My Ballard reader Paul emailed in to let us know about a fantastic segment about Ballard’s Syttende Mai celebrations that was featured on KCTS9.
Syttende Mai festivities first started in 1814 when Norway declared itself an independent nation by the signing of its constitution. By the mid 1800s citizens of Norway celebrated the occasion with children’s parades and the events quickly caught on in Norwegian communities overseas.
According to the segment, Syttende Mai celebrations started in Seattle back in 1889 and have been celebrated every year since. Ballard’s celebrations are reportedly the biggest outside of Norway itself.
In preparation for this year’s Syttende Mai festivities, get in the spirit by checking out the segment below:
Click here to learn more about what’s in store for this year’s celebrations.
Hipp, Hipp Hurra!
