Søttende Mai (Syttande mai)- 17th of May Festival
Norwegian Independence Day parade and festival
Come and see beautiful authentic folk costumes, sample delicious Scandinavian food, kids take part in children's games - bring the whole family for a taste of Scandinavian culture right here in Atlanta! Saturday May 17, 2008, 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Cost: $10.00 per family
St. Luke Lutheran Church
3284 Northside Parkway
Atlanta, Georgia 30327
The Constitution of Norway was signed at Eidsvoll on May 17 in the year 1814.
The constitution declared Norway to be an independent nation. The celebration of this day begun spontaneously among students and others from early on. It was, however, not until 1833,an official celebration was initiated by the monument of the late politician Christian Krogh, who was known to have stopped the King from gaining too much personal power. After 1864, the day became more established, and the first children's promenade was launched in Christiania, in a parade consisting only of boys. The girls had their own promenade by a different route. This initiative was taken by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, although Wergeland made the first known children's promenade at Eidsvoll around 1820.
By historical coincidence, the Second World War ended in Norway just nine days before that year's Constitution Day, on May 8, 1945, when the occupying German forces surrendered. Even if The Liberation Day is an official flag day in Norway, the day is not an official holiday and is not broadly celebrated. Instead a new and broader meaning has been added to the celebration of Norwegian independence on May 17.
The kindergarten part of a Children's parade A noteworthy aspect of the Norwegian Constitution Day is it's very non-military nature. All over Norway, children's parades with an abundance of flags form the central elements of the celebration. Each elementary school district arranges its own parade with marching bands between schools. The parade takes the children through the community, often making stops at homes of senior citizens, war memorials, etc. The longest parade is in Oslo, where some 100,000 people dressed in traditional bunads or their best outfit, travel to the city centre to participate in the main festivities. The massive Oslo parade includes some 100 schools, marching bands, and passes the royal palace where the royal family greet the people from the main balcony. The children also make a lot of noise shouting "Hurra!", singing, blowing whistles and shaking rattles.
May 17 Parade & Festival
Photographs by Kimberly McCoy Phography
The pictures speak for themselves
Views of Syttande mai Celebration 2008
