Norway - Event

See a whole country go mad! The 17 May celebrations in Norway are bigger than Christmas, bigger than Easter, bigger than the Beatles.... For the uninitiated, this celebration can seem like a complete lapse of reason on a national level.

Hundreds of thousands of normally serious Norwegians parade through the streets of towns and cities to the sound of brass bands and celebration, blowing whistles, waving flags, singing songs and eating ice-cream. A confused foreigner once said it was the weirdest thing he had ever witnessed, "like a cross between the carnival in Rio and a military parade in Moscow".

All through the country there are barnetog, parades composed of school children, and other parades of all kinds. Everywhere you turn you are bound to catch glimpses of the beautiful national costumes or bunad from the various regions of the country, brought out of the cupboard where they are kept for most of the year. If the weather is good and the sun is shining there are outdoor games, competitions and shows.

The celebrations of the so-called RUSS, the students that are in the final year of the videregående skole (their 16-18 education), infuse the occasion with gags, pranks and colour throughout the country.

Some people may feel intimidated by these excessive displays of patriotic fervour, but most are surprised by the general benevolence and enthusiasm displayed by Norwegians on this day. There is little of the xenophobic or nationalistic (in the negative sense) about this celebration. Rather, it is a celebration of the relatively recent political independence and autonomy of the country. Either way, this is a massive nationwide spectacle, and one definitely not to be missed.