Celebrating Constitution Day

Walking together with my youngest daughter in the sparsely populated procession, I couldn't but wonder if political correctness has all but stifled the urge to publicly display a normal, tempered sense of pride in the achievements of past generations.

Every May 17 Norwegians pour out into the streets to celebrate Constitution Day. Donning our finest attire, toting flags of almost any size, we leave our fortresses, our very private homes, to converge on schools, public plazas and whatever space there may be that can accomodate an unusual high number of people. It is a day where our every move is - in a sense - dictated by precedence. We walk silently for miles in our May 17 procession, as we have done countless times before, and if we're lucky, there's a band somewhere that can help us synchronize our voices as we strain our brains trying to remember the lines of our national anthem.

REMEMBERING THROUGH SONG

When I a child, our teacher used to prepare us for the joys and trials of Constitiution Day by refreshing our memories in the weeks leading up to the event itself. That is, we actually had to sing most of the 19'th century songs that had at some point been written for the express purpose of, yes, becoming a part of this collective experience, the annual reminder of the fact that our freedom was gained in the past by people who had to fight for it.

Some of these songs rather unashamedly proclaim the virtues and natural beauties of this Norway of ours. Which sits well with most natives, I guess. But now it seems that postmodernist creeds are beginning to make their mark on this day of celebrating our Consitution: we seem to have forgotten our lines.

NO MORE NATIONALISM

In 2009 nationalism is definitely a taboo in this oountry. I can handle that. Apart from our affluence, there's virtually very little to boast about these days. But I do object to the notion that rejecting nationalism equals opting for a more subdued version of what used to be a day of very vocal, very conspicuous chants of "Hipp, hipp, hooray", young and old energetically waving flags accompanied by youthful renditions of the old May 17 classics.

You see, a 'disconcerting' number of these Consitution Day classics contain references to God and his alleged role in the founding and shaping of this nation. And so, because we must not hurt somebody's (irreligious) feeling or provoke animosity among our minority populations, we seem to cave in to the demand the nobody has really ever put forward: we shelve the songs altogether, trudging tongue-tied to the accompaniment of almost total silence.

BRING BACK THE SONGS, PLEASE

I may be wrong, but I honestly think that we should go for a rejuvenated sense of pride in and thankfulness for what Constitution Day really brought us all those 195 years ago. And I would love to see children and adults singing at the top of their voices, acknowledging the value of these songs that relay to us our hard-won heritage of political and religious liberty.

Next year I will certainly prepare better than I did this year. I am not going to shovel my religious convictions down my neighbour's throat, but I am going to vent the feelings that I harbour: I love my country. Not because it's morally superior to any other nation, but simply because as I grow older, I increasingly value some of the fundamental qualities that our society has to offer, both to the native and the asylum seeker.

We are a free and independent country. Let's sing and make some noise in recognition of that fact. I promise you that I will, and I hope you will join me May 17 next year.