This post is especially for my mom! May 17 is Syttende Mai, or Norwegian Independence Day/Constitution Day. Norway only became independent in 1905, so that would mean they are at 100 years this week. Congratulations to residents of Norway and all of us outside Norway with ties to the motherland.

(Note of clarification: Norway wrote and declared their constitution in 1814, to free them from Denmark, which had “given” Norway to Sweden… but Sweden did not finally grant independence until 1905. What a long struggle that must have been. My explanation is too brief, click the above link to get more details.)

My parents grew up in Hanska, Minnesota. I like to say they are from “Lake Wobegon” since the culture of this real town is so much like the “imaginary” one in the stories of Garrison Keillor. Actually, Mr. Keillor is from Anoka which is about 2 hours from Mom’s hometown.

My mom once wrote a small web page about Hanska (I helped her make it as a Mother’s Day gift almost 10 years ago, but it has not been updated in too long, my fault and not hers). The links on that page are no longer good, but her description of the town is still accurate.

Hanska, as my dad would say, was home to 435 Norwegians and 2 Germans. (Many in town still spoke Norwegian at that time, at least at home.) Actually, I found census data lately and Hanska is impressive in its ethnic diversity now (probably because of cars allowing long commutes to work). But the town continues to be very proud of its heritage and has an annual Syttende Mai celebration that brings in visitors into the thousands. Mom usually attends, making a long drive just to be with family and friends.

When I was in Middle School, Mom sewed me a Norwegian ethnic outfit and I wore it to school on May 17. I was so proud I didn’t care if people teased me (believe me, they did). It had a long black skirt (to the floor) with three colors of ribbon trim near the hem. A white apron with lace went on top of the skirt.

I had a white blouse and a red vest with an inset closing the front. Then I got to wear my precious sterling silver pin, that had been my Great Aunt Ingeborg’s. It is a heart with the crown of Norway on top, and many shiny concave teardrop-shaped dangles. Shiny. Pretty. I have seen other pins of this type, but all modern. Mine is probably several decades older than my Mother’s pin, and more ornate and more beautiful (and larger) than any I’ve seen. Mine is perhaps 4″ tall, but with the fine workmanship it weighs almost nothing. Not everyone likes these old pins, there is a lot to polishing them well before you can wear them, but I just love mine.

I also had a hat, I remember it in black but it could have been red, with ribbon trim. Shaped a lot like a cadet girl scout/army hat but worn with the points toward the ears rather than front/back if I recall right. If you click this link and scroll down the middle section of the page, you will see an outfit much like the one I describe, on a young girl on the right side.

I loved feeling special in my beautiful costume. I think I only wore it once, but that was precious stuff. Middle school is such an awkward time. Kids are trying to figure out who they are. One thing I knew, was that my roots were mostly Norwegian.

By the way, we made the costume by copying a small doll’s costume, a doll with historically accurate clothing handmade for me by Ingeborg. She was born and raised in Norway, and moved to the USA when she was 16. She never had any children, so I was her special one… the closest child relative to her home in Flint, Michigan. It makes me feel good to know I could be that for her, now that I have my Goddaughter Sara in my own life… the situation repeats itself, quite happily.

I have written about Ingeborg at least twice before. She is the only one I remember ever knitting for me. Photo is the lovely pin she gave me when I was still very young.

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