Hipp, hipp, hurra for 17. mai!

It’s May 17th, and «det går et festtog gjennom landet» —there’s a parade going through the country — but it’s not Norway, it’s the USA, where 52 immigrants and a baby landed in New York City on July 4, 1825.

All over North America, in both the United States and Canada, Norwegian Constitution Day—Grunnlovsdagen—is the biggest holiday of the year for most Norwegian Americans, for some, even bigger than the Fourth of July, the United States’ own national holiday.

So, what is it that makes the 17th of May — Syttende Mai — so special for Norwegian Americans?

Above all, it’s the opportunity to embrace one’s heritage and to come together with family, friends, and other Norwegian Americans. It’s about the values that have shaped Norwegian society over the centuries since May 17, 1814, when the first Norwegian Constitution was signed at the manor house in Eidsvoll. The values of “fraternité, équalité, and liberté” are the core of both the U.S. and Norwegian constitutions, documents shaped to create free and democratic societies.

It’s no coincidence that both countries share the colors of red, white, and blue on their national flags, for these colors celebrate the special relationship between the two countries and their founding principles. And on Syttende Mai, Norwegian Americans wave both flags proudly.

Each year, come rain or shine, the largest 17th of May parade outside of Norway takes place in Seattle in Washington state in the old historic neighborhood Ballard, once home to Norwegian immigrants, many of whom came during more recent waves of migration during the 1950s and ’60s.

As in many larger Norwegian cities, there is a committee that works throughout most of the year to plan the big day. There is money to be raised, a big luncheon to plan, and a grand parade — complete with marching bands, and floats. And, of course, the women of the community play a big role in making all of this happen.

First of all, there is all the food to consider, with elaborate menus that often include local salmon, delicious desserts, including bløtkake and kransekake. It’s a big day to celebrate with an aquavit toast. And for the kids, there are Norwegian hot dogs — pølse med lompe — and plenty of ice cream.  Depending on where you live, you might also be lucky enough to get hold a refreshing bottle of Norwegian Solo orange soda — it’s definitely not a day for holding back.

On the American side of the Atlantic, Norwegian Constitution Day is, above all, a community gathering, a time to meet with friends out in public. The ethnic lodges and clubs come out in full force to march in the parade, including the Sons of Norway and Daughters of Norway. Local high school bands are there to help create the atmosphere, along with drill teams, elaborate floats, vintage cars, and even a team of Norwegian Fjord horses.

But unlike in Norway, the parade in Ballard never starts before four o’clock in the afternoon, if not later, and afterward, many congregate in the local bars. The 17th of May in Ballard is a party that goes on all day long, well into the evening.

It’s also a day when Norwegian-American women come out in full color, wearing bunads that have often been handed down for generations. For those that don’t have a genuine bunad, festdrakter and other folklore-inspired costumes are popular. As in Norway, fewer men have bunads, they often show off their best Norwegian sweater or put on a suit and tie with a red-white-and-blue sløyfe ribbon pinned to their jacket lapel. A red, white, and blue T-shirt can also make a good patriotic statement. In America, just about anything goes, as long as it’s in the right spirit. There are no “bunad police” to be worried about, and it’s not uncommon to see someone wearing their bunad with tennis shoes as they march along in the parade.

And while Seattle has the largest 17th of May celebration in North America, it doesn’t mean that it is any less special in other cities and towns, be it at a church gathering or at a barbecue in the park, or marching in a parade around the block. It’s the spirit of Norwegian pride that counts, the spirit of freedom, democracy, and fun:

-Hipp hipp hurra for Syttende Mai!

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_{Cover Image: 17th of May Seattle: Flag, flags, flags: Norwegian Constitution Day is all about national pride, a day to show off the red, white, and blue! All photos in this article are in courtesy of Seattle-Bergen Sister City Association.}

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