# Syttende mai tomorrow! Who's joining in for some ice cream? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 16, 2002, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357 "2002-05-16T09:26:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357/1 "2002-05-16T09:26:20Z")
Tomorrow, the 17th of May, is Constitution Day in Norway. A day for parades of kids in their party clothes, hungover teens who will soon graduate from secondary school trying to do goofy things (and they’d manage, too, if people wouldn’t keep tilting the ground under them), hot dogs and large quantities of ice cream, and of course the speeches and music that get trotted out every year (you can smell the mothballs!). So, Norskie Dopers and Norsk-descended Dopers, who else is going to party? Who’s just going to eat a lot of ice cream because any reason to eat lots of ice cream is good enough? 😃 The weather in Oslo is going to be gorgeous. Don’t ask about the pollen count though :eek: I’ve baked chocolate chip cookies and a carrot cake for the party at flodjunior’s school. Just have to frost the cake before I pick him up today. Mmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Juggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/juggler/32/3194_2.png) [@Juggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juggler)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357/2 "2002-05-16T12:41:02Z")
No party here here in Sweden… although we always see your celebration on tv. The norwegians celebrate their constituion day better than our national day. In Sweden the national day isn’t even a holiday! **Flodnak** Have you changed you national hymn to a rap song yet? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357/3 "2002-05-16T12:47:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Juggler \* > \*\*No party here here in Sweden… \*\* Welcome to Stockholm! The whole town is usually crowded with celebrating Norwegians. ---
**Author:** ![Toffe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e19adc/32.png) [@Toffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toffe)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357/4 "2002-05-16T13:37:50Z")
I’m mobilising the Scandinavian society here at university to celebrate. I tried to get all the Norwegians (both of them) together to organise something bigger, but nothing happened - so it’s just another pub night. Ah, well… ---
**Author:** ![Nordic\_Pacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/77aa72/32.png) [@Nordic\_Pacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nordic_Pacer)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357/5 "2002-05-16T14:31:53Z")
I’m proud to be a Doper of Norsk descent and I will be celebrating. The Norwegian flag will be flying at my house and I have convinced my exercise class that this is a great excuse for a party - so we’re having one! ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357/6 "2002-05-16T15:28:10Z")
**ahem** Du gamla, du fria, du fjällhöga Nord! Du tysta, du gladjerika sköna! Jag älskar dig, vänaste land uppå jord! Din sol, din himmel, dina ängder gröna! Din sol, din himmel dina ängder grö-ö-na! Thank you. This Swedish moment has been brought to you by the Kalmar Council, who would like to remind Norway that without Sweden, you would be just another province of Denmark. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357/7 "2002-05-16T15:37:18Z")
About 20 miles from Madison, there is a little town called Stoughton that is known (around here anyway) for being the local Mecca for all things Norsk. They have their own [Syttende Mai](http://www.stoughtonwi.com/SyttendeMaiHome.htm) fest every year that has a parade, a run, all sorts of Norwegian arts & crafts, ice cream, and just about anything else you could think of. I’d be intersted to see what any _real_ Norwegians think of it. Sound anything like the real deal over there? ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357/8 "2002-05-16T18:45:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jk1245 \* > \*\*About 20 miles from Madison, there is a little town called Stoughton \*\* Nope, I believe it’s called “Stow-un” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ivar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ivar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivar)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357/9 "2002-05-16T19:42:08Z")
I’ll be lifting a beer in honor of King and Country tomorrow (and the end of finals!) I was in Oslo for the festivities last year, had a blast, wish I were back there again. -Ivar, the resident Norwegian-American dual-citizen doper. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2002, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357/10 "2002-05-16T19:59:21Z")
My mother is a Rasmussen, so I think that qualifies me for ice cream and beer tomorrow. Thanks for letting me know. I wonder if I can find Norwegian beer at Jungle Jims? You’re not going to get me drunk and trick me into eating herring or lutefisk or something, are you? ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357/11 "2002-05-17T09:50:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ShibbOleth \* > \*\* > You’re not going to get me drunk and trick me into eating herring or lutefisk or something, are you? \*\* [picking nits] Why can’t people learn that it’s spelled **lut** fisk? [/picking nits] And now for something completely different. When I was walking to my office this morning (by my standards morning is around 10am) I noticed that Sweden must have been invaded. There were Norwegians everywhere on their way to the celebrations. ---
**Author:** ![Coil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Coil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coil)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357/12 "2002-05-17T11:53:52Z")
Sorry can´t come, off to se Attack of the Clones tonight instead (+ I´m in Sweden). ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2002, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357/13 "2002-05-17T16:12:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Floater \* > \*\* > [picking nits] > Why can’t people learn that it’s spelled **lut** fisk? > [/picking nits] > \*\* Could be that’s the only way we 'Mericuns have seen it spelled: > [@](#): > > _from online Merriam Webster_ > Main Entry: lute·fisk > Pronunciation: 'lüt-"fisk, 'lü-t&- > Function: noun > Etymology: Norwegian, from lute to wash in lye solution + fisk fish > Date: 1924 > : dried codfish that has been soaked in a water and lye solution before cooking You could also blame it on the Norse. My hardcopy dictionary doesn’t even have the word. I think I read it in something from Garrison Keillor. ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357/14 "2015-05-16T23:17:45Z")
Hope it’s okay by **flodnak** and dopers alike to post to to this old thread. It was the only Syttende Mai thread in search. And there is Ice Cream! I’ll buy. 🙂 I’m in next-door St. Petersburg, Russia. A couple of times I went with my Dad to the small parade in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. There was Lutefisk (yuk) and tasty pastries. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357/15 "2015-05-17T10:44:25Z")
> [@Juggler](#): > > In Sweden the national day isn’t even a holiday! **Flodnak** Have you changed you national hymn to a rap song yet? 😉 I was about to comment on that … but then I saw the date. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syttende-mai-tomorrow-whos-joining-in-for-some-ice-cream/109357/16 "2015-05-17T16:04:44Z")
Lots of activities here in the alternate capital of Norway. > **[17th of May Seattle - 17th of May Seattle](https://www.17thofmay.org/)** > > Join us for one of Seattle's oldest traditions first celebrated in 1889. Observe Norwegian Constitution Day on May 17th in Ballard with traditional Norwegian music, art, dancing, and parade. Fun for the whole family.