May 17, 2012

Syttende Mai, the seventeenth of May, is Norway’s Constitution Day.  It is akin to our Fourth of July, but here their nationalistic pride and patriotism is far stronger and displayed much more enthusiastically. 

Many people wear bunads, which is traditional dress from the area of their ancestors.  Some of the younger Norwegians now pick a bunad based on fashion preferences rather than their ancestral origins. 

There are huge (and nearly endless) parades of bands and elementary school kids and military groups and bugle corps and even an accordion band from Northern Ireland.  The crowds are enormous, and in some areas you just get trapped between others so you can’t move forward or backwards for several minute.

It was misting and raining when we woke up, but this didn’t dampen any Syttende Mai spirits.  The parades went on for several hours, and then at dusk there was a parade of lights with bands and others who were carrying torches.  Some of our students happened to be up on the mountain overlook high above Bergen at this time and watched the parade of lights from there.

Karla and I decided to eat our last evening meal in Bergen at Peppe’s Pizza.  As we were being seated we ran into Laura, Joni, Nicole, and Kairsten who had made the same fine gastronomical choice.

Full length plastic raincoats helped protect some bunads.

Some used umbrellas, allowing a better view of their dress.

Nearly every group had a standard identifying themselves.

Some bands just wore dapper uniforms.

Brass Band

A man in his bunad.

Many military groups were in the parades.  These were some of the oldest fellows, but I’m not sure if they were from the WWII era – maybe part of the Norwegian resistance?

Probably Navy Men

Balloons and Bunads

At this point, the parade is going in both directions.  It goes to our right down to the end of the street, then turns around and comes back up the same street. The helmeted guys in the middle already went past us and now are going back to our left.  The kids on the bicycles are part of a cycling group and they are going past us for the first time. There were a number of individuals in wheelchairs watching the parade, and a man with Downs Syndrome was the standard bearer for one marching group.

More Bands

An academic group wearing their doctoral regalia.  Fortunately, everyone in this group was smart enough to have an umbrella.

We didn’t get to see him ride this.

A Cream-Colored Bunad

Is there a collective noun for a group of bunads (like flock of birds or clowder of cats)?

Welcome to Bergen.  We saw a postcard with the question on it, “Does it always rain in Bergen?”  A drawing of a man was answering, “I don’t know.  I’m only 25.”  I guess it rains a lot.

Bunads all have very elaborate embroidery. 

Balloons are very common on Syttende Mai, but these helium balloons were all hit by a downdraft from the building so they don’t look as festive as they should,

A couple birds caught the eye of this German Sheppard, but he kept sitting.  He was so eager to give chase.

Lots of people watch the parades from upper floor apartments and offices.  These two are watching from a hair stylist shop above one of the many Seven-Elevens in Bergen. 

More bunads under wraps.

Even little kids wear bunads.

Clouds rolling down the mountain across the harbor (from our hotel room window).

On sunnier evenings these street cafes are overflowing with patrons, inside and out.

Tall man in a bunad.

Keeping her bunad out of the water on the street,

While we were standing in line to get into Peppe’s Pizza, this lady in a her bunad was standing close to us and kind of looking at us funny, so I just snapped a picture of her from waist level without looking through the viewfinder (these are called “grab shots”). Most Norwegians are very proud to have someone take their picture in their bunads, but I thought a more clandestine approach might be best here.  Turned out to be a good picture of her bunad, but her head got cut off.

Laura, Joni, Nicole, and Kairsten in Peppe’s Pizza for the second time in four days.