CELEBRATE 17 MAY! If you’re fortunate enough to visit Oslo on 17 May any given year, you’re in for an experience like nothing else. Whether sunny, rainy or snowy, this is the one day of the year when Norwegians all dress up in their national costumes, grab a Norwegian flag, and head outside to celebrate Norway’s Constitution Day. Norway’s constitution was signed on 17 May 1814, and this has been a day for celebration ever since. 17 May is mainly the children’s day, and in every city, town and village in Norway, children and marching bands parade down the streets waving flags, chanting, and singing songs about love, freedom and Norway. Oslo has the biggest parade, consisting of selected schools, lasting several hours and filling the city with life and colour. The highlight of the parade is when it passes by the Royal Palace, where the royal family spends the day greeting the children from the balcony. Norwegian TV live broadcasts the celebrations from every corner of the country, from the tiniest fishing villages to the largest cities. Schools tend to have their own celebrations once the parade is over, with games, food, entertainment and competitions for the pupils and their families to enjoy. The day is also the culmination of the month-long graduation celebration of Norwegian ‘videregående’ pupils (finishing the equivalent of high school), known as ‘russefeiring’, when they don costumes in colours reflecting their particular school or field of study. Russefeiring has been a tradition since 1905 but is controversial due to public disturbances, health risks and other problems linked to alcohol consumption and drunkennes. It’s also regarded as problematic due to taking place just before the final exams, leading some students to party their revision days away. Still, the ‘russ’ are a traditional part of the city streets on 17 May, and once the children’s parade is over, the russ take over with loud music and party time in ‘russetoget’, their own parade, showing off their cars, vans, buses and other vehicles rebuilt and re-decorated to match their groupings, schools and squads. In the districts and villages, you might even see a ‘russe’ tractor or two.
52 | Festligheter/Festivities
© Asgeir Helgestad
