Make sure that you come to Norway, at least once, in May. May 17th is Norway’s Constitution Day. Schools are off, offices and shops are closed. Everybody is out to celebrate. The photos today are from Trondheim, the third biggest city of Norway.

Here the day starts with a parade for school children and brass bands at 10 am, it continues with a parade for organisations and groups at 1pm, and has its last parade at 4pm for High School last year students. People dress in their best clothes, thousands of men, women and children wear their “bunads”, regional costumes, flags can be seen everywhere and the air is filled with cheers and the music from bands playing.

Many schools have their own brass bands, and they have practised for weeks now to manage the marching while playing.

Mid-May can be cold in Trondheim. Luckily the bunads are mostly made of warm wool, many children are lucky to have knitting grand mothers, like this young charmer.

If you are looking for a place to stay in Trondheim let me recommend one of the city’s nicest hotel, Rica Nidelven. While you are there make sure you have time enough to enjoy the breakfast for at least a couple of hours. The hotel has the best breakfast in the country.

You can read more about May 17th in Trondheim here and here. And about bunads  here.