Once a year most countries go wild celebrating the day they got their independence (or if they’ve had that since anyone can remember they celebrate something else).  I have not experienced too many of these traditions, but I cannot imagine that they could get too much more crazy than the 17th of May in Norway, or Syttende Mai.  Lucky for me, a foreigner taking in the wonders of this strange land with awe, nowhere goes crazier than the capital city and my adopted home, Oslo.  Despite minor haziness, here are the days events:

8:00 AM – Wake up:  You have to get up early on the 17th of May (especially if you’re a girl) because every Norwegian is required to dress like they’re ready to party like its 1799.  This involves putting on a Bunad, which are incredibly expensive and decorative traditional dresses or suits (for men vs women).  Luckily if you don’t have one, because they are very expensive, you’re not stoned or thrown vegetables at, you can just put on your Sunday best as if you’re going to the job interview of the century and want to dress to kill.  Then you pin on your Norwegian flag-colored ribbons, get your little Norwegian flag to wave drunkenly all day, and head out.

9:00 AM – Champagne Frokost:  Most places in Norway celebrate the morning of 17 Mai by heading out to watch the children’s parade (Barnetoget) but if you live in such a sophisticated and cosmopolitan capital like Oslo you are likely invited to a Champagne Breakfast.  We went to one hosted by my girlfriend’s friend, and although normally the guys and girls of our generation have their Champagne Frokost separately, since I am a foreigner and need baby-sitting I got to go to the girls one.  The spread was incredible, with Salmon (naturally), eggs, many types of meats and cheeses, many types of fruits, cake, meatball, salads, and of course lots of prosecco, white wine and champagne.  The music starts out pretty traditional Norwegian, stuff that peoples grandparents probably love, but as the champagne/wine bottles got a bit emptier it digressed into a Destiny’s Child sing-along.  This definitely sped up my own champagne consumption because wtf.  But everyone is in a great mood, saying “Gratulerer med dagen” to everyone (which literally means congratulations with the day but Norwegians use as happy birthday – very doubly fitting on Independence Day, the birth of a finally free Norway after centuries of Danish and Swedish rule).  We all went outside to take pictures (which of course was my job as the only guy) and by noon we all left to watch the parade.

12:00 PM – Toget:  When you’ve spent the entire morning drinking champagne and pre-gaming the day party of the century it is not ideal to be outside far from bathrooms for too too long.  So we watched the parade for all of three minutes, looked down Karl Johans gate towards the castle where we could see the King & Queen of Norway waving to the paraders (all day – probably exhausting on the arms), then headed out to one of the places were the young and fun-loving Osloites (Osloians?  Osloese?) have their parties.  I did take a couple pictures though.

12:05 PM – Tjuholmen:  Tjuholmen is a very fancy and modern part of Oslo out past Akerbrygge, built out in the harbor, like a sort of Long Wharf/Rowe Wharf for reference for Bostonians.  Lots of pricey bars and restaurants, and on 17th of May a bottle of Carlsberg costs just under $20.  But the places were all packed with people in their Bunads and suits and it was a great time.  I keep realizing how small of a city Oslo actually is, since my girlfriend ran into about 20 different people unplanned that she knew from growing up.  Some haziness ensued but after a while we retreated to Majorstuen for a slightly quieter party scene.

3:00 PM – Majorstuen:  My girlfriends older brothers were having some beers out in our future neighborhood on the west side of the city so we joined them for a bit and had a nice time sitting outside (wrapped in blankets, still pseudo-cold here in the far north when its not sunny).  Very chill, met their friend from Sweden too who has a crazy cool startup project building floating sauna boats.  Mind = blown.

5:00 PM – Nap-time:  Getting back to the house up at Ullerntoppen was quite a climb up the hill in our weary (read: drunk) state so we chilled for a bit and prepared for the bbq/grillfest we were going to host.  I guess if there is any acceptable time for girlfriends parents to see you day-drunk its in Norway on the 17th of May.  I hope they feel the same.

7:00 PM – Grillfest!:  The night was young (even if they day definitely was not) so 20 or so of my girlfriends friends came up to Ullerntoppen for a BBQ where somehow I was nominated to man the grill for the majority.  I wasn’t the only foreigner in attendance though, an Amsterdammer and his sister were visiting one of my girlfriends friends, so we bonded over mutual love for Ajax Amsterdam of course.  But at this point I basically knew everyone who was at the BBQ from earlier in the day or past visits to Oslo so it was a really nice time, or hyggelig as the Norwegians say, a word that can’t really be translated directly apparently.  The party ended sometime around 12 or 1 AM.  One of the most exhausting but fun days of my entire life.  I will definitely never forget my first 17th of May in Oslo.  To many more!

Alt for Norge

D