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Syttende Mai

© Vivian Borey

My Dad’s birthday was May 17. May 17 is also Norway’s Constitution Day, commemorating independence and the establishment of a national constitution in 1814. Norwegians everywhere celebrate this day, and in Norway, it is an all day event including children’s processions, games, music, food, and fun. For years I thought everybody celebrated my Dad’s birthday and I just couldn’t understand why people didn’t do the same for my birthday. I was jealous and tremendously hurt when Jan 28 came around with just a quiet family gathering and a few friends from school. I finally figured my Dad must be a very important man. Why else would his birthday be a national holiday with no work or school?

Of course, we couldn’t celebrate the 17th of May during WWII – at least not officially – so I was 7 years old at my first Syttende Mai celebration. That first one was so exciting. Preparations started early, with children getting new outfits, flags (to wear), and sløyfer (red, white, and blue ribbons fastened to your shoulder). Many wore their beautiful bunads (national costume) and soljer if they were lucky enough to own one. My Dad was a master tailor and owned a clothing store, so I always had a new, very pretty outfit.

About 6 or 7 in the morning of May 17th, we woke up to the loud noise of the cannon being fired from the top of our hill in the middle of town. Morning events were planned – races, competitions in swimming, gymnastics, and so on. I never went to those, because we always had a birthday breakfast for my Dad with presents afterwards. Then I got all dressed up and walked with my flag in hand to school, the starting place for our children’s procession.

Our teachers helped us find our place, the bands started playing, and we began marching (very nice and orderly through hours of practice) and singing (also after hours of practice) “Ja vi elsker” and other songs we had learned. In between we yelled “Hurra!” and waved our flags wildly. We marched all over town and always went by the hospital and places for old people and invalids, stopping to sing songs for them. The nurses usually had everybody who was able to out on the balconies or by the windows so they could enjoy watching. The procession finally wound up at the town’s market place and by then we were all hoarse from singing and screaming. The high school classes always had a lot of fun on May 17. They went completely wild. They were red or blue or green russ, depending on what branch of education they studied and they put on skits and drove funny decorated cars and really had a great time.

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