All dressed up. . .

This past weekend, we celebrated Norway's Constitution Day. There are a lot of similarities in between American and Norwegian national day celebrations. In both countries, people grill hot dogs and eat ice cream. There are parades. There is a lot of flag-waving. There is patriotism and pride in country. There are speeches, generally boring ones. The boring national day speech is a phenomenon the world over. It transcends cultural divides, maybe it could unite the world. "The road to world peace is paved with recollections of being forced to sit through long-winded speeches by old men on the country's national day."

I digress. . .

However, unlike the 4th of July, where traditional attire for the day is shorts and t-shirt, May 17th is a formal occasion in Norway. Norwegians eat their hot dogs wearing suits and dresses or the national outfit, called a bunad or festdrakt. Norwegians wear bunads during special occasions -- for weddings, coming-of-age celebrations and on May 17th. The national day IS a special occasion.

Last year, the plan had just been to put Nicky in a suit and Laney in a pretty dress. However, I tried a bunad for Laney and she was so adorable, I had to have it. Last year, I wasn't sure about the short pants look for boys -- very American Revolution, so Nicky wore a suit.

17 May 2007

(2007 was a year of struggles in getting Nicky to look at or smile for the camera)

Ta-da! Laney in her bunad.

Now, there's a smile from Nicky.


This year, though, I decided I wanted them both to wear traditional dress. Nicky can wear suits forever, in any country. Bunads are special and uniquely Norwegian. It's a part of the culture he's growing up in -- and if I don't miss my guess, my 14-year-old Nicky won't be caught dead in one. My 4-year-old Nicky doesn't care as long as cake and ice cream are around. I can't believe I didn't have one for him last year. They were both so, so adorable! That's fact, buddy. This mommy's not at all biased.

17 May 2008 (actually, these were taken on 16 May)

You want pictures of the actual day? Okay. Okay. Twist my arm. Here are MORE pictures of my kids. With all that goes on, it was a little harder to get decent pictures from May 17 itself, but it feels like cheating to have ones from the day before.

Now, I'm hooked on bunads.* I guess it's one of the side-effects of being from a country that doesn't have a traditional costume. It becomes very, very addicting when you move to a country that has one. So they will both be in bunads until they are old enough to complain until my ears bleed. Probably around nine or so.

*Or is it called festdrakt? Traditional bunads are embroidered, very expensive, and made by a seamstress. The clothes my kids are wearing are mass-produced and sold in the local kids' store. Anyway. . .

As an aside, my mother dressed me in a kimono, traditional Japanese dress, every New Year's Day when we lived in Japan. One year, I cried and complained and was totally awful. Maybe that was every year? Well, one year, when I was nine or so, was worse than all the others. I'm sitting in the corner sour-faced in every single picture. Gawd, I was a horrid child. That is true testimony to the strength of parental love. Sane people would have left me by the side of the road with a sign, "Free to a good home." My parents took me home and loved me anyway. At least, they took me home. The love part, you'll have to ask them about.

For everything you ever wanted to know about May 17 or bunads. Click here for photos about the Norwegian bunad tradition.