May 17

This is the Constitution Day of Norway. On may 17th 1814 the Norwegian Constitution was signed at Eidsvoll, Norway. The day is celebrated throughout the country, with mainly children's parades. The children are to be the center of celebration on the constitusional day in Norway, as they are the nation's future. This is in the spirit of poet Henrik Wergeland, who was the one who took the initiative to celebrate this day. The parades usually consist of the children from the local school districts, corps music and "russ" - which is high school grad students who traditionally wear overall outfits in different colors - representing the type of education they have finished - and of course tons of beautiful Norwegian flags! Many consider the uniquest part of the 17th may celebration to be the total absence of military parading. May 17th is also celebrated in Norwegian communities throughout the world. In the evening the children go to bed - exhausted from walking in the parade all day and eating tons of ice- cream, and the graduation students and other grown ups party like hell until morning.