Haugesund, Celebrating May 17th

Norway declared herself a sovereign kingdom in 1905 ending almost one hundred years of a union with neighboring Sweden. As a fairly young nation, the Constitution Day on May 17th is still one of the big annual celebrations. On this day children of all ages dress up in either one of the many national folklore costumes or their Sunday best. At 10am the Children's Parade pushes off.  The children march to the tunes of their school's brass band accompanied by their teachers. A long the route parents and other relatives watches their offspring with pride. For the rest of the day the children can enjoy their privileges of non-stop supply of ice-cream, hot dogs and soda. The Senior High School students celebrate following their own traditions. Easily recognized in their red or blue overalls they have been up all through the night and "marching capabilities" may at this point be somewhat limited ...