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95-478: The Norwegians will often celebrate with big parades with everyone dressed up in their special outfit (bunad). People eat hot dogs, waffles and ice cream and the children play playground games. The Constitution of Norway was signed at Eidsvoll on 17 May 1814. It is the second oldest written constitution still in use. The constitution declared Norway to be an independent kingdom in an attempt to avoid being ceded to Sweden after Denmark–Norway 's devastating defeat in

190-721: A Court of Impeachment. Royal Palace, Oslo The Royal Palace ( Norwegian : Slottet or Det kongelige slott ) in Oslo was built in the first half of the 19th century as the Norwegian residence of the French -born Charles XIV John , who reigned as king of Norway and Sweden . The palace is the official residence of the current Norwegian monarch while the Crown Prince resides at Skaugum in Asker west of Oslo. The palace

285-610: A calculation (made every eight years) based on their population density. Those members are elected by proportional representation . No party may have a seat unless it wins at least four percent of the vote nationwide. The other 19 members are elected by each constituency at large, one for each constituency. No-one may be a member of the Storting unless they are eligible to vote. Judges of the Supreme Court and most government officials are not eligible for membership. The members of

380-504: A completely new modern Nynorsk version. The Nynorsk version was compiled by a committee headed by professor Hans Petter Graver . These are based on propositions 21, 22 and 25. Before this, the official name of the Kingdom of Norway ( Bokmål : Kongeriket Norge , Nynorsk : Kongeriket Noreg ) would have been "Kongeriget Norge", as in the modern Danish form if taken literally from the old constitution. The Norwegian constitution has

475-460: A curious mix of radical and traditional values. The principle of separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches was directly inspired by radical ideas from the US and French systems. The retention of a king, a constitutional church , defined as Evangelical-Lutheran, and the banning of Jesuits , monastic orders, and Jews, which latter were not allowed to travel to Norway, in

570-568: A day of patriotic pride. Actually, the day demonstrates that the children, i.e. the country's future, are the patriotic pride, if we follow Wergeland's thought. Flags and music dominate the day, and there are few military parades. To commemorate his contribution, the russ in Oslo place an oversized hat on his statue near the Storting (Parliament); the Jewish community place a wreath on his grave in

665-655: A determined fight, holding the Swedes back at Kongsvinger and securing a tactical victory at the battle of Langnes . This enabled the King to avoid an unconditional surrender as he was forced into negotiations with the Swedes, leading to the Convention of Moss . Putting the strategic situation and his own abdication to good use, he persuaded the Swedish crown prince Carl Johan (the former Marshal Bernadotte of France) to let

760-676: A parade. Syttende Mai is also celebrated in Oswego, New York . Since 1969, the city of Westby, Wisconsin , has celebrated a four-day festival featuring authentic Norwegian foods, crafts, a "frokost" and Norwegian church service. Other large celebrations are held in the Ballard, Seattle , which also claims to be the largest Syttende Mai parade outside of Oslo, Poulsbo, Washington , and Bay Ridge, Brooklyn . Epcot 's Norwegian Pavilion in Florida, celebrates Constitution Day with numerous flags around

855-475: A parent and child may not be members at the same time. The Storting may pass a vote of no confidence in any member or in the whole Council, at which point the member or members must resign. The heir to the throne, if over 18, has a seat in the Council but no vote. If the King is absent from the realm or is too ill to carry out his duties, then the heir to the throne (if over 18) may act in his place; afterwards he

950-459: A person (not a member) to supervise the public administration. The Storting has the power to naturalise aliens. Any member of the Storting or member of the Council of State may propose a bill. To become law, a bill must be debated twice, with at least three days between each debate, and then presented to the King for his assent. If the Kings signs it, it becomes law (and it is then published under

1045-535: A political tool to control the government during the 19th century, but no impeachments had been made since 1927. A parliamentary report and a proposition for constitutional amendment was presented in 2004 to change the legal basis of the High Court of the Realm and reduce its political bias. The proposal was passed by a unanimous Storting on 20 February 2007, and came into effect in 2009. The new court of impeachment

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1140-471: A presentation with six Fjord Horses making a choreography with Norwegian music Vi på Langedrag by Sigmund Groven. Norsewood in New Zealand also Celebrates Norway Day with a church service, folk dancing displays by school children and Norwegian songs performed by the village choir. The poet Henrik Wergeland is credited with making Søttende/Syttende mai a celebratory day for the children rather than

1235-453: A traditional service in a local church, and the selling of traditional Norwegian foods such as Solo and makrell i tomat , and many Norwegian flags for Norwegians who have left theirs at home. The Norwegian church in Cardiff celebrates Syttende Mai with a parade and a speech about the history of Syttende Mai and then a meal of tasty waffles. In Orkney , Scotland, 17 May is celebrated by

1330-683: A version written in English, provided by the Storting . 17 May, the date of the signing of the constitution, is celebrated as Norwegian Constitution Day with the school children's flag parades. In the capital Oslo, the parade passes the Royal Palace where thousands of schoolchildren wave to the King and Queen . A notable feature of the Norwegian Constitution Day celebration is the virtual absence of any military parades,

1425-415: A very popular part of the Oslo parade. Forsvarets Musikkorps Vestlandet (Norwegian Armed Forces' Music Corps Western Norway), followed by parts of the military defence is participating in the parade of Bergen. The former Norwegian president of parliament Jo Benkow noted that the day has increasingly become a celebration of Norway's growing ethnic diversity . Several factors have probably contributed to

1520-449: Is accountable for his actions to the King and to the Storting. If the heir is under 18 then the Council exercises the King's powers. The King may pass temporary ordinances about commerce, customs, "all livelihoods" and public administration. These remain in force until the next Storting. The King in Council may pardon criminals after they have been sentenced, except in cases of impeachment . In proceedings on impeachment, he may not pardon

1615-640: Is also celebrated in many Norwegian migrant communities throughout the world, with traditional foods, sometimes including lutefisk . In the United States and Canada, the local lodges of the Sons of Norway often play a central part in organizing the festivities. The Bay Ridge neighborhood in Brooklyn , New York City has had an annual 17 May Parade and celebration since 1952. It is well-attended and celebrated by Norwegian-Americans who immigrated to Brooklyn in

1710-543: Is composed of five regular Supreme Court of Norway judges and six lay judges appointed by the Storting. In May 2012, parliament passed a constitutional amendment, for the second time, to separate church and state. This formally made Norway a secular country with no official religion, although the Church of Norway is still mentioned in the Constitution. Article 12 in the constitution, which stated that more than half of

1805-479: Is guarded by His Majesty The King's Guard; the Royal Guards . Since public tours began in 2002, the general public has been able to view and appreciate the renovation and splendor that the palace now boasts. The daily changing of the guard has also become a popular tourist attraction in recent years. The Palace Park ( Norwegian : Slottsparken ) is a surrounding public park , one of the largest parks of

1900-703: Is located at the end of Karl Johans gate in central Oslo and is surrounded by the Palace Park with the Palace Square in the front. Until the completion of the palace, Norwegian royalty resided in Paléet , the magnificent townhouse in Christiania that the wealthy merchant Bernt Anker bequeathed to the State in 1805 to be used as a royal residence. During the last years of the union with Denmark Paléet

1995-723: Is now celebrated as the Norwegian Constitution Day . The Norwegian constitution was inspired by the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the French Revolution in 1789, and the subsequent U.S. and French constitutions. The authors, Christian Magnus Falsen and Johan Gunder Adler , were also influenced by the Spanish Constitution of 1812 . A deviation from the republican constitutions of France and

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2090-461: The Constitution of Poland , the French constitution of 1791 , and the Spanish Constitution of 1812 . The document is also the second oldest working national constitution in the world, after the Constitution of the United States . In May 2014, the Storting passed the most substantial changes since 1814, particularly by including paragraphs on human rights. Until 1814, Norway was part of

2185-563: The Council of State , a tradition which is still practised with the meetings always being held in the palace's Council Chamber where the monarch's throne is located. During the reign and residence of King Olav V from 1957 to 1991, there was little funds for renovation, something the poorly-built original structure direly needed. King Olav would therefore mostly reside at Skaugum and the Bygdøy Royal Estate , but relocated to

2280-525: The Napoleonic Wars . This established a Union between Sweden and Norway . The celebration of this day began spontaneously among students and others from early on. However, Norway was at that time in a personal union with Sweden (following the Convention of Moss in August 1814, by which they shared a monarch as separate nations) and for some years the King of Sweden and Norway was reluctant to allow

2375-558: The last sentence was struck out after the Norwegian poet Henrik Wergeland had campaigned for the rights of the Jews, and in 1897 also the next to last sentence. Monastic orders were permitted 1897, but the ban on Jesuits was only lifted in 1956. Universal male suffrage was introduced in Norway in 1898 and universal suffrage in 1913 by amendments of the constitution. Some constitutional scholars hold that it may be necessary to change

2470-445: The 1970s. In 1814 and 1903, the word Lappish ( lappisk ) would have been used. In February 2006, a constitutional amendment was aimed at reverting 16 minor spelling errors to the proper 1903 forms. Different approaches to revise the language throughout the document were suggested: In 2014, when the language in the constitution was officially revised they went with the first approach, which produced an updated Bokmål version and

2565-719: The 2nd largest in the world, and the largest in the US. Festivities include canoe racing, two parades, an art fair, a 20-mile run around the Stoughton community, and a great deal of bratwurst consumption. The festival features the Stoughton High School Norwegian Dancers, a group that tours the country showcasing traditional ethnic dances of Scandinavia . Smaller Syttende Mai celebrations are held in Norwegian-heritage communities throughout western Wisconsin, Minnesota, and elsewhere in

2660-422: The Council of State are not members of the Storting, but have the right to attend and take part on debate (but not to vote). Members of the Storting are privileged from arrest during their attendance and while travelling to and from the Storting, "unless they are apprehended in public crimes." They are not accountable for the opinions they express in the Storting. The Storting shall meet in the capital every year on

2755-526: The Council's permission, otherwise he automatically forfeits the Crown. It sets out the line of succession , and provides that if the line of succession dies out then the Storting shall elect a new king. It sets out the King's coronation oath. Executive power is vested in the King, but the government is conducted in his name by a Council of State, and all of his decisions must be counter-signed by an official. The Council consists of at least eight members chosen by

2850-464: The King appointed only members of the party or coalition having a majority in the Storting. Further, the Council became answerable to the Storting, in the sense that a failed vote of confidence would cause the government to resign. This last happened in March 2000, when the governing coalition refused introduction of electrical power stations based on natural gas on environmental grounds, which a majority of

2945-474: The King, including the Prime Minister. Members must be Norwegian citizens who are eligible to vote. More than half the members must be present to conduct business, but if not enough members are present then temporary members may be appointed. In the event of a tied vote, the Prime Minister or, in his absence, the Council's highest-ranking member, has a second and casting vote. Two spouses, two siblings, or

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3040-642: The Kingdom of Denmark–Norway . Following the defeat of Napoleon's troops at the Battle of Leipzig in October 1813, the Treaty of Kiel of January 1814 ceded Norway to Sweden. In response, the Crown Prince of Denmark–Norway and resident viceroy in Norway, Christian Frederik , started a Norwegian independence movement . The most likely goal of the young Crown Prince was reunification with Denmark. His initiative

3135-664: The Kingdom of Norway ; Danish : Kongeriget Norges Grundlov ; Norwegian Bokmål : Kongeriket Norges Grunnlov ; Norwegian Nynorsk : Kongeriket Noregs Grunnlov ) was adopted on 16 May and signed on 17 May 1814 by the Norwegian Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll . The latter date is the National Day of Norway ; it marks the establishment of the constitution. It is the fourth oldest written single-document national constitution in Europe after

3230-669: The Midwestern United States. Members of Norway's Parliament Storting travel to Chicago to attend a three-day celebration consisting of a concert, banquet and parade hosted by the Norwegian National League . Spring Grove, Minnesota , also hosts a 3-day festival on the weekend nearest to Syttende Mai, while nearby Decorah, Iowa , the home of Nordic Fest and the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum , also hosts

3325-468: The Norwegians keep their constitution. The Swedish crown prince could have named his terms to Norway, but wanted to appease the Norwegians and avoid a bloody continuation of the war. Realizing that a forced union with himself as ruler of a conquered and hostile country would be very uneasy, he accepted the Norwegian proposition. Norway then entered into a personal union with Sweden, and the constitution

3420-519: The Orkney Norway Friendship Association in recognition of the islands' strong historic links with Norway, with similar celebrations taking place in neighbouring Shetland . In Glasgow , Scotland, 17 May is celebrated at Murano Street Student Village where Norwegian students and their friends congregate to enjoy the traditional festivities of the day. This includes the wearing of Norwegian traditional colours as well as

3515-405: The Prime Minister and other members of the Council, and other senior government and military officials. He may appoint his own household officials at his own discretion. He may honour people for distinguished service, but not grant hereditary privileges. The armed forces may not be deployed outside the realm, nor may foreign forces be allowed into the realm (except to defend it from attack), without

3610-520: The Seal of the Realm). The King may veto a bill, but his veto may be overridden if the bill is passed in the same form by the next elected Storting. Article 85 states that "Any person who obeys an order the purpose of which is to disturb the liberty and security of the Storting is thereby guilty of treason against the country." Chapter D (Articles 86 to 91) vests the judicial power in a Supreme Court and

3705-500: The Storting grant the necessary funds to complete the building. The roof was laid in 1836, and the interiors were finished during the late 1840s. The Royal Palace contains its own chapel, consecrated in 1844. The Church of Norway is responsible for the religious services taking place there. It is the scene of many events of the Norwegian royal family like the royal baptisms and confirmations . There are also concerts of church music and chamber music . King Charles John never had

3800-403: The Storting supported. As a relic from the earlier laws of Denmark–Norway , Article 2 in the constitution originally read, "The Evangelical-Lutheran religion remains the public religion of the State. Those inhabitants, who confess thereto, are bound to raise their children to the same. Jesuits and monastic orders are not permitted. Jews are still prohibited from entry to the Realm." In 1851,

3895-479: The Storting's consent. A prince or princess may not marry without the King's consent; contravention of that rule disqualifies them from succession to the throne. They "shall not be personally answerable to anyone other than the King" or a person delegated by him. Article 16 says that the Church of Norway is the Established Church, "and will as such be supported by the State." However it also guarantees

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3990-475: The United States was the retention of monarchy . Importing republicanism was seen as an attempt to emulate the French and Americans directly, something the lawmakers at Eidsvoll sought to avoid. The choice of monarchy as state form would also facilitate the reunification of Denmark–Norway, something the Crown Prince was not alone in seeking. The king's power was however severely curtailed. His absolute veto over laws

4085-585: The activities of the National Day. During World War II when Norway was under occupation by the Nazis, it was strictly forbidden for Norwegians to celebrate 17 May, participate in any procession, or to use the colors of the Norwegian flag on clothes. At the liberation on 8 May 1945, the Norwegian flag therefore became a strong symbol of Norway's freedom. By historical coincidence, World War II ended in Norway nine days before Constitution Day on 8 May 1945, when

4180-438: The band, the rest of the school children follow with hand-held flags, often with the junior forms first, and often behind self-made banners for each form or even individual class. Nearby kindergartens may also have been invited to join in. As the parade passes, bystanders often join in behind the official parade and follow the parade back to the school. Depending on the community, the parade may make stops at particular sites along

4275-411: The budget to be exceeded, and the building stopped in 1827, only to be resumed in 1833. In the meantime, the Storting refused additional grants as a demonstration against the King's unpopular efforts to establish a closer union between his two kingdoms. In 1833, Linstow produced a less costly project without the projecting wings, but with a third storey as compensation. Improved relations with the king made

4370-435: The building. The Parliament approved the stipulated cost of 150 000 speciedaler to be financed by the sale of government bonds. Work on the site started in 1824, and on 1 October 1825 Charles John laid down the foundation stone beneath the altar of the future palace chapel . Linstow originally planned a building of only two storeys with projecting wings on both sides of the main façade. The costly foundation works caused

4465-529: The celebrations. For a few years during the 1820s, King Charles XIV John actually banned it, believing that celebrations like this were, in fact, a kind of protest and disregard, even revolt, against the union. The king's attitude changed after the Battle of the Square in 1829, an incident which resulted in such a commotion that the king had to allow commemorations on the day. It was, however, not until 1833 that public addresses were held, and official celebration

4560-510: The central elements of the celebration. Each elementary school district arranges its own parade with marching bands between schools. The parade takes the children through the community, often making stops at homes of senior citizens, war memorials, etc. The longest parade is in Oslo , where some 100,000 people travel to the city centre to participate in the main festivities. This is broadcast on TV every year, with comments on costumes, banners, etc., together with local reports from celebrations around

4655-464: The change was reverted after the war. After World War II and the restoration of peace and constitutional rule, there was much debate on how to handle the events of the previous five years. None of this led to any changes in the constitution; it had withstood the test of hard times. While radical in its day, the constitution of 1814 was a product of its age. As Norwegian democracy developed, some parts of it began to look increasingly dated. For example,

4750-516: The constitution if Norway is to enter the European Union , as the first article states that Norway is a "free, independent" country. However, the debate on the EU has been relatively quiescent since the referendum in 1994, so such a change is not likely to occur in the immediate future. The Norwegian High Court of the Realm is warranted by the constitution and was frequently used by the Storting as

4845-405: The constitution was written, a chapter on human rights was added as well as being rewritten into modern Bokmål and Nynorsk . The events and the constitution of 1814 have a central place in Norwegian identity. For this reason, and to keep the text as consistent as possible, changes prior to the language revision in 2014 were written in a language close to the original. In 1814, Danish was still

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4940-429: The consumption of spectacularly copious amounts of alcoholic beverages. Stockholm , Sweden, has a big celebration with a parade starting at Engelbrektsplan and ending at Skansen , in which more than 10,000 participate every year. The event includes Stockholm's only dedicated 17 May marching band, Det Norske Korps. It is also common for Norwegians living abroad to gather and celebrate. In some countries, typically where

5035-429: The country are filled with young and old, turning out in festive attire, and vendors selling ice cream, hot dogs, and more recently, kebabs. In many neighbourhoods, small towns and villages, it is common for them to have their own events with relaxed open dining and fun, unpretentious competitions for children. Although 17 May is the National Day, foreigners are very welcome to join in with all activities. Syttende Mai

5130-413: The country. The massive Oslo parade includes some 100 schools, marching bands, and passes the royal palace where the royal family greet the people from the main balcony. Typically, a school's children parade will consist of some senior school children carrying the school's official banner, followed by a handful of other older children carrying full-size Norwegian flags, and the school's marching band. After

5225-513: The crown only if the Norwegian people expressed their will for monarchy by referendum and if the parliament then elected him king. On 13 November, the Norwegian votes decided on monarchy with a 78.9 percent majority, and Carl was elected King by the Storting, taking the regnal name Haakon VII . In 1942, the national socialist Minister President Vidkun Quisling , reintroduced the Jew clause , but

5320-481: The daughter of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. By bringing in a king with British royal ties, it was hoped that Norway could court Britain's support. Additionally, Prince Carl was related on his father's side to Norway's medieval kings. Prince Carl, however, was well aware of a surge of republicanism in Norway and of the constitutional situation of the Norwegian throne. He insisted that he would accept

5415-505: The day being almost wholly a civilian celebration. Each autumn the Storting is formally opened by the King. In an election year, the session starts with representatives for each county being formally recognised as the lawful representatives. This happens every fourth year (the Norwegian Constitution does not allow for intra-period snap elections ). After the session is opened and a secretary and president are elected for

5510-575: The debate, the youngest member of the cabinet reads The Report on the State of the Realm. The current text of the Constitution (as amended in May 2018) consists of 121 articles, grouped into chapters A to F. Chapter A consists of Articles 1 and 2, which state that Norway is "a free, independent, indivisible and inalienable realm" with "a limited and hereditary monarchy." The state's values are its "Christian and humanist heritage," democracy and "the rule of law and human rights." The mention of humanist values

5605-416: The defendant unless the Storting consents. (He may commute a death sentence without the Storting's consent, but the death penalty is now prohibited by Article 93.) The King is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and he appoints all civil and military officers, after consulting the Council. Royal princes and princesses are disqualified from holding office. The King may, after consulting the Council, dismiss

5700-611: The early 20th century. One major celebration occurs in Petersburg, Alaska , also known as "Little Norway". The town is a Norwegian settlement and strongly retains its roots. The festival occurs the weekend closest to 17 May and includes a parade, Leikarring dancers , herring toss, Norwegian pastries such as lefse and even a pack of Vikings and Valkyries . Another major Syttende Mai celebration occurs in Stoughton, Wisconsin , which, along with Seattle , Washington, claims to be

5795-449: The executive power, which in the constitution is consistently attributed to the King, came increasingly to rest in his Council of State ( statsråd ). Similarly, the King originally had the right to appoint members of the Council, who were answerable to him alone, and they could not be chosen from the members of the Storting . With the establishment of parliamentarism in 1884, the Council was effectively chosen by general election, in that

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5890-410: The face of Republicanism was a traditionalist move; however, the king's power was severely curtailed, and the church very much under the control of the elected body. Suffrage was extended, but was still restricted to certain groups of men. All men who were either farmers possessing their own land, civil servants, or urban property owners could vote. With this, about half of all Norwegian men were granted

5985-407: The first monarch to use the palace permanently and the palace was therefore refurbished for two years before he, Queen Maud and Crown Prince Olav could move in. King Haakon would be the first monarch to greet the children's parade on the palace balcony during the Norwegian Constitution Day celebration in Oslo. It was also King Haakon VII who in 1905 introduced the tradition of weekly meetings with

6080-399: The first weekday of October, unless the King designates another town due to an emergency. The King may also summon the Storting at other times if necessary. Each new Storting is opened by the King, or a person delegated by him, who makes a speech about the state of the realm. The Storting meets in open session, and its decisions are published, unless it decides otherwise. The Storting appoints

6175-502: The inclusive nature of the celebration: One can add that the day should be regarded as an expression of thankfulness, on behalf of the old values freedom , equality and brotherhood, the ideological basis for the constitution, and also on behalf of the circumstances that led up to the constitution. The aspect of "thanksgiving" in the national celebrations of Norway is easily forgotten in the long span of years from 1814. There has been dispute over whether foreign flags should be allowed in

6270-399: The language of the 1903 version, leading to peculiar constructions. The word environment was written with the archaic spelling Milieu , differing from modern Norwegian and Danish miljø ; the modern context of that word was, however, non-existent in the 19th century. The " Sami ethnic group" was " den samiske Folkegruppe ", even though the word Sami ( samisk ) was not common until

6365-574: The morning as a tribute to his efforts on their behalf. The day is celebrated as a people's day, with limited military participation. The Royal Guard performs on the main street of the capital city, Oslo. During the parade, the Guard display their drill and musical skills. The marching band of the Royal Guard also attend the children's parade in central Oslo together with the schools' own marching bands, their black uniforms and impeccable drill being

6460-553: The morning. In many places (like in Oslo) at noon, a salute is fired. In addition to children's parades, there are parades for the public ( borgertog ), where every citizen is welcome to join in. These are led by marching bands and often local boy scouts and girl guides, local choirs, NGOs etc. This takes place in the early morning or in the afternoon, before or after the school's parade. All parades begin or end with speeches. Both grown-ups and older children are invited to speak. After

6555-475: The occupying German forces surrendered. Even if Liberation Day is an official flag day in Norway, the day is not an official holiday and not widely celebrated. Instead, a new and broader meaning has been added to the celebration of Norwegian Constitution Day on 17 May to reflect the victory over Nazi oppression . A noteworthy aspect of the Norwegian Constitution Day is its very non-military nature. All over Norway, children's parades with an abundance of flags form

6650-473: The palace in 1968 when he gave the Skaugum estate as a wedding gift to his son Crown Prince Harald and his bride Crown Princess Sonja . Shortly after his ascension, King Harald V started a comprehensive renovation project of the palace. The renovations and improvements, all made by Statsbygg , included new fire alarm systems, the construction of new bathrooms, kitchens, offices and a general restructuring of

6745-448: The palace. The King was criticized because of the amount of money needed to bring the palace up to a satisfactory state even if much of this went to rectify construction deficits from a century and a half ago. With the renovations completed, the King and Queen relocated from Skaugum to the palace in 2001 as the Skaugum estate was to become the new home of Crown Prince Haakon and his family. The palace, like all royal residence in Norway,

6840-521: The parade. In 2008, the 17 May committee of Oslo banned the use of foreign flags, but was overturned by the mayor of Oslo, Fabian Stang . Similar discussions have taken place in other cities. In 2013, the 17 May committee of Ålesund turned down a request from a local school to use handmade paper flags that also included foreign flags. The decision was later overturned. Constitution of Norway Bokmål : Kongeriket Norges Grunnlov The Constitution of Norway (complete name: The Constitution of

6935-470: The parades, there are games for the children, and often much ice cream, pop, sweets and hot-dogs are consumed. The graduating class from videregående (upper secondary school, sixth form) the Norwegian equivalent of high school, known as russ , has its own celebration on 17 May, staying up all night and making the rounds through the community. The russ also have their own parades later in the day, usually around 4 or 5 pm. In this parade, russ will parade through

7030-729: The pavilion, as well as parades around the World Showcase Lagoon. Salt Lake City, Utah, holds its annual celebration at the International Peace Gardens. 400-700 people attend each year. In the United Kingdom, the Norwegian community in London holds a 17 May celebration each year in Southwark Park . The celebration is attended by a large number of Norwegians resident in London and includes a parade,

7125-523: The period, the King addresses the representatives with the Trontale ('Speech from the Throne') in his capacity as formal head of state. The Trontale summarizes the government's program for the coming year, and while delivered by the King, is written by the sitting government. The Trontale is followed by a general debate, where the opposition states their main points for the year to come. Following

7220-437: The persons in the Council of State had to be members of the state church was also repealed. In the run-up for the 200th anniversary for the Constitution, work was done to see if the Constitution could be amended to be more in tune with the times. In December 2011, a Committee appointed by the Storting put forth its report, suggesting that human rights be put in a separate chapter in the Constitution. In 2014, 200 years after

7315-399: The pleasure of residing in his palace before he died in 1844, and its first occupants were his son Oscar I and his queen Josephine . It was soon found that the royal family needed a more spacious residence, and the wings facing the garden were extended. Before the official inauguration in 1849, the central colonnade that had been axed in 1833 was reintroduced, and the provisional steep roof

7410-519: The population of Norwegian expatriates is small, the Norwegian embassy is the focus of celebrations, or sometimes the diplomats' spouses arrange an event. In New Zealand, the 17th of May is celebrated in Fiordland, a small piece of Norway in the fjords and mountains of southwest New Zealand. All Fjordland buildings are made of eucalyptus and are inspired by Norwegian architecture. They have an exposition of photos and facts about Norway, typical food, and

7505-514: The right of all inhabitants of the realm to freely exercise their own religion. Article 33 states that Norges Bank is the central bank of Norway. Chapter C (Articles 49 to 85) is about the Storting and the rights of citizens. Legislative power is vested in the Storting, which consists of one house containing 169 members, elected every four years in free and secret elections. All Norwegian citizens who are aged 18 or over are eligible to vote. Article 50 guarantees this right to men and women. However

7600-440: The right to vote may be qualified by law in the case of citizens who are resident overseas, mentally ill or in "a reduced level of consciousness," and the right to vote may be lost by convicted criminals (in circumstances prescribed by law) and by citizens who serve in a foreign government without the Norwegian government's consent. There are 19 parliamentary constituencies. 150 seats are apportioned to each constituency according to

7695-543: The right to vote. The young king and Norwegian officials tried to find international backing for their bid for Norway as a sovereign state throughout spring and early summer of 1814. After failing to secure the support of the United Kingdom , war with Sweden became unavoidable. The Swedish Campaign against Norway was short and decisive. However, while badly trained and equipped, the Norwegian Army put up

7790-463: The route, such as a nursing home or war memorial. In Oslo, the parade stops at the Royal Palace while Skaugum , the home of the crown prince, has been a traditional waypoint for parades in Asker . During the parade, a marching band will play and the children will sing lyrics about the celebration of the National Day. The parade concludes with the stationary singing of the national anthem " Ja, vi elsker dette landet " (typically verses 1, 7 and 8), and

7885-459: The royal anthem " Kongesangen ". In addition to flags, people typically wear red, white and blue ribbons. Although a long-standing tradition, it has lately become more popular for men, women and children to wear traditional outfits, called bunad . The children shout "Hurra!", sing, blow whistles and shake rattles. All over Norway, memorials to the fallen at wars and to other notable national people are honoured with speeches and wreaths early in

7980-425: The same day unanimously elected Charles XIII king of Norway, rather than acknowledging him as such, thus reinforcing the concept a King by the will of the people. The union amendments were revoked after the dissolution of the 91-year union in 1905. The question of a King was again considered, and the Storting elected to offer the throne to the 33-year-old Prince Carl of Denmark, married to Princess Maud of Wales ,

8075-407: The street carrying signs and pickets. They may parody various local and political aspects, although recently this has become less frequent. Russ parades have lately become smaller and smaller due to diligent police discouragement. The Constitution Day is celebrated in most small settlements and larger towns across Norway, with many variations. In addition to the children's parades the streets across

8170-499: The universal written language in Norway. The current two official varieties of written Norwegian, Bokmål and Nynorsk (until 1929 called Riksmål and Landsmål respectively), were not developed until the late 19th century. Additionally, in 1903, the constitution underwent a very slight linguistic revision, changing the spelling of some words where orthography had changed since 1814 but still using conservative 19th century Danish. All amendments prior to 2014 have attempted to imitate

8265-432: Was absent from the palace during 1905, the year of the dissolution of the union with Sweden , but his son, then Crown Prince Gustaf , paid two short visits in his vain attempts to save the union. The Bernadotte dynasty abdicated their Norwegian throne in 1905 and were succeeded by Prince Carl of Denmark, who took the name of Haakon VII when he accepted his election as king of a completely independent Norway. Haakon became

8360-500: Was amended as necessary to form the Union between Sweden and Norway . Notably, while Norway was to keep most of its own institution, the two countries were to share a common monarch and a common foreign policy. On 7 October, an extraordinary session of the Storting convened, and king Christian Frederik delegated his powers to the parliament and abdicated on 10 October. The Storting adopted the constitutional amendments on 4 November and on

8455-456: Was initiated near the monument of former government minister Christian Krohg , who had spent much of his political life curbing the personal power of the monarch. The address was held by Henrik Wergeland , thoroughly witnessed and accounted for by an informant dispatched by the king himself. After 1864 the day became more established when the first children's parade was launched in Christiania , at first consisting only of boys. This initiative

8550-549: Was made due to the popularity of secular humanism in Norway and the importance of secular ethics to millions of Norwegians. Chapter B is about the King (or Queen), the royal family, the Council of State and the Church of Norway . It consists of Articles 3 to 48. It states that the King must "at all times profess the Evangelical-Lutheran religion." He may not leave the state for longer than six months without

8645-552: Was removed. The council of Eidsvoll chose Crown Prince Christian Frederik as king . Christian Adolph Diriks , who was the legal secretary of the Constitutional Committee , was the assembly's resident expert on foreign constitutions, and played an important part in shaping the language of the constitution. Diriks is credited with formulating §100, concerning freedom of speech , and §102, guarding against unreasonable searches and seizures . The constitution shows

8740-517: Was replaced by a more elegant and more expensive flat roof. The next Bernadotte kings Charles IV and Oscar II continued to use the royal palace in Christiania, but spent most of their time in Stockholm . King Oscar's wife, Sophia of Nassau , preferred to spend summers in Norway, but mostly stayed at the country manor Skinnarbøl near the Swedish border for the sake of her health. Oscar II

8835-460: Was successful, and a national assembly at Eidsvoll was called. The assembled representatives were elected by the congregations of the state church and by military units throughout Norway. They convened at the Eidsvoll manor on 10 April. The constitution was written during five weeks of the spring of 1814. It was ratified by the assembly on 16 May, and signed the following day. The latter date

8930-401: Was taken by Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson , although Wergeland made the first known children's parade at Eidsvoll around 1820. It was only in 1899 that girls were allowed to join in the parade for the first time. In 1905, the union with Sweden was dissolved and Prince Carl of Denmark was chosen to be King of an independent Norway, under the name Haakon VII. Obviously, this ended any Swedish concern for

9025-520: Was used by the viceroys of Norway, and in 1814 by the first king of independent Norway, Christian Frederick . King Charles III John of the House of Bernadotte resided there as crown prince and later as king during his frequent visits to his Norwegian capital. Charles John chose the site for the permanent royal palace on the western side of Christiania in 1821 and commissioned the officer and inexperienced architect , Danish-born Hans Linstow , to design

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