Every year at Festplassen, we get a Viking ship next to the main stage
My two favourite holidays in Bergen are Christmas and the 17th of May, the Constitution Day. While you are probably familiar with how Christmas is celebrated in Norway, since it’s pretty much the same all over Europe, I bet you can’t even imagine how big the 17th of May is. And honestly, I always look forward to the 17th of May more than any other day.
Somehow, even in rainy Bergen, it’s almost always warm and sunny on this holiday. But even if the weather is not perfect, there’s plenty to enjoy on this day. The whole city is dressed in Norwegian flag colours: blue, red, and white. Flowers are everywhere. People are cheerful, and everyone is having a good time. But as a tourist, you have to consider a few things.
Table of contents
How to celebrate the 17th of May
Good to know on this day
What to do if you are a tourist
How to celebrate the 17th of May
On the 17th, the celebration starts early. How early depends on your plans for the day, but there are a few options.
I have enjoyed the ceremonial procession both as a spectator and as a participant. It’s not necessarily fun, but it feels like an important thing to attend on the 17th.
Option 1:
If the weather is nice, and you want to enjoy an active day in a big crowd, then you definitely need to go to the city and join the parade. Since I live in Bergen, I will be talking about our schedule for the day, but be sure to check what Oslo or other cities have to offer.
In Bergen, our tog, literally meaning “train”, or in other words, a ceremonial procession, starts at 7 in the morning. If this procession is too early for you, you can always join the one at 10:30. It features various groups, organisations, and schools. It goes through the central parts of the city, so everyone can see it. I once was in the procession myself, walking with an animal rights organisation, NOAH. It is fun to do it at least once, so if you get a chance, join someone. Otherwise, stand on the side and wave to people walking in the procession. The procession takes about 40 minutes total.
The time I was part of the procession. If you can find a spot to participate, do it! You feel extra special being a part of it.
Multiple things are happening during and after the procession — for example, various wreath-laying, speeches, and memorial services. But being honest with you, I doubt a tourist will find them interesting. In any case, you can check the full program for this year here to get a better overview of what you actually want to attend.
Funfair opens at 09:00, and you can enjoy the amusement park, which operates a few days before the 17th of May and a few days after it. Please remember, you are in Norway, and it’s a holiday 🙂 Everything will be expensive and crowded.
Other than joining one of the official events, I recommend enjoying a cold one at one of the many pubs with outside serving. Ideally, check Statsraaden or Bryggen first, and see if there are any tables available. This is the day you can talk to the locals, ask them about their bunad, and just be social.
On the left: me in my friend’s traditional costume, bunad, at my place. On the right: my friends wearing their bunads at their place.
Option 2:
Now let me tell you how we, the locals, usually celebrate the 17th of May. Normally, someone from our friend group invites the rest of us to their place for breakfast. When I say “breakfast”, I mean smoked salmon, cured meats, seafood, fruits, and lots of bubbles. Yes, it is mandatory to have sparkling wine or champagne for breakfast on the 17th of May.
On the left: vegan cake for the 17th of May, a friend of mine made for me. On the right: an example of a simple breakfast for the 17th of May. Smoked salmon and trout were in the fridge, but they were on the table 🙂
How breakfast is organised depends on the host. We can either agree that one person will be responsible for buying the ingredients and cooking, or everyone brings something themselves.
What time we start depends on everyone’s preferences, but my friend group generally does it around 09:00. We eat, drink, talk, and have a good time before going to the city around midday. There, we get something sweet for the kids and us from one of the stands, and then try to find an empty table to keep going with day drinking. While the 17th of May is a national holiday, the 18th is often a regular working day. And with all the early drinking, we might be home by 16:00-17:00.
Basically, this holiday is a day when we meet our friends, dress up, and have a good time together. Most people don’t stay late, and we end our day of drinking with a cup of coffee.
Celebration at Statsraaden
Good to know on this day
Probably, I don’t have to remind you that this holiday is all about Norway and Norwegians, so try to enjoy the day as we do: by eating good food, drinking bubbles, and being nice to each other.
Now, what you really need to know is that most of the places will be full of people. Restaurants will be crowded, their menus will be short, and food will be a bit worse than on a regular day. I know about this as a customer and as a chef who used to work on the 17th. Most of the people will be drinking and won’t be eating as much anyway, though. So, my advice is to be prepared for breakfast yourself with all the good foods and alcohol ready instead of relying on restaurants.
Pro tip: if the day is nice and sunny, most of the bars and restaurants with outside serving will be crowded, but it will be possible to get a table inside, especially if the place is not one of the popular big places.
Don’t be shy and ask Norwegians to take a picture of their bunads. 99% of the time they will be happy to do it with you 🙂
Another thing to remember is that you are in Norway. It will be expensive to drink out. Once again, if you are planning on drinking that day, you might want to consider buying everything in advance at a supermarket.
Now, regular shops will be closed. There will be some smaller shops and kiosks open, but don’t expect much from them. And since it’s a red day, you won’t be able to buy anything but low-alcohol beer.
Don’t be shy on this day! You can ask people to take pictures with you, ask about their national costumes, and even make some new friends. Generally, everyone is very welcoming on the 17th.
What to do if you are a tourist
Enjoy it like a local! Drink, eat good food, talk to people, and be joyful. Be prepared for the day, if you don’t want to spend too much money. So, get your food and alcohol from a supermarket in advance. Forget about all the things you can do in Bergen, because today everything will be about enjoying the moment together with your friends. If you don’t want to be in a crowd, our mountains are open 24/7, and it’s always nice to go for a hike. The 17th of May is absolutely the best day to experience Norway like a true Norwegian. So, enjoy it and have fun!