Today is Norway's Constitution Day

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Norwegians celebrate Constitution Day on May 17th, marking the signing of their constitution in 1814, with vibrant Children's Parades across the country, particularly in Oslo where the Royal Family greets the public. The festivities evoke mixed memories, with some recalling past hardships, such as a personal account of a near-trampling incident during a celebration in 1945. The discussion briefly shifts to Poland's historical context, including references to its constitution and the Liberum veto, with some light-hearted banter about national pride. The conversation concludes with a suggestion that the U.S. could benefit from a similar celebration of its constitution, given the general lack of awareness among citizens.
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Today, Norwegians celebrate the day our constitution was signed, May 17th 1814.

A welcome sight are the many Children's Parades across the country, here's a photo from the main event in OSlo.

The Children's Parade in Oslo winds it way up our main street to the Royal Palace, where the Royal Family greets their people from the balcony:

[URL]http://14augustkomiteen.no/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Barnetog-karl-Johan1.jpg[/URL]
 
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Congratulations to the Norwegian people, that picture reminds me of a sardine tin :smile:
 
wolram said:
Congratulations to the Norwegian people,
Thanks!
that picture reminds me of a sardine tin :smile:
Oh, it can be worse, much worse:
My Dad's worst childhood memory was 17th of May 1945, just 9 days after Liberation Day.
He was just 7, got separated from his parents, and nearly trampled to death by the festive, tightly packed crowd...
 
We were first - Constitution of May 3, 1791 :smile:

Still, celebration is a celebration! Best wishes for inhabitants of the most expensive country I ever visited :-p
 
Borek said:
We were first - Constitution of May 3, 1791 :smile:

Still, celebration is a celebration! Best wishes for inhabitants of the most expensive country I ever visited :-p
Not a single polish nobleman vetoing that resolution?

I thought that was how Poland was ungoverned throughout the centuries..
 
arildno said:
Not a single polish nobleman vetoing that resolution?

It passed thanks to secretly moving voting to earlier date and not allowing part of the opposition to enter the Royal Castle. In 1791 Liberum veto was in practice out of use, there was some legal trick used to make it impossible. Sorry, my historical knowledge is rather weak.

I thought that was how Poland was ungoverned throughout the centuries..

Oh come on, there really is no need for Polish jokes in this thread, it is about Norway after all.

There is no doubt we wasted a strong country, but whether liberum veto was one of the main reasons is disputed.
 
Anyway, hope you Poles have made a celebration of your own Constitution Day; from what I read, that document is well worth remembering, as an enlightened reformation of a rather chaotic past, and a moment for justified national pride throughout the difficult history Poland has had from 1792 to quite recently.

:smile:
 
Hey! How come we don't celebrate our constitution here in the U.S.? We need something considering how little most of our citizens (and some lawmakers) actually know about it.
 

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