but we still like to go out and watch them fill the skies each New Year’s eve. But as is the case with so many other things, the numbers of accidents resulting from their use have increased and thus the laws are changing to forbid the purchase and use of personal fireworks.

The American Women’s Club in Oslo arranges a July 4th Independence Day celebration every year in Frogner Park. I went there one year with my husband and my American friend and her daughter. It was interesting but it did not compare to the celebrations and fireworks that I grew up with in Tarrytown NY. I am not sure what I expected really, but probably nothing could have lived up to my expectations or to my memories of childhood celebrations. Perhaps it felt artificial in some way—not the real thing. In any case, we have not celebrated it that way since.

I never thought much about what it meant to be an American until I lived abroad. I think most Americans, if they get the chance, should live abroad for a while. It opens your eyes to so many things and is a great learning experience. It also opens your eyes to how the USA is perceived in other parts of the world and believe me, that has not always been a pleasant experience. I will write more about that in future posts.