Eyes that see the good in things: May 14, 2018

It could have started when I was watching the Norwegians rule the day in the Winter Olympics and the Norwegian athletes were doing so well. It could also be that my siblings and I are planning a Norwegian 60th wedding anniversary for my parents. Or maybe it’s just because we just passed Cinco de Mayo and I know that Syttende Mai will be here very soon.

Whatever the reason, I have been thinking about my Norwegian roots and wanting to learn a little more about their customs. The more I learn about them, the more I can see the Scandinavian background in my grandparents and their tradition of hospitality.

So, I thought I’d share a little about what I learned about Syttende Mai, both from conversations I’ve had with a relative in Norway on Facebook lately and through the Sons of Norway and Ingebretson’s websites. While I don’t remember Syttende Mai celebrations and my earliest recollection of it goes back to my later teen years, it does seem to be something that has been gaining in popularity in the United States among Americans who emigrated from Norway.

Syttende Mai is Norway’s Constitution Day. Norwegians everywhere mark the historic signing of their Constitution in 1814. That year marked the beginning of Norway gaining her independence from Sweden, which was not fully realized until 1905. The 17th of May evolved over the years in Norway as a day for people to rally for political change or to stand unified during the World War II era of German occupation, when open celebration of the holiday was strictly forbidden. It’s a day where Norwegian flags are everywhere. Red, white and blue ribbons are common decorations and many Norwegians wear their national costumes, called bunad. Bunad (boo-nod) is a Norwegian term for a range of regional clothing that dates back to the 18th century.

In Norway’s postwar era, it was common, but not mandatory, to wear bunad at celebrations like weddings, baptisms, confirmations and especially the May 17 National Day celebrations. It is increasingly common to see people, and especially women, dressed in bunad. Bunads are often now viewed as a status symbol, with a price range of $2,000−10,000, depending on the desired design, material, embroidery, gold, silver and the accessories desired. The price also depends on whether the customer buys from a well-established company like Husfliden, from local seamstresses, or they decide to sew or do part of the embroidery themselves. It usually takes up to a year to finish making the bunad, and it’s become a tradition for parents to give their children a bunad as a confirmation gift, which they will wear on their confirmation day.

The Norwegian national female bunad consists of an embroidered blouse, a long skirt, a bodice, a shawl, an apron, a headdress, purse, belt, stockings, shoes and silver jewelry. Female bunad is always decorated with embroidery, some are decorated modestly, while others are intricately embroidered. The patterns are mostly floral and colorful.

In old days, the colors of embroidery could tell a lot about the owner of the clothing – like her marital status. For example, white embroidery showed that she was single, multicolored meant she was married, and black meant she was a widow. The decorations of the entire bunad are made in a single style, so the embroidery designs are the same for the bodice, skirt, handbag, and sometimes even the shawl. That’s why the whole costume looks like an inseparable ensemble.

The celebration is an opportunity to express their cultural pride, joy in springtime coming off of a long winter and honor for those citizens who created Norway’s constitutional government, founding her independence.

This celebration of Norwegian statehood marks one of the many occasions every year that Norwegians celebrate with family, eating lots of cakes and drinking strong, dark coffee. In modern Syttende Mai celebrations, thousands march in parades all over the country. Especially popular is the Children’s Procession, which brings every child out in his best clothes or national costume to march with his school’s band, classmates and teachers.

Norwegians celebrate Syttende Mai by eating ice cream and hot dogs during the parades. Later in the day, after the parades have finished, Norwegians tend to gather with other family members for smørbrød (open-faced sandwiches). Several varieties of cakes are served, along with more coffee. Many also celebrate with Norway’s national dish of lamb and cabbage, although that there is a movement underway to replace their national dish. Norway’s new national dish could be a dish like Norwegian meatballs in brown sauce, fiskeboller (fish balls) in white sauce or poached salmon.

Outside of Norway, Norwegian descendants all over the world celebrate Syttende Mai. Because the largest population of Norwegian emigrants traveled to the United States, we also have the largest Syttende Mai parades outside of Norway. Syttende Mai celebrations are held wherever there are sizable Norwegian emigrant populations such as Minnesota, Montana, New York, Washington and Wisconsin. The Syttende Mai parade in Seattle lays claim to being the third largest in the world behind Bergen and Oslo.

Join me in celebrating Syttende Mai this week! While it probably won’t be lamb and cabbage at our house, I’ll make something in conjunction with the celebration. Even if it’s just hot dogs and ice cream.

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