Happy Syttende Mai!
Happy Norwegian Constitution Day from Ballard, little capital of Scandinavia. The founder of the day was “a Dane, but an ardent Norwegian in his heart and mind.” This pretty much sums up residents of Ballard, who might be American, but pretty much believe we are citizens of the 6th Scandinavian country. We’ve celebrated Syttende Mai since 1889, when we were only a little territory. Every year we celebrate with a parade down Market Street, lunch with the consulate, traditional music and dancing, pickled herring, lutfisk, glogg, cardamon rolls… really, anything you might desire from Scandinavia can be found here. If you can’t find it in Ballard, you don’t need it. I’m in Portland right now, but if I were home I’d be at the parade.
Find out more here.
May 17, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Ah, Ballard! Home to Laura Bee Designs and the Jolly Roger pub! One of my favorite places in the Pacific Northwest… and the Scandinavian quirk only makes it more lovable.
May 20, 2009 at 1:51 pm
That’s so cool! One of my best friends lives in Norway (she’s from there, lol) and I know she’d get a kick out of this. I’m forwarding your blog to her :)
May 20, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I love Ballard! When I visited Sweden I had the hardest time choosing souvenirs, because Ballard already had it. We have the Nordic Heritage Museum, a giant statue of Leif Erikson, and Scandinavian specialty shops and bakeries. In addition to Syttende Mai, we celebrate Tivoli and St. Lucia Day. :D