Views and News from Norway

Holiday ended with drunks and destruction

Views and News staff — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:45:48 +0000

Norway’s 17th of May celebrations on Friday ended with rowdy parties, drunkenness and even vandalism to the statue of national war hero Gunnar Sønsteby. Its sculptor Per Ung was furious, calling the vandals “idiots and vermin,” while Oslo Mayor Fabian Stang said they were just stupid. “It’s always sad when someone, probably drunk, makes a [...]

The world wasn’t hers after all

Views and News staff — Sat, 18 May 2013 23:35:31 +0000

“The whole world is mine,” sang Norway’s Margaret Berger at the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest Saturday night, but when the voting was over, it really wasn’t. Berger, one of the favourites to win the contest, ended up in fourth place while Denmark won by a healthy margin. That means next year’s extravaganza will [...]

‘Gratulerer med dagen!’

Admin — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:43:23 +0000

PICTURE SERIES: That’s the standard greeting on the 17th of May in Norway, when residents congratulate each other over the country’s constitution and its sovereignty. This year’s festivities took place mostly in surprisingly summer-like conditions, with some cities like Trondheim reporting record warm temperatures of as high as 25C (77F). In Oslo, skies were overcast [...]

‘Hurra’ for all on the 17th of May

Views and News staff — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:38:59 +0000

New research that has surprised even those conducting it reveals that Norway’s Constitution Day on the 17th of May has emerged not as a day of nationalistic chauvinism but as the most inclusive day of the year, with solidarity cutting across ethnic, cultural and religious lines. It’s now celebrated enthusiastically by both natives and a [...]

17th of May leader defied critics

Views and News staff — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:54:31 +0000

Shoaib Sultan was born in Pakistan but grew up in Oslo and then, from the age of 10, in a small village northeast of the capital, near the border to Hedmark County. Not everyone thought that qualified him to be leader of the organizing committee for 17th of May celebrations in Oslo this year, but [...]

Early parade for the youngest

Views and News staff — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:12:29 +0000

PHOTO FEATURE: As school children marched all over Norway in Constitution Day parades on Friday, the youngest Norwegians got into the act as well, a day early. In line with tradition, pre-schoolers at what the Norwegians call barnehager (kindergartens, or day care centers) had their own parades the day before the 17th of May. Our [...]

Norway heads for Eurovision final

Views and News staff — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:56:59 +0000

Margaret Berger, Norway’s entry at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, fed her audience well enough on Thursday night to qualify for the finals of the Eurovision Song Contest this weekend. Her song “I feed you my love” clearly appealed to the tastes of European voters, and her slinky dress probably helped, too. Since fans aren’t [...]

Begging on streets OK, not sleeping

Views and News staff — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:46:15 +0000

Police were voicing approval on Thursday after city politicians in Oslo, quarreling over how to deal with thousands of migrant poor on the streets of the capital, banned all outdoor sleeping on public property in populated areas. Begging continues to be unrestricted, at least for now. The politicians had seemed poised to restrict begging as [...]

Man from Troms wins lottery record

Views and News staff — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:40:59 +0000

A man in his 60s from Troms County in northern Norway was planning a family trip to the Canary Islands on Thursday after winning a record NOK 216 million (USD 37 million) in the national lottery known as Vikinglotto. It will be the largest amount every paid out by the betting organization that helps finance [...]

Flags fly but 40% drop big parade

Views and News staff — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:06:02 +0000

As Norway headed into its annual, festive Constitution Day celebrations on the 17th of May, interest seemed to be declining in the traditional children’s parade in Oslo. Only around 60 percent of local school students will be marching this year, but some think it’s purely a case of timing. This year’s 17th of May holiday [...]