17. Mai- Norway's National Day!

The 17th of May is Norway's National Day, probably the biggest celebration of the year throughout the country, and as Bergen is the second largest city, it has a huge celebration! People come from all over western Norway to celebrate the day in Bergen. The festivities include parades, music, foods, family brunches, fireworks, the "Russ" high school seniors partying for their last day, fairs for the kids, a long candlelit walk, and a good bit or partying downtown. Everyone wears ribbons that are red, white, and blue (Norway's colors also) and waves flags and blows whistles. Also, whenever you see someone for the first time that day, you say "Gratulerer med dagen!" which translates to "Congratulations with the day". It's the same thing you say to someone on their birthday. So I was saying that to everyone, until I realized a lot of people I work with are from Sweden, and it made no sense to say that to them. So, to the Swedish people, I would say, "Sorry for your loss". Not entirely accurate, but close enough.

One of the most interesting parts of the day is that everyone who owns a bunad (the national costume of Norway) wears it on this day. So the city is filled with the most beautiful men and women wearing these gorgeous, ornate costumes, which take months to make and cost many thousands of dollars. It is often a present for confirmation, and they start making it when the child starts confirmation classes so that it is finished in time for the confirmation. They are very beautiful and the colors used in the bunad depend upon what part of Norway the person is from. Bergen and nearby have dark blue bunads with red and yellow embroidery. Green is from parts of northern Norway and there are also yellow, light blue, etc. Men also have their bunad, it is a bit different, knee length pants, high socks, vests. These costumes, and then the way people dress who don't have bunads, combine to make me want to rename this holiday, "Strutt our stuff and show how beautiful we all are day". It is shocking walking around downtown and seeing how attractive all the Norwegians are, truly.

So, I went downtown to watch the parade with some family members and then was set to meet everyone who works at Cornelius on our sightseeing boat for a 17th of May brunch. This is the traditional meal of the day, and people spend it with their families, after the main parade downtown and before the fairs for the children and smaller parades at schools, they all go to these brunches. The typical meal is a sourcream porridge (rommegrot) that you top with cinnamon and raisins, and then cured hams with sweet pretzels that you eat together. It sounds odd, but it's very delicious. You can only eat it one day a year though, sourcream porridge is not the healthiest meal! So people really go crazy for it on this day and have about 3 bowls... I could only handle the one.

We stayed on the boat for hours and different people came and went and we watched the harbor which was packed with boats and people. Afterwards, I went and met some friends, hung out downtown, which was totally packed, although most people went home and changed out of their bunads. I had the funniest thought ever of someone not having time to go home and change out of their bunad, having a little too much to drink, going to sleep at someone else's house, and then having to wake up the next morning, the 18th of May, and put their bunad back on! Ultimate walk of shame. It may be a "you have to be here" thing, but I laughed at the thought of that for a good couple hours.

Anyway, it was a really fantastic day, at about 11 they had this long parade of people with candles walking to a lake in the center of town to set off the fireworks, there is a picture below. That was really really neat, there were drums and singing the whole way.

I think the whole country was exhausted, and potentially a little hungover the next day, Monday, May 18th, after that weekend!

Sorry this post was not that funny, so I will include a bonus joke! Woo-hoo!

There is a tourist who has been in Bergen for a week and it was raining the whole time.
He passes a young boy on the street and stops the boy.
He says, "does it ever stop raining in Bergen?"
And the boy replies, "How should I know? I'm only ten years old!"

Here are some pictures!

People in bunads walking from the bus station to the city center.


A band practicing before the parade



The parade route and all the spectators, in the middle of the city


Walking towards the parade


One of the funny floats, someone isolated for having the swine flu...


Another funny float, focusing on the importance of dental hygiene.


Me, laughing in the city center, with a lot of bunads behind be and some of the beautiful buildings downtown


Some boys in a band performing in the parade


Bunads, downtown, and the beginning of Floyen, the mountain downtown


People watching the parade, preparing themselves for the Russ coming!


Boats parked downtown, all tied up together, to celebrate the day


My meal... not the fanciest plates and silverware, but the most traditional meal. Serrano ham, sweet pretzels, and sour cream pudding with raisins and brown sugar, and a glass of white wine


Some friends, Russ, sitting on the bus, celebrating


Karianne (Alf's daughter who is Russ) and me together on the boat


Some friends celebrating on the boat


A view from the boat of the harbor downtown


The candlelit walk, which people take to a small lake downtown to light the fireworks.



First video: a group of bicyclists in the parade, doing tricks, and riding different crazy bikes. Also, look in the background to see the spectators in their bunads. Second video, a band of drummers in the parade (typical of Bergen) and some spectators watching the parade, with the mountain in the background. Final video, the Russ in the parade, going crazy. They jumped around like that for over an hour all around the town, following their bus.