17 of May- Norwegian National Day - Nurhan

Nurhan:

17 th of May is the Norwegian national day where folk are frighteningly patriotic. A day off work, but if you are Norwegian, you put on your 'glad rags' (preferably a Bunad - National dress). Put at least one Norwegian flag up on your property (many is better), and then leave the house to go and find a parade to celebrate being Norwegian with other Norwegians.

In the UK nationalism and the flying of flags, is more often than not, an 'ugly' affair that has a hint of neo-Nazism to it, with a distinct undercurrent of violence. On first coming to Norway, the 17th of May, had a refreshing, charming, naivety to it; after living here for some time this mutates as you realise that their is an unspoken understanding in the Norwegian populace that boarders on xenophobia, which is veiled in a clock of tolerance of other lesser cultures. Many people have speculated as to what will happen in Norway when the oil and gas run out and Norway will have to exist as part of a larger economic and social entity.

My default version for the 17th of May is to go skiing. But it is a National party day, and this year, intention was to get Kin used to crowds, marching bands, and drunk people.

Don't misunderstand me here, 17th of May is a party day in Norway, where folk are generally happy. But as a foreigner, it's difficult to embrace this cultural entity with the zest of the Norwegian populace. But if you are visiting Norway, experiencing this event is a must. The bands, the tom foolery of the Russ, the different parades. Where everyone smiles and talk to each other regardless of what ever the weather throws up. It's a happy time.

Kin did remarkably well, and he charmed folk.

Here's Kin with two women in Bunads (Norwegian national dress). The Bunads are a bit like tartans in that each region has it's own specific Bunad. The main colour is black, but they also come in different shades of blue, green, red, and white.

When I came to Norway, women would wear anything on their legs as long as it was jeans... this meant that the one day a year that women general wore Bunads was something of an oasis to the leg lover; the one day a year where you might catch a glimpse of an ankle... all very Victorian... But Bunad's are very feminine, with a dash of elegance about them.

Bunad's for men, I am still undecided about:

(one of these ladies was "deathly scared of dogs", doesn't show very well in this picture!). But they do add to the special feeling that is abundant on the 17th of May, when everyone greets each other by saying "happy birthday".

A twist on the Bunads is that the embroidery on them means something, one arrangements of flowers can mean a certain town, and an individual flower can mean a specific turn in a glen... Tartans, to the initiated are easy to recognise, I'm not so certain if the same can be said of Bunads.

Story behind this picture is that, this lady had got Kin to hold the flag and her in a Bunad with him waving a Norwegian flag (even though he's only 1/2 Norwegian, his father's Italian!), would have made a great photo... he obviously didn't think so as every time the camera came out, he put the flag down!

Still great day.

 Kin was exhausted when we got home.