Today, May 17th, is Norwegian Constitution Day. Take it away, Wikipedia:

The Constitution of Norway was signed at Eidsvoll on May 17 in the year 1814. The constitution declared Norway to be an independent nation.

The celebration of this day began spontaneously among students and others from early on. However, Norway was at that time under Swedish rule (following the Convention of Moss in August 1814) and for some years the King of Sweden was reluctant to allow the celebrations. For a couple of years in the 1820s, king Carl Johan actually forbade it, as he thought the celebrations a kind of protest and disregard—even revolt—against Swedish sovereignty.

Ballard, of course, goes all bonkers every year with a parade and partytime and a luncheon and, apparently, "proclamations." The Grand Marshal of this year's parade is a person called DAGFINN HØYBRÅTEN, Norwegian politician and inventor of the smoking ban. The parade starts at 6 pm, "near Adams School in Ballard, at the corner of NW 62nd and 24th Avenue NW. The route follows south to Market Street and eastward to Bergen Place." The luncheon is right now. You are missing it. Here is a list of all other events. Here is the Norwegian national anthem.

Just TRY to forbid me to go to Ballard tonight, King Carl Johan! Seriously. Try it. I bow to no 19th-century Swede.

P.S. Much to my delight, to wish me a happy Syttende Mai, a second cousin in Norway sent me a picture of the family plot in the little Hov cemetery:

Which, if you think about it, is essentially like saying, "Happy 4th of July! Here's where we keep Great Grandfather's corpse." I loved it. Miss you, Grandpa and Grandma Skaugrud!