Norwegian Constitution Day - An Inclusive Holiday

An Inclusive Holiday

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 the inclusive nature of the celebration:

• The central position of the children’s parade, including all lower level school children, and therefore also their parents in the celebration.
• The celebration is focused around local schools and their children’s parade.
• The children’s parade reaches outwards, trying to cover as many roads as possible in the local community.
• The low focus on elected government during the celebration. In the capital, for example, the children’s parade passes the left side of the parliament building, and the president of parliament is allowed to wave to the passing parade from a small balcony, but the main focus of the parade is the Royal Castle and the Royal Family. It must also be noted that the office of president of parliament is mainly ceremonial and administrative, often awarded in the later part of a political career. The prime minister and the rest of the ruling government on the other hand have no official duties during the celebrations.
• The virtual lack of any military-centred 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.