Constitution Day – 17 May
One of the springtime highlights in Norway is the National Day on 17 May. The whole nation celebrates this day with cheerful music, dancing, singing and parades in traditional costumes called Bunad.

History

A The 17th of May is a celebration of the Norwegian Constitution, which was signed in Eidsvoll on the 17th of May 1814. The Constitution declared Norway as an independent country. At the time, Norway was in a union with Sweden – following a 400 year union with Denmark. The celebrations began among students and others early on and the Swedish king did not approve of this at all, as it seemed like an uprising against Swedish sovereignty. The first Children’s parade to celebrate the day was held in the late 1800, and Norwegians are to this day exceedingly proud of the fact that the “Independence Day” is celebrated with children’s parades instead of military parades.