Happy Norwegian Constitution Day!

Today is Syttende Mai, or Norwegian Constitution Day, the national day of Norway. Two years ago on this day, I was in Bergen on the west coast of Norway, watching the parade, and talking with Anna, who happened to stand next to me on the roadside. Anna was a local who was so lovely to help me understand all the different groups that I was seeing parade before me. It was so good to have my own cultural guide!

There is a parade here in Sydney, Australia, to celebrate Norwegian Constitution Day, so I plan to go in to the city to see it. I’ve heard about it from visitors to my stand at the Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair, so today I’m finally going to go. I’m quite sure it’s not going to be as big as the one in Bergen, but it will be great to see all the people dressed in their Norwegian finest, replete with beautiful embroidery of many different styles, depending on the bunad they are wearing. I do feel sorry for them that it is going to be quite warm today!

I will wear my Hardanger shirt for my own little bit of Norwegian-ness. So if you see someone wearing a Hardanger embroidery shirt with jeans rather than the proper get-up, you’ll know it’s me! I think I might also borrow one of the girls’ Norwegian flags for the day. On the train in and back, I’ll stitch my smøyg embroidery, for that extra Norwegian flavour.

If you’re in Sydney today, the parade starts at Hyde Park near the large fountain at 12:30, and (I think) heads down towards the Opera House, finishing at about 2pm.

Happy Norwegian Constitution Day!