Our flags will be flying here in Eureka, California, USA this year to honor this special day in Norway.

This year we celebrate this special day with memories of the guests from Norway who came to California to help us dedicate the "Slooper bautastein" in Napa May 15, 2004.

Two days later, on the 17th, we gathered with our friends at San Francisco's Norwegian Seaman's Church* overlooking the Bay.  A few years ago we added a photo album from that memorable 2004 day.

Folks in Norway in 2005 did some extra special celebration.  That year marked 100 years since Norway ended its union with Sweden.  As our friend and Tysvær Cultural Officer Ingvar Frøyland told us in 2005, "This year we are talking a lot of the period 1905 - 2005 in Norway because it is 100 years since we got our own king.  From 1814, when we got our own constitution (May 17th) and was free from Denmark, and until 1905 we had a common king with Sweden.  June 7th is the day in 1905 when the union with Sweden ended, and we got our new king Håkon the 7th (imported from Denmark though) - and on June 7th [of 2005] Haugesund, Karmøy and Tysvær together [had] a big arrangement at Haraldshaugen in Haugesund to celebrate the end of the union with Sweden.  We are planning to have a cultural program with a lot of local music and theater, and if the weather is fine, we are hoping a lot of people will come.  This is the first time these communes [had] a common program at Haraldshaugen."