Constitution Day (Norway)
Constitution Day is the national day of Norway and is celebrated on 17 May every year.[1] This day celebrates the Norwegian Constitution because it was signed on 17 May 1814 at Eidsvoll. In Norwegian, this day is sometimes called Syttende mai (Seventeenth of May), Nasjonaldagen (National Day), or Grunnlovsdagen (Constitution Day).
On this day, people celebrate with big parades.[2] They wear special clothes called bunad.[3] People eat food like hot dogs, waffles, and ice cream. It is also common to see groups of people do the Bygdedans, a traditional dance.
Children's parades are an important part of the celebrations.[4] Schools organize these parades, and children walk with flags and banners.[5] They often play music and sing songs. In the capital city, Oslo, it is tradition for the royal family to stand on the balcony of the Royal Palace.[1][6] They wave to the crowds as the parade passes by. Many people travel to Oslo to see this special event.
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change- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Celebrating May 17th". The Royal House of Norway. 17 May 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
For more than 100 years, the Royal Family has greeted the Constitution Day children's parade in Oslo from the balcony of the Royal Palace.
- ↑ Capar, Roban-Ivan (16 May 2023). "Why does Norway celebrate May 17th?". The Local. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
On May 17th, huge parades take over the streets, headed by marching bands that lead celebratory processions through Norway's towns and communities.
- ↑ Rasin, Lara (3 January 2024). "Norway Constitution Day: Facts about May 17". Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ↑ "Norway's Royal Family greets record-breaking May 17 children's parade in Oslo". Norway Today. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ↑ "Norway's ailing king celebrates Constitution Day as thousands of flag-waving children cheer". AP News. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
- ↑ "Happy Constitution Day!". The Royal House of Norway. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
It was King Haakon and Queen Maud who introduced the custom of greeting the children's parade from the Palace Balcony in 1906.