Help! On Wednesday it’s the 17th of May and I haven’t done a damn’ thing about it! In fact, I haven’t even had the chance to think of it, as busy as I’ve been stressing with the sale of the apartment, with Airbnb guests, work, Sam and my fragile condition- my immune system tends to collapse whenever things pile up.

In case you didn’t know, 17th of May is a major holiday in Norway. Not only is it their national day, when people celebrate the Constitution of this fairly young country, but it’s the children’s day, too. They get to march all the way to the castle while waving flags or playing their instrument in the school orchestra. Besides wearing “bunad”, the traditional national costume, Norwegians usually hold sumptuous Champagne brunches and go out people watching with their whole family.

For the longest time, I was ambivalent towards this day, this sea of flags, the fact that they made me feel even more alien than I already was. I never knew what to wear, since it’s not customary for Romanians to own a national costume and besides it’s their day, not ours, so why wear it anyways. On the other hand it felt wrong to have a flag brooch on my dress and I felt “ungrateful” without one, too. Tough choice.

One day I must have stopped thinking so much about it, in terms of national identity and politics, probably due to the fact that I was invited to a brunch and sipped champagne with friends until the last drop of resistance was gone. I’m still a claustrophobic person and I don’t enjoy that much being in crowds, so I’d rather not see the march, if I can help it. But I started liking the festive atmosphere and the excuse to be with friends and eat goodies on a regular day (you guessed right, it’s a day off!).

Still not knowing what we’ll be doing for 17th of May, I’m thinking I’ll probably make some meringues and fix a cheese platter and take it from there.

Some champagne will have to accompany that and since I’ll probably be celebrating the sale of the apartment (the bidding round is tomorrow), why not kill two birds with one stone?

xxx, Alina

Source of images: http://www.snl.no, pinterest