Experience Syttende Mai – Norwegian Constitution Day
Hurra for Syttende Mai! Every 17 May, Norway bursts into colour, sound and celebration. For one day each year, our famously understated country lets loose – and it’s something truly special to witness.
On 17 May, we Norwegians come together to celebrate our biggest national holiday: Constitution Day – or Syttende Mai, as we call it.
The streets fill with waving flags, marching bands in 17. mai-tog parades and the scent of fresh waffles. Many of us wear our traditional bunads. Children clutch ice-creams in one hand and tiny flags with the other.
It’s the one day when even the most reserved Norwegian might greet a stranger with a hearty Gratulerer med dagen! – "Congratulations on the day!"
17 May is not just nasjonaldagen (national day); it’s a heartfelt celebration of freedom, resilience, community – and food! The Norway you experience on 17 May is unlike any other day.
Why we celebrate: the story behind 17 May
17 May marks the signing of Norway’s Constitution in 1814, at Eidsvoll. After centuries under Danish rule – and later, a union with Sweden – Norway took its first firm steps towards becoming an independent nation.
What makes Norway’s Constitution Day unique is that, unlike many national days, we don't celebrate a revolution but the signing of one of the world's most progressive constitutions of its time.
(Image copyright: Asgeir Helgestad/Visitnorway.com)
The Norwegian writer and poet Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson helped shape the Constitution Day celebrations we know and love today. He wanted the day to be for everyone, especially the children – the future of the nation. Bjørnson also wrote the words to our national anthem "Ja, vi elsker dette landet" ("Yes, we love this country"), in the 1860s.
During World War II, the Nazi occupiers banned all 17 May celebrations. When the children's parades returned after liberation in 1945, they carried extra significance. Every flag waved, every note of the anthem sung is a living testament to Norway's enduring spirit.
Today, 17 May is an official public holiday – but more than that, it’s the beating heart of our national identity.
Who can celebrate Norway’s national day?
Everyone! Whether you were born here or are visiting for the first time, you’re invited to join in.
There’s something about the open smiles, the shared songs and the easy conversations over ice cream that makes you feel like you belong, even if you don’t speak a word of Norwegian.
While it’s a patriotic day – you'll see flags everywhere, on buildings, clothes and cakes – the mood is warm and welcoming.
To experience 17 May in Norway is to glimpse our country at its most joyful.
17 May traditions we love
Norwegian Constitution Day wouldn’t feel right without these traditions:
Children’s parades
Across the country, children take to the streets, waving flags and singing. The biggest parade takes place in Oslo and is made up of over 60,000 children.
(Image copyright: Fredrik Ahlsen/Maverix Media AS)
Wearing bunad
17 May is when many of us wear our bunad – traditional clothing tied to specific regions and communities. Each one tells a story through its embroidery, patterns, and jewellery.
Waving the Norwegian flag
Everywhere you look, you’ll see red, white and blue. Flags are carried by hand, pinned to bunads and hung from every balcony – they’re a powerful symbol of our history and pride.
Russefeiring
May coincides with russefeiring – the graduation celebration for final-year high school students that stretches throughout May. If you see groups of teenagers in red or blue overalls celebrating a little more wildly, they’re russ – graduating students marking the end of 13 years of schooling.
(Image credit: Sean Hayford O'Leary/Wikimedia Commons)
What’s on the 17 May menu?
This is a day for eating, but it’s not about fancy meals. After a big buffet-style breakfast gathering with family and friends, 17 May food is easy to eat on the move, as we follow the celebrations around the streets. Expect to eat:
Ice cream
The unofficial rule for kids (and many adults) is simple: eat as much as you want, whatever the weather.
Waffles
Eaten with sour cream and jam, or just plain, warm from a street stand.
Pølse (hot dogs)
Quick, easy and wrapped in lompe (flatbread) or buns – perfect for between parades and speeches.
(Image copyright: Fredrik Ahlsen/Visit Norway)
Cake
So much cake! Often decorated with berries in the colours of our flag or with Norwegian flags stuck in the top. Don’t turn down a slice of bløtkake (layered cream cake), kransekake (almond wreath cake), pavlova, or Kvæfjordkake, which we’ve modestly nicknamed verdens beste – the world’s best.
(Image copyright: Fredrik Ahlsen/Maverix Media AS)
Where to join the festivities
You’ll find Constitution Day celebrations all across Norway, but a few places offer especially memorable experiences. Tip: Hotels and restaurants often book up early, especially in Oslo and Bergen, so book ahead.
Oslo
The country’s grandest parade goes through the city centre and past the Royal Palace. Seeing the royal family waving from the balcony is a highlight.
(Image copyright: Nancy Bundt - VisitNorway.com)
Bergen
Norway’s second-biggest city is famous for its Buekorps – boy brigades of marching drummers dating back to the 19th century.
(Image copyright: Oddleiv Apneseth - VisitNorway.com)
Kristiansand
Here, the celebrations end with tapto – a kind of running dance through the city centre – a jazz concert and a spectacular fireworks display.
Smaller coastal towns
Many of the towns our ships visit hold festivities of their own – smaller, but just as rich in spirit. Here, the entire community participates in the celebrations, and visitors are welcomed like old friends. You’ll often spot our ships dressed with flags too – celebrating along with the communities we’ve called home for more than 130 years.
Eidsvoll
For history enthusiasts, visiting the birthplace of the constitution at Eidsvoll 1814 (the manor house where the constitution was signed) offers a deeper connection to the day's significance.
(Image copyright: Kjetil Bjørnsrud/Wikimedia Commons)
Experience Norway in spring
May is one of the best times to visit Norway. The spring days are long, the landscape is waking from winter and the sense of vårfølelse (springfulness) is contagious – and Constitution Day is the beating heart of it all. Now is a great time to plan your voyage along our beautiful coast.
