Syttende Mai!
Presentation by Mads Andenas
5-17-2019
For Hurrah for Syttende Mai! I heard that expression for the first time at the breakfast table on the farm where I grew up. I was a little boy eating a bowl of Cheerios and raisins when Mom suddenly cheered “Hurrah for Syttende Mai”. I didn’t understand what the big deal was. But I knew it was a big deal because Mom was laughing and crying at the same time. I understood Syttende Mai to be a holiday they celebrated in Norway. I thought it was something like the Fourth of July, but probably not as much fun. Norwegians celebrated the day by parading around in colorful folk costumes and waving flags. We got to celebrate by shooting off firecrackers and rockets and other exciting explosives. We also got to drink all the pop we wanted. Mom proclaimed “Hurrah for Syttende Mai” at many breakfasts through the years. I closed my eyes over the Cheerios last Friday, and I’m sure I heard Mom’s cheer once again.
So what is the big deal anyway? What is Syttende Mai all about? The history behind cherished holidays has a way of fading through the years. So we are going to go way back in history – back to the beginning.
In the beginning there was lutefisk. Lutefisk was good for the body and good for the soul. Norwegians thrived on lutefisk. They started having lutefisk suppers, which brought these solitary people together. Society soon developed.
There isn’t much good farm land in Scandinavia. By the end of the eighth century the population was starting to outgrow the food production. The Scandinavians noticed that trade was flourishing in western Europe. By this time, Scandinavians were building the world’s finest ships. They were tough enough to withstand rough seas and maneuverable enough to sail far up shallow inland rivers. The opportunity for piracy was irresistible. The Viking Age began in 789 with a Viking attack on the northeast coast of England. The Vikings were fierce warriors. They fought with a fierceness fueled by lutefisk, aquavit, and snuse. One Viking poet described a famous battle in these epic words:
A thousand Swedes ran through the weeds
Chased by one Norwegian
Ten thousand more ran to the shore
In the battle of Copenhagen.
A Swedish poet put a different spin on the same story:
Ten thousand Swedes ran through the weeds
Chased by one Norwegian
He smelled so bad
They choked and gagged
And quickly left the region
The Viking Age lasted about 250 years. During this time the Vikings voyaged along the European coast into the Mediterranean, and even far into Russia. They established colonies on Greenland and Iceland. Leif Erikson traveled to North America. Meanwhile, things were changing in Norway. The Viking Age faded away as Norway was gradually united under a single monarchy. Paganism faded away as Christianity slowly gained influence. Society stabilized and prosperity increased.
Disaster struck Norway in the year 1349. A ship carrying a cargo from England docked in Bergen in September. The crew started unloading the cargo but soon one of the men died and more deaths followed. The Black Death (or bubonic plague) which had ravaged Europe for years had finally reached Norway. By the time the plague ended, about six months later, one-third to one-half of the population was dead. In heavily hit areas entire families and towns died out. Farmland became wilderness again because there were few people left to take care of the land. The country’s social and economic structure was crippled by the plague. Norway, once a powerful kingdom, was severely weakened. Unable to defend itself, Norway was taken over by Denmark in 1397. Norway remained a province of Denmark for more than 400 years, a period known as the “four hundred years’ night”.
Let’s skip ahead a few hundred years to the early 1800’s. Napoleon Bonaparte was trying to take over Europe. The Napoleonic Wars brought disaster, and then blessing to Norway. Here is how it happened. The Danish king was Napoleon’s ally. England was Napoleon’s main enemy. As a result, the British navy blockaded Denmark and Norway as well, causing much suffering and starvation. Then came the year 1813, referred to as: “The Year of Miracles”. Napoleon was defeated, and his friend, the King of Denmark, was forced to give Norway to Sweden. Sweden was on the winning side of the war, so it shared in the spoils.
The Norwegians were outraged at first. They were deeply offended that their country was to be given away like a piece of Danish real estate. Fortunately, the heir to the Danish throne, who was governor of Norway at the time, was also outraged. He sided with the Norwegian leaders. Together they cooked up a plan to quickly adopt a Norwegian constitution and establish Norway as a sovereign state before Norway could be turned over to Sweden. This rather sneaky action would elevate Norway’s status from a Danish province to a sovereign nation and would greatly improve Norway’s future prospects.
An assembly of Norwegian leaders was convened in Eidsvoll, Norway, in April 1814. It took the 112 delegates only one month to draft a constitution establishing Norway as a sovereign state. It was to be a constitutional monarchy ruled by the principles of liberty and democracy. It was the most liberal constitution in Europe at that time. The constitution was signed on May 17 – Syttende Mai – 1814. Later in the same year Norway entered a union with Sweden, not as a province given away by Denmark, but as a sovereign nation. Almost a hundred years later, Norway finally gained full independence when the union with Sweden was dissolved in 1905.
Norway chose a Danish prince to be its monarch. He became King Haakon the Seventh, and was greatly loved by the Norwegian people. He proved to be much more than a figurehead. He proved to be a strong and capable leader, both in peacetime and in the world wars which were to follow.
National pride was reborn in Norway in 1905 after more than 500 years of foreign domination. This new national feeling was freely and joyfully expressed in Constitution Day parades throughout Norway on May 17, and in proud display of the national flag. The new government launched extensive programs to improve life in Norway. Dramatic improvements were made in public education and public health.
Then came the dark days of World War II and five long years of German occupation. Any display of patriotism was severely punished by the occupiers, and Norwegian flags were declared contraband. German forces in Norway finally surrendered on May 7, 1945.
A noteworthy aspect of the Norwegian Constitution Day celebration is its non-military nature. While many countries celebrate their national day with a military parade, Norway’s Constitution Day is more of a party for everyone, like a national family reunion. The joyous atmosphere, in addition to the children’s special place in the celebrations, makes the day a very pleasant social affair.
Typically, people gather for a 17 May breakfast – often a potluck with friends and neighbors – with freshly baked bread, scrambled eggs, and smoked salmon.
After breakfast, children’s parades take place across the country. Each elementary school district arranges its own parade. Led by marching bands they parade through their communities waving flags. As the parade passes, bystanders often join in behind the official parade, and follow the parade back to the school.
In addition to carrying and waving flags, people typically wear red, white and blue ribbons. Although a long-standing tradition, it has lately become more popular for men, women and children to wear traditional outfits, called “bunad” There are hundreds of different patterns, colors and styles, each typical of a specific ancestral region of Norway.
The largest parade is in Oslo, where some 100,000 people travel to the city centre to participate in the festivities. This gathering is broadcast on TV every year, with commentaries on costumes and banners, together with local reports from celebrations around the country. The massive Oslo parade includes some 100 schools, accompanied by marching bands. The parade ends at the palace gardens of the Royal Palace where the royal family greet the people from the main balcony.
I would like to show you a video that does a good job of capturing the color and flavor of today’s Syttende Mai celebration in Norway.
My father, Sigurd Andenas, shares his memories of Syttende Mai, 1945 in the downloadable video below.
So what is the big deal anyway? What is Syttende Mai all about? The history behind cherished holidays has a way of fading through the years. So we are going to go way back in history – back to the beginning.
In the beginning there was lutefisk. Lutefisk was good for the body and good for the soul. Norwegians thrived on lutefisk. They started having lutefisk suppers, which brought these solitary people together. Society soon developed.
There isn’t much good farm land in Scandinavia. By the end of the eighth century the population was starting to outgrow the food production. The Scandinavians noticed that trade was flourishing in western Europe. By this time, Scandinavians were building the world’s finest ships. They were tough enough to withstand rough seas and maneuverable enough to sail far up shallow inland rivers. The opportunity for piracy was irresistible. The Viking Age began in 789 with a Viking attack on the northeast coast of England. The Vikings were fierce warriors. They fought with a fierceness fueled by lutefisk, aquavit, and snuse. One Viking poet described a famous battle in these epic words:
A thousand Swedes ran through the weeds
Chased by one Norwegian
Ten thousand more ran to the shore
In the battle of Copenhagen.
A Swedish poet put a different spin on the same story:
Ten thousand Swedes ran through the weeds
Chased by one Norwegian
He smelled so bad
They choked and gagged
And quickly left the region
The Viking Age lasted about 250 years. During this time the Vikings voyaged along the European coast into the Mediterranean, and even far into Russia. They established colonies on Greenland and Iceland. Leif Erikson traveled to North America. Meanwhile, things were changing in Norway. The Viking Age faded away as Norway was gradually united under a single monarchy. Paganism faded away as Christianity slowly gained influence. Society stabilized and prosperity increased.
Disaster struck Norway in the year 1349. A ship carrying a cargo from England docked in Bergen in September. The crew started unloading the cargo but soon one of the men died and more deaths followed. The Black Death (or bubonic plague) which had ravaged Europe for years had finally reached Norway. By the time the plague ended, about six months later, one-third to one-half of the population was dead. In heavily hit areas entire families and towns died out. Farmland became wilderness again because there were few people left to take care of the land. The country’s social and economic structure was crippled by the plague. Norway, once a powerful kingdom, was severely weakened. Unable to defend itself, Norway was taken over by Denmark in 1397. Norway remained a province of Denmark for more than 400 years, a period known as the “four hundred years’ night”.
Let’s skip ahead a few hundred years to the early 1800’s. Napoleon Bonaparte was trying to take over Europe. The Napoleonic Wars brought disaster, and then blessing to Norway. Here is how it happened. The Danish king was Napoleon’s ally. England was Napoleon’s main enemy. As a result, the British navy blockaded Denmark and Norway as well, causing much suffering and starvation. Then came the year 1813, referred to as: “The Year of Miracles”. Napoleon was defeated, and his friend, the King of Denmark, was forced to give Norway to Sweden. Sweden was on the winning side of the war, so it shared in the spoils.
The Norwegians were outraged at first. They were deeply offended that their country was to be given away like a piece of Danish real estate. Fortunately, the heir to the Danish throne, who was governor of Norway at the time, was also outraged. He sided with the Norwegian leaders. Together they cooked up a plan to quickly adopt a Norwegian constitution and establish Norway as a sovereign state before Norway could be turned over to Sweden. This rather sneaky action would elevate Norway’s status from a Danish province to a sovereign nation and would greatly improve Norway’s future prospects.
An assembly of Norwegian leaders was convened in Eidsvoll, Norway, in April 1814. It took the 112 delegates only one month to draft a constitution establishing Norway as a sovereign state. It was to be a constitutional monarchy ruled by the principles of liberty and democracy. It was the most liberal constitution in Europe at that time. The constitution was signed on May 17 – Syttende Mai – 1814. Later in the same year Norway entered a union with Sweden, not as a province given away by Denmark, but as a sovereign nation. Almost a hundred years later, Norway finally gained full independence when the union with Sweden was dissolved in 1905.
Norway chose a Danish prince to be its monarch. He became King Haakon the Seventh, and was greatly loved by the Norwegian people. He proved to be much more than a figurehead. He proved to be a strong and capable leader, both in peacetime and in the world wars which were to follow.
National pride was reborn in Norway in 1905 after more than 500 years of foreign domination. This new national feeling was freely and joyfully expressed in Constitution Day parades throughout Norway on May 17, and in proud display of the national flag. The new government launched extensive programs to improve life in Norway. Dramatic improvements were made in public education and public health.
Then came the dark days of World War II and five long years of German occupation. Any display of patriotism was severely punished by the occupiers, and Norwegian flags were declared contraband. German forces in Norway finally surrendered on May 7, 1945.
A noteworthy aspect of the Norwegian Constitution Day celebration is its non-military nature. While many countries celebrate their national day with a military parade, Norway’s Constitution Day is more of a party for everyone, like a national family reunion. The joyous atmosphere, in addition to the children’s special place in the celebrations, makes the day a very pleasant social affair.
Typically, people gather for a 17 May breakfast – often a potluck with friends and neighbors – with freshly baked bread, scrambled eggs, and smoked salmon.
After breakfast, children’s parades take place across the country. Each elementary school district arranges its own parade. Led by marching bands they parade through their communities waving flags. As the parade passes, bystanders often join in behind the official parade, and follow the parade back to the school.
In addition to carrying and waving flags, people typically wear red, white and blue ribbons. Although a long-standing tradition, it has lately become more popular for men, women and children to wear traditional outfits, called “bunad” There are hundreds of different patterns, colors and styles, each typical of a specific ancestral region of Norway.
The largest parade is in Oslo, where some 100,000 people travel to the city centre to participate in the festivities. This gathering is broadcast on TV every year, with commentaries on costumes and banners, together with local reports from celebrations around the country. The massive Oslo parade includes some 100 schools, accompanied by marching bands. The parade ends at the palace gardens of the Royal Palace where the royal family greet the people from the main balcony.
I would like to show you a video that does a good job of capturing the color and flavor of today’s Syttende Mai celebration in Norway.
My father, Sigurd Andenas, shares his memories of Syttende Mai, 1945 in the downloadable video below.