Syttende Mai i Oslo

May 17 - Norway’s Constitution Day and/or National Day. National pride feels very different in Norway compared to the United States, and it’s something I’ve always felt when I watch how the two nations root for their Olympic sports, wave their flag, and celebrate their national day. I don’t want to say too much - I’d rather let the pictures do the talking - but on this sunny, spring morning in Oslo I felt joy and happiness. The vibe felt proud but without bluster. Although I was alone, I felt like I was welcome.

The highlight of the day in Oslo is a children’s parade that begins at Akershus (a Viking fortress on the harbor), leads down Karl Johan’s Gate (the main street in central Oslo), up to the Royal Palace, and back down to Akershus. I watched on Karl Johan’s Gate (near the Grand Cafe where Henrik Ibsen ate lunch everyday) from the beginning and for over an hour as children from schools around the area played music, sang, chanted, or just acted like shy kids in front of a crowd of waving people. The parade of youth was still going when I succumbed to hunger and left to have lunch up in the forest above town.