The Norwegian National Day is celebrated in memory of the Constitution passed in Eidsvoll on May 17, 1814. Norway was previously ruled by a Danish king. However, the Norwegians wanted to have their own king and choose their own representatives to rule the country.
On the day the Constitution was signed, Christian Frederik was elected the new king of Norway. The new king ruled the country for only a few months, because on October 10, 1814, he had to hand over the throne to the Swedish king Charles Johan.
Since the signing of the Constitution of the 17th maja Almost a hundred years passed in 1814 before Norway became completely independent from Sweden. The union with Sweden was dissolved in 1905 and then Norwegians could celebrate May 17 as a free country.
The first "barnetoget" and "Ja, vi elsker"
In 1870, the first children's parade was organized in Christiania. The first "barnetoget" went from Akershus Fortress through the Storting to the King's Palace and numbered about 1200 boys. The originator and organizer of "barnetoget" was Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson. In 1889, also girls joined the children's train. The children's train quickly became a tradition and remains the most important symbol of the 17 May celebrations to this day.
On May 17, Norway celebrates "Norges grunnlovsdag "
From May 17, 1906, Norwegian royalty she stood on the castle balcony and greeted school students in Oslo, except in 1910, when King Edward VIII, Queen Maud's father, was buried, and during the war of 1940-1945.
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson was not only the architect of the children's train, but also wrote the Norwegian the national anthem "Ja, vi elsker" . He wrote it on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of May 17, 1864.
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