national day of Norway

Since the recent discovery of my Norwegian descent, I have been embracing everything Norwegian: the culture, the language, the music, and reading up about the history of the country.

On 17th May 1814 the Constitution of Norway was signed, and Norway was declared an independent nation, so it's kind of like Norwegian Independence Day today! Hurrah! Among Norwegians, today is referred to as 'syttende mai' (meaning Seventeenth of May) or 'Nasjonaldagen' (The National Day)... but I think Independence Day sounds much better!

To celebrate, I am dressed in the colours of the Norwegian flag - red, white and blue (though I wish I could find a skirt like this in my size) - and my hair is in cute heidi braids atop my head.

Unfortunately I have to work today, otherwise I would have gone down to Southwark Park where the Norwegian community in London are celebrating the day with a parade, a Norwegian food market and, I can only imagine, a vast sea of pretty Norwegian flags...

It makes me positively patriotic!