Gratulerer med dagen! Hipp, hipp, hura! :)

Hei hei Reader! Happy 17th of May! Yes, today is Norge's National Holiday! It's their version of Canada Day or the 4th of July for the States but in my opinion, it tops them both! It was May 17th, 1814 that Norge left its centuries long union with Denmark and wrote a constitution. It then went on to have a union with Sweden until 1905 and was officially declared a country in that year. Either way, it's a big party day and people take it VERY seriously. When I first got to Norge, Karina told me that Norwegians are more patriotic than Americans. I laughed it off thinking, "There's no country on Earth more patriotic than the States" but I was definitely wrong! Although small, Norge has a HUGE heart and they are so proud of their homeland.


There are parties all around the country and they vary from place to place but there is no doubt that the biggest and best party happens in Oslo! I swear, half the country was downtown today, showing their national pride. The big thing to do on May 17th is to go downtown in the morning and see the parade. So that's what we did. This parade mostly consisted of a bunch of kids with Norsk flags walking up Karl Jonas Gate (the main downtown street) to the Royal Palace. This parade started before we arrived at 10:00am and was still going at around 1:00pm. Geez, there are a lot of kids in Norge! The next big thing to do is see the Royal Family from their balcony at the Royal Palace. I saw them, no big deal! The little prince and princess looked bored, not that I blame them, they were standing there all morning.


For the rest of the afternoon we walked around downtown, enjoying everyone's festive outfits and happy faces. The traditional Norsk outfit is called the 'bunad' and it's pretty much only worn on May 17th. It's kind of funny looking but at the same time I felt sad that I didn't have one of my own. They cost upwards of 1000$ though, so not really worth it in my books. I wore a white tank top underneath a blue tank top with a red cardigan and a pretty Norsk colored ribbon in my hair. I also had a Norsk flag on a stick which is almost mandatory if you want to attend the events. There was also much food to be eaten such as waffles and lefsa. But the big ticket items that all Norsk people eat are hotdogs. There are CRAZY for hotdogs in this country. So we had hotdogs for lunch. They were delicious!!! The best part about today (besides the party happening tonight :D) is that it was POURING rain this morning and all of last night but as soon as we got downtown, the sun came out and it's been a beautiful day ever since. The weather seemed to realize that today was an important day so it stopped with the rain (for the first time in almost a week). I just can't believe how sunny it is!!!


Counting today, there are only 14 days until Karina and I depart for our month long trek across Europe. There is still so much to get done before we leave (including booking a hostel for Rome) and there are still lots of things I want to do in Oslo before it's too late! Things are really winding down! I find myself walking downtown Oslo or going to IKEA then realizing that soon it'll all be over. Soon I'll be back in Canadia with all my friends and family and back to the school I love and miss but at the same time, I'm going to miss Norge! Yes it may be annoying at times and yes, living in residence has nearly driven me insane a couple times, but I'm a Norsk citizen and after living here I realize why people love it so much.


Alright Reader, that about does it for me! Time for me to go eat supper then get ready for a great night with friends! I love and miss you all! Thanks again for keeping track of me and for thinking of me because you know that I'm always thinking of you! Gratulerer med dagen! :) <3