What's so great about May?

May is a winner of a month. Summer holidays begin to take shape and School-tired students are the happiest people on earth as they watch the calendar wind into higher numbers. Fittingly, there are several national holidays that will forever be remembered as Memorable May Days.

One is Cinco de Mayo, or (“Sink-o-da-my-o) for non-Spainish linguists). The Fifth of May.

Back in the 1890s, Mexico had lost a series of battles that became too costly to repay to the

victors and Mexican officials decided to suspend repatriation to the winners for two years to replenish the treasury. The earlier French winners disagreed and decided to re-attack with their over-whelming military force forcing the poorly equiped and already-vanquished rag-tag foe to retreat. It looked like another French victory and a Mexican loss but the tide turned. The Mexican fighters gained the upper hand and the battle ended as the Mexican underdogs  were victorious over the “Premier Army of The World.” As Mexicans  celebrated their memorable military victory, Cinco De Mayo became a Mexican National holiday. May 5, 1892.

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Wars complicate history as the weak must combine forces with others in order to be victorious or  lose to the stronger forces.  Scandinavian countries were not known for strong military strength and when challenged, alliances with

Flag of Sweden

 neighbors were made to battle , often declaring to remain neutral. Denmark seemed to be the dominate member of the group and Sweden joined Norway when territory disputes occurred. When Denmark won, Norway was the prize territory forced to be under Danish rule and, of course, a Danish Kingdom. Sweden would join French forces and, becoming part of a victorious alliance, demand Norway’s return with the result of a Swedish King!

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This territorial-exchange continued until a Swedish-Norwegian king decreed control over Norway citizens. Country-members decided that enough-was-enough and in a meeting that resulted, finally, in Norway’s Declaration of Independence . After all arrangements and agreements were settled, Norway became a free country. The date was  known as Syttende Mai ( “soot-in-de-my”)  Constitution Day,  May 1814.

Times settled down and all Scandinavian countries prospered together. Problems occurred in the southern European area, but distance kept Norway and  friends out of those disputes.

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    Norway continued to  remain  neutral , even through WW1, but Germany could not  accept the fact of their loss in that First World War and  German disputes with neighbors continued.  

 

Norway became a geographical  prize and hostilities became inevitable. Norway continued to remain neutral, but German invasion forces made that impossible. Norway was at war, once again.

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Damaged rail bridge stops German shipping.

 In 1940, WW2 began. In the early morning of April 9, 1940 Germany invaded both Denmark and Norway. Norway had become important for German shipping when Swedish iron ore was being shipped through Norway to Germany.  As Norwegian troops were forced to surrender, Norwegian citizens maintained a constant resistance movement that continued throughout hostilities.

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 King Haakon fled to London while Princess Martha and the Royal family accepted asylum from President Roosevelt for many weeks.Five years of German occupation ravaged the country before

 Norwegians were able to return and rebuild.

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The wars finally ended in 1945 and Norway was,once again, free. The date of the war’s end was May 8th, 1945.  Finally, the Norwegian flag was no longer forbidden to fly after five long and hard years and Norway rejoiced another day of independence and freedom..

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                        May is a flag month in Norway as  Norwegians celebrate TWO very special May days .Freedom from German occupation May 8, 1945 and Constitution Day, May 17, 1814

                     Is it any wonder why May is a happy month in Norway?